NOAA Arctic Surveys 2019 (Preliminary Findings)

NOAA Fisheries recently released preliminary findings from its 2019 surveys in the Arctic.

The surveys include:

• Ice Seal and Polar Bear Aerial Survey Test
• Groundfish, Crab, Bottom-Dwelling Species Survey in Southeastern Bering Sea
• Arctic Larval Fish and Plankton Community Survey
• Aerial Survey of Bowhead Abundance
• Groundfish, Crab, Bottom-Dwelling Species Survey in Northern Bering Sea
• Arctic Ecosystem Assessment
• Aerial Survey of Arctic Marine Mammals
• Surface/Mid-water Column Community Survey
• Ecosystem Surveys in Bering Sea
• Passive Acoustic Whale Monitoring

The entire Alaska Fisheries Science Center Surveys in the Arctic: 2019 Preliminary Findings report is available here:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/science-data/alaska-fisheries-science-center-surveys-arctic-2019-preliminary-findings

source: Alaska Fisheries Science Center

East Coast Marine Life Survey - AMAPPS III

Atlantic Right Whale | photo credit NOAA

The Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (AMAPPS) is a federal multi-agency program designed to study how many marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds are in U.S. waters, where they are located at different times of the year, and how they may be changing over time.

AMAPPS, allows researchers to put all the information about abundance, distribution, ecology and behavior of protected species - from whales, dolphins, and seals to marine turtles and seabirds - into an ecosystem context so resource managers can use it for conservation measures and decision-making.

The primary funders of AMAPPS are NOAA, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Navy. One of the goals of the program is to develop models and related tools to provide distribution patterns and density estimates by season and location that includes habitat characteristics of marine mammals, turtles and seabirds along the U.S. East Coast.

The next five-year program, AMAPPS III, runs from 2019 to 2023. During AMAPPS III, in addition to continuing the above data collection, plankton (in particular larval tuna) samples will be investigated.

As part of AMAPPS activities in 2019, NOAA Fisheries scientists for the Northeast and Southeast Fisheries Science Centers conducted spring aerial surveys covering waters from Florida to Maine from the coastline to more than 200 miles offshore during April 1 to June 30 using NOAA Twin Otter aircraft.

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center also collects oceanographic and environmental data on its own shipboard survey cruises throughout the year, such as the Ecosystem Monitoring survey, which also hosts AMAPPS marine mammal and seabird observers.

One product of the program to date has been the Marine Mammal Model Viewer, which displays the data on a map of the East Coast showing the predicted abundance and distribution of a specific marine species in different seasons of the year, based on the data scientists collected during this project. Sightings of the 17 most common whale, dolphin and porpoise species are included, with more species to be added.

Wind-energy lease areas are marked on the maps, which can be viewed on computers as well as on mobile devices. A user can draw a box around an area of interest, investigate in more detail the density patterns within that box, then download the density data for use in other analyses.

The AMAPPS sightings data have also been used in other density models. For example, they have been used in mammal, turtle, and seabird maps available on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal.

Following the successful AMAPPS project in the western North Atlantic Ocean, similar projects have been initiated in the Gulf of Mexico (GoMMAPPS) and the Pacific Ocean (PacMAPPS).

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC)

In January, 2019, Canada announced it will provide $12.6 million in funding over four years to Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a national network of ocean observation systems based at the University of Victoria.

The investment will strengthen high-quality, real-time data on the marine environment to support the work of scientists throughout Canada and around the world, According to Canadian officials.

In particular, this investment will build on ONC’s ocean noise monitoring program and will expand its monitoring of sea surface currents in Pacific waters.

killer whales | photo credit NOAA photo library

The data will augment Canada's efforts to protect the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale while improving navigation and emergency response.

Southern resident killer whales (SRKW) represent the smallest of four resident communities within the Northeastern portion of North America Pacific Ocean.

