The high-tech acoustic device will eavesdrop on the songs of the whales to better understand and safeguard their movements near two busy shipping lanes entering New York Harbor. The buoy is connected by "stretch hoses" to a weighted frame that sits 125 feet below on the sea floor. The research collected could help prevent ship strikes, and may be helpful as the federal government and New York state consider placing a massive wind energy farm offshore in the coming years. The buoy has been placed inside what is called the New York Bight, which features busy shipping lanes and lucrative fishing grounds.