February 5, 2026 — A group of U.S. lawmakers has reintroduced legislation designed to improve the federal government’s ability to map whale habitats and help reduce vessel strikes.
The Whale Conservation Habitat Analysis, Research, and Technical Strategies (CHARTS) Act directs NOAA to improve its mapping of whale habitats while also developing predictive maps that estimate how whale populations might change their habits in response to environmental conditions. The legislation would require the agency to create high-resolution maps showing where whales are now and where they may be in the future. Critically, the maps must be usable for commercial and recreational mariners to help them avoid collisions.