World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and a global coalition of leading scientists, civil society, governments, and tech innovators have launched BlueCorridors.org—a dynamic new platform that shows the corridors used by great whales as they migrate along with information on overlapping marine threats and conservation solutions.
Every year, some 20,000 whales are killed by ships. Whales face constant danger from ghost fishing gear, plastic pollution, noise pollution and accelerating climate impacts. Despite decades of conservation work, seven of the 14 great whale species remain endangered or vulnerable.
The platform visualizes satellite tracking data from over 50 global research groups, including Oregon State University, the University of California Santa Cruz, the University of Southampton, and many others. These maps trace the migratory superhighways that connect whales to critical breeding, feeding, and social habitats across ocean basins—routes essential not only for whale survival but for the health of marine ecosystems.
BlueCorridors.org offers an interactive tool that combines migration data with layers of marine threats and conservation priorities to help guide protection efforts across national borders and disciplines.
“Blue corridors are more than migration routes—they’re lifelines for the ocean’s giants and the ecosystems they support,” said Chris Johnson, Global Lead for WWF’s Protecting Whales and Dolphins Initiative. “This platform transforms decades of science into a tool for action—showing when, where, and how to protect whales in a rapidly changing ocean.”
Key features of the platform include:
- Whale movement maps by species and time of year that can be produced and shared;
- Conservation data from partners such as the IUCN Marine Mammal Taskforce’s Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), and other ecologically important zones, to inform future marine protected areas design and planning;
- Overlapping threats, including shipping routes, fishing effort, and climate change layers;
- Case studies, highlighting hotspots where whales are most vulnerable and which solutions governments can action.
“This is the future of conservation—open, collaborative, and grounded in science,” said Dr. Ryan Reisinger, co-lead of the initiative from the University of Southampton. “By linking threats with solutions, this platform supports smarter, more coordinated marine planning that spans sectors and borders.”
BlueCorridors.org builds on the collaborative “Protecting Blue Corridors” report (2022), which mapped global whale migration for the first time and outlined targeted regional conservation actions—from the Eastern Pacific and Mediterranean to the Southern Ocean. The new, digital platform meets the growing need for open-access, science-based marine connectivity tools, with peer-reviewed publications on its methodology and collaborative design to follow later in 2025.
“This is more than a map—it’s a movement,” said Johnson. “By combining cutting-edge science, digital innovation, and creative storytelling, we’re giving whales a fighting chance. This platform represents a rare alignment across science, civil society, and policy—all working together to protect the ocean’s giants through transparency, data, and shared commitment.”