In Canada the SRKW are listed as endangered on Species at Risk Act Schedule 1. In the USA, SRKW is the only killer whale population listed under the Endangered Species Act by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

A Government of Canada’s $3.5 million contribution from its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund was highlighted by the official opening of the University of Victoria’s recently opened Ocean-Climate Building.

The new $9.5 million facility also includes investments of $5.15 million from the University of Victoria and $850,000 from the Province of British Columbia.

The nearly 30,000-square-foot building provides an interdisciplinary, collaborative space for the University of Victoria’s ocean, climate change, and data management research programs.

The new facility is occupied by more than 200 researchers, co-op students, scientists, and staff, who will conduct research into the effects of changing oceans and climate.

The Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund provides funding to help modernize facilities at Canadian universities and colleges, as well as improve their energy efficiency and reduce their impact on the environment.

source: Government of Canada

November is Right Whale Month

North Atlantic right whale | photo credit: NEFSC

In November, 2018, the City of Fernandina Beach Florida, by order of Proclamation, recognized the month of November as "Right Whale Month."

In November of 2019, Fernandina Beach will be the location of the 11th Annual Right Whale Festival.

The Right Whale Festival celebrates the annual return of endangered North Atlantic right whales to the warm coastal water off northeast Florida and Georgia, where they give birth to and nurse their young.

The annual festival raises awareness of the threats to right whales and how to aid in their recovery. The event highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction. The festival also features activities and exhibits that emphasize education and environmentally responsible practices.

The 2018 Right Whale Festival was held on Saturday, November 3 along Jacksonville Beach, FL.



Right Whale Facts

In 2017, NOAA confirmed 17 North Atlantic right whale deaths; about 4 percent of a population estimated at about 450 animals.

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an "Unusual Mortality Event," which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

In 2018, there have been two confirmed right whale mortalities.

There are currently only about 100 females of breeding age in the population and more females seem to be dying than males.

Births have also been declining in recent years, and no new calves were spotted in the calving grounds off Florida in 2018.

Every winter, many right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from their feeding grounds off Canada and New England to the warm coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida's east coast.

Entanglement in fixed commercial fishing gear is a major threat to right whales. There are restrictions on where and how commercial traps, pot gear and gillnet gear can be set. These restrictions include seasonal closures and gear modifications such as sinking groundlines, weak links, and gear markings.

To reduce the risk of harassment or collisions between right whales and boats, federal law requires vessels and aircraft to stay at least 500 yards away from right whales.

Vessels 65 feet and longer are also required to slow to speeds of 10 knots or less in Seasonal Management Areas along the East Coast, including the calving and nursery area.

To report right whale sightings, especially dead, injured, or entangled whales, please contact NOAA Fisheries at (877) WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or the Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16.

The public can also identify and help marine mammals in trouble by using their smartphone. Learn more about the Whale 911 app by visiting https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/outreach_and_education/mm_apps/.



Related Information

Whale Smart Phone Apps

Gulf of Alaska Whale Deaths

NOAA is declaring the recent deaths of 30 large whales in the western Gulf of Alaska an "unusual mortality event," triggering a focused, expert investigation into the cause.

The agency defines an unusual mortality event as a stranding event that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of a marine mammal population, and demands immediate response.

Since May 2015, 11 fin whales, 14 humpback whales, one gray whale, and four unidentified cetaceans have stranded around the islands of the western Gulf of Alaska and the southern shoreline of the Alaska Peninsula. To date, this brings the large whale strandings for this region to almost three times the historical average.

The declaration of an unusual mortality event will allow NOAA and federal, state, and tribal partners to develop a response plan and conduct a rigorous scientific investigation into the cause of death for the stranded whales.

