Blue Corridors - Ode Partners
Blue Corridors
Whales travel thousands of miles each year along ancient migratory routes, playing a key role in ocean health and carbon sequestration. But their journeys are increasingly threatened by ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, underwater noise, plastic pollution, and climate change. A new global initiative aims to capture the urgency and complexity of these risks at the scale whales experience them.
Ode partnered with leading science and conservation organizations, organized by World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), to create an interactive platform that combines migration data with marine threats and protection priorities to help inform efforts across borders, disciplines, and sectors.
By digitally mapping the migratory “blue corridors” used by great whales and making them publicly accessible, the platform offers a powerful resource to support science, inform policy, and accelerate ocean protection.
We began by assessing existing reports, analyzing data sources, and developing a vision for an approachable, interactive experience that would bring together disparate datasets.
Building on that strategic foundation, we translated complex scientific goals into a cohesive visual system designed to carry the weight of the science while remaining accessible to the general public.
With the platform’s structure defined, we created a visual design system for the initiative. The dynamic logo evokes whale migration, while the color palette and motion elements bring a sense of movement and continuity across the experience. Together, these elements form a recognizable and purposeful visual identity that anchors the platform and invites engagement.
31
The platform brings together thirty-one years of whale tracking data.
1,437
The number of satellite tags used to monitor individual whales.
3+ million kilometers
The documented distance whales traveled to form the corridors.
7
Seven of the world’s 14 great whale species remain endangered or vulnerable.
50
Blue Corridors integrates satellite tracking data from over 50 research groups.
We collaborated closely with stakeholders to understand their needs and design a product that accommodates multiple visualization modes, making it easy for nontechnical audiences to use.
Users can explore different map views by layering migratory routes with data on species, threats, and protections. This reveals what stands in the way of whales reaching critical breeding, feeding, and social habitats across ocean basins.
The platform also allows users to download and share maps and datasets, equipping them to build stronger, data-driven cases for marine protection.
A series of case studies spotlight areas where whales are most vulnerable and highlight location-specific solutions, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. These successful efforts can inform local governments to help protect critical species.
To support long-term growth, we developed a scalable and flexible backend infrastructure that allows new data to be added over time. While the platform launched with eight whale species, it’s built to accommodate additional species, data layers, and contributors. More than a technical foundation, it’s an invitation for data providers to help grow a living resource for marine conservation.