The Whale CHARTS Act expands and improves how the federal government tracks, studies, and protects migratory whales and large dolphins (cetaceans) in U.S. waters. Right now, the government has a basic monitoring program focused on real-time tracking to prevent ship collisions. This bill significantly broadens that effort by adding three major new components: detailed mapping of where whales live and migrate, targeted surveys of whale species we know less about, and a grant program to fund new technologies that help ships and whales avoid each other.

The bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create highly detailed maps showing where different whale species feed, breed, migrate, and rest. These maps will use cutting-edge technology like underwater sound sensors, drone imagery, and satellite data—not just traditional ship and airplane spotting. The maps will be made available to ship captains through navigation systems and to the public online, so everyone from commercial fishermen to recreational boaters can see where whales are likely to be. The government will also conduct new surveys to study whale species we don't know much about yet, identifying their habitats and population sizes.

To encourage innovation, the bill creates a competitive grant program offering up to $10 million to develop and test new detection technologies and management approaches. Universities, nonprofits, fishing companies, tourism operators, and other maritime businesses can apply for funding to develop tools that reduce harmful interactions between ocean users and whales. The program prioritizes projects that show real promise of reducing whale deaths and injuries, involve cooperation among different ocean industries, and provide economic benefits to small maritime businesses.