Members of the public can assist in the investigation by immediately contacting the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network hotline at 877-9-AKR-PRD (877-925-7773) if they see a stranded or dead marine mammal. Only specially trained marine mammal experts are authorized to respond to marine mammals in distress. The public should not touch stranded or floating whales.

source: NOAA Fisheries

USA Objects to Iceland Commercial Whaling

In February, the Department of the Interior announced that the agency has certified to President Obama under the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen’s Protective Act of 1967 that Iceland’s international trade in whale meat and products diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006 and since then has exported whale meat and products despite a ban on international commercial trade. As provided under the Pelly Amendment, within 60 days following certification by the Secretary the President will determine what actions are appropriate in response to the certification.

Hvalur, the sole Icelandic company engaged in harvesting fin whales, resumed fin whale hunting in 2013, following a two-year hiatus due to market decline in Japan following the 2011 earthquake. The 2013 whaling season ran from mid-June until the end of September with a total of 134 fin whales killed.

Iceland sets its own catch quotas for commercial whaling and has significantly increased those quotas over the last several years. For example, in 2006, the annual quota was set at just nine fin whales, while the 2013 annual quota authorized the hunting of up to 184 fin whales.

Iceland has recently announced a new five-year quota for fin whales, to begin with the 2014 whaling season, which will allow a total of up to 770 fin whales to be hunted in the next five years. Fin whales are hunted solely for export to the Japanese market.

From 2008 to 2012, trade reports show that more than 1.6 million kilograms of fin whale meat and products were exported from Iceland to Japan. Fin whales are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits trade for primarily commercial purposes.

Iceland does not follow the procedure laid out by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to assess sustainable catch levels. The IWC was established to manage whaling activities for the conservation of whale populations and is viewed as the global body with expertise for the management of whale stocks.

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Marine Mammal Smart Phone Apps

NOAA Fisheries recently announced the release of two smartphone apps that may be of interest to marine mammal enthusiasts.

See & ID Dolphins & Whales App

The SEE & ID Dolphins & Whales app provides an extensive electronic species ID guide complete with information on biology, habitat (including maps), conservation, as well as guidelines for viewing marine mammals in the wild.

The app includes illustrations and photos for over 40 marine mammal species found in the Southeast U.S.  Wildlife and nature enthusiast, dolphin tours, eco-tours, whale watching tours, educators and scientists will find the SEE & ID Dolphins & Whales app useful to identify and learn about dolphins, whales, seals and manatees, while also learning how they can protect marine mammals by responsibly viewing them in the wild them in the wild.

The SEE & ID Dolphins & Whales app provides users with the following marine mammal information:

Identification: illustrations, photos and physical descriptions (size, color, body shape)

Biology: behaviors, diet, life history

Habitat: distribution (including map)

Conservation: status (protected / endangered), population size, and threats

Viewing guidelines: recommended ways to responsibly view marine mammals in the wild that will help reduce disturbance and ensure you are following the law (Marine Mammal Protection Act).

Dolphin & Whale 911 App
The Dolphin & Whale 911 app can be used to aid in accurate and timely reporting of stranded marine mammals in the Southeastern U.S.

The Dolphin & Whale 911 app allows users to:

Report dead, injured or entangled marine mammals by connecting you to the nearest stranding response hotline, so that trained responders and veterinarians can treat the animal ( App only works in Southeastern US- stay tuned for expansion to  additional geographic areas).

Send a photo of the marine mammal along with GPS coordinates to the marine mammal stranding network

Identify the kind of animal by providing an electronic field guide of marine mammals found in the Southeastern U.S.

Help live and dead stranded marine mammals by providing you with a list of “do’s and don’ts” or tips on what to do when you find a live or dead stranded dolphin, whale, or seal.

Marine mammal apps can be downloaded at: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/outreach_and_education/mm_apps/index.html

source: NOAA Fisheries

NMFS North Pacific Right Whale Recovery Plan

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently announced the adoption and availability of the final Recovery Plan (Plan) for the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica).

The Northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) has been listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since its passage in 1973.

In 2008, NMFS determined that the Northern right whale should be listed as two separate species, the North Pacific right whale and the North Atlantic right whale.

North Pacific right whales historically had a wide distribution in the Pacific Ocean, but the population was dramatically reduced by extensive commercial whaling, now prohibited by the International Whaling Commission. Scientists estimate that less than 1,000 individuals remain.

Of the commercially exploited “great whales,” the North Pacific right whale is one of the least well studied, and the current status of the North Pacific right whale population is poorly understood. Currently, the population structure of North Pacific right whales has not been adequately defined.

Because the current status of North Pacific right whales is unknown, the primary purpose of the Recovery Plan is to provide a research strategy to obtain data necessary to determine distribution and estimate population abundance, trends, and structure and to identify factors that may be limiting North Pacific right whale recovery.

For more information, visit:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/06/07/2013-13527/endangered-and-threatened-species-recovery-plan-for-the-north-pacific-right-whale

source: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Marine Mammal Rescue Grants

NOAA Fisheries recently awarded 39 grants to participants of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network to respond to sick, injured, or stranded marine mammals and to investigate health concerns for marine mammal populations in the wild.

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program provided $3.45 million dollars for the 2012 grant competition and awarded additional funds ($250,000) to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for emergency awards as needed for the stranding network.

To enhance stranding response and investigations nationally, the program distributed the grants proportionally across six regions of the country, including 19 states.

For a complete list of the award recipients, visit the 2012 Prescott Grant Program at:
 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/prescott/proposals/funded/2012.htm

source: NOAA FishNews

2012 International Whaling Commission Annual Meeting

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) 64th annual meeting will be held from July 2-6, 2012, at the El Panama Hotel in Panama City, Panama. As part of the process, NOAA recently issued a call for nominees for the U.S. Delegation to the meeting.

The non-federal representative(s) selected as a result of this nomination process is(are) responsible for providing input and recommendations to the U.S. IWC Commissioner representing the positions of non-governmental organizations. Generally, only one non-governmental position is selected for the U.S. Delegation.

source: NOAA FishNews

Review of Right Whales For Endangered Species Listing

NOAA Fisheries recently announced that a 5-year review of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act is under way.

A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, NOAA Fisheries is requesting submission of any such information on these whales that has become available since the last status review in 2006. To allow adequate time to conduct this review, information must be received no later than April 20, 2012.

For more information, visit:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/03/27/2012-7075/magnuson-stevens-fishery-conservation-and-management-act-provisions-fisheries-of-the-northeastern

source: NOAA FishNews

Gulf of Mexico Dolphin Illnesses

Bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, are showing signs of severe ill health, according to NOAA marine mammal biologists and their local, state, federal and other research partners. Barataria Bay, located in the northern Gulf of Mexico, received heavy and prolonged exposure to oil during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Based on comprehensive physicals of 32 live dolphins from Barataria Bay in the summer of 2011, preliminary results show that many of the dolphins in the study are underweight, anemic, have low blood sugar and/or some symptoms of liver and lung disease. Nearly half also have abnormally low levels of the hormones that help with stress response, metabolism and immune function. Researchers fear that some of the study dolphins are in such poor health that they will not survive.

NOAA and its local, state and federal partners started the Barataria Bay dolphin study in 2011 as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), the process for studying the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. NOAA is sharing the preliminary results from the study so that stranding responders and veterinarians can better care for live stranded dolphins and look for similar health conditions.

source: NOAA FishNews

Alaska UME Seals

In March, 2012, marine mammal scientists received reports of a nearly bald, sick seal beached near Yakutat, Alaska. The seal was eventually captured and transferred to Anchorage for examination by a pathologist and wildlife veterinarians from the Alaska SeaLife Center, Bridge Veterinary Services, UAF Marine Advisory Program and ringed seal experts from the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management.

When the seal pup arrived in Anchorage, it was found to be so ill it had to be euthanized. An examination of the body revealed that the seal exhibited similar symptoms to those in the declared 2011 Northern Pinniped Unusual Mortality Event (UME). The phenomenon has been affecting ice seals and walruses in the Arctic and Bering Strait regions of Alaska since the summer of 2011.

