Can we save dolphins by talking like them? Science says yes

Marine biologist Bastien Mérigot from the University of Montpellier wants to call out to dolphins in their own language — to save them from becoming entangled in invisible fishing nets on the seafloor.

Since 2016, an alarming number of dolphins have died after accidentally getting caught in fishing nets, particularly off the French coast of the Bay of Biscay. Traditional acoustic deterrents have failed to address this problem because they rely on random signals that dolphins don't understand.

Mérigot is leading the DolphinFree project, which proposes an innovative solution: a bio-inspired acoustic beacon that communicates danger in a language dolphins can comprehend. By emitting specially recorded audio signals in the frequencies dolphins use for echolocation, the device creates an acoustic image of a “dead dolphin” — helping real dolphins avoid these deadly traps.

To learn more about saving countless dolphin lives with a smart device, watch Bastien Mérigot’s interview in the video above.