More than 60 dead and 75 diseased seals, most of them ringed seals, have been reported in Alaska. Scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have also discovered the disease in walruses at the Point Lay haul-out.

Mariners that find a marine mammal which appears diseased or distressed can call NOAA Fisheries Stranding Hotline at 1-877-925-7773. 

Information on the UME assessment progress and findings can be found at:

http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/protectedresources/seals/ice/diseased/default.htm (seals)
http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/walrus/disease_investigation.htm (walruses)

Source:  NOAA

Gulf of Mexico Dolphin Health Assessment

NOAA scientists and partners recently completed a 15 day capture and release dolphin health assessment in Barataria Bay, Louisiana.

The study, a part of the continuing Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, gave scientists the ability to conduct a hands-on physical exam of individual dolphins to assess potential sub-lethal, chronic, and indirect health impacts of the spill.

This study follows up on an initial pre-assessment phase of photo-identification and remote biopsy studies that documented the oil exposure of bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay.

Over 50 veterinarians, biologists, and wildlife epidemiologists worked together to conduct comprehensive health evaluations of 31 dolphins during the study.

Specially trained team members humanely encircled the dolphins by net, brought them to a medical vessel for a complete veterinary exam, tagged them with satellite and VHF radio tags, and then released them back into the wild.

Researchers will use the tags to monitor the dolphins over time, to better understand their movements, range, and preferred habitats, which may help with exposure assessment and planning for the restoration of the area.

For more information on the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/

NOAA To Track Marine Mammals

For the first time, data from electronic tags attached to marine animals will be incorporated into the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®), a NOAA-led national partnership committed to enhance our ability to collect, deliver, and use ocean information.

According to NOAA, the data will help scientists better understand how marine animals move with the flow of tides and currents and provide insight into how they may alter their behavior or migration patterns in response to climate change.

“The vastness of the ocean limits our ability to observe,” said Barbara Block, Prothro professor of marine sciences at Stanford University. “This technology is leading to profound advancements in our understanding of these animals and how they interact with the ocean. This knowledge translates to a better understanding of our planet and emerging issues on climate change.”

Scientists began widely using marine animal tagging technology in the 1990’s on tuna, sharks, sea turtles, seals, whales, salmon, squid and crustaceans, among others. Sensors track the animals over long distances for multiple years, collecting valuable data below the surface from remote and difficult to reach environments where conventional oceanographic sensing techniques are technically or economically unfeasible.

However, data are collected in different ways for varying applications. A major challenge is to better synchronize the many different tagging programs and improve data sharing to the broader ocean science community.

Churchill Grimes, Ph.D., director of NOAA Fisheries’ Santa Cruz Laboratory and Barbara Block, Prothro professor of marine sciences at Stanford University joined IOOS and other federal, state and academic scientists recently in Santa Cruz, Calif., to establish a framework for integrating biological observations to the IOOS, which is expected to begin as early as this fall.

NOAA defines IOOS as a federal, regional and private-sector partnership working to enhance the ability to collect, deliver and use ocean information. IOOS delivers the data and information needed to increase understanding of oceans and coasts, so that decision-makers can act to improve safety, enhance the economy and protect the environment.

For more information, visit:

U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System: http://www.ioos.gov

Alaska Sea Grant Receives Research Grants

Federal and state grants totaling over $1 million will be used by Alaska Sea Grant to establish a statewide network of citizen scientists to track the spread of marine invasive species; conduct an instruction and training program aimed at jump-starting the shellfish farming industry; and launch an effort to collect better information about marine mammals that strand on the state’s coast.

Ray RaLonde, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program (MAP) aquaculture specialist, received a two-year, $284,000 grant from the National Sea Grant Program and Alaska Sea Grant to reinvigorate the state’s sluggish shellfish farming industry.

Gary Freitag, the Alaska Sea Grant MAP agent based in Ketchikan, received a two-year, $599,975 grant from the National Sea Grant Program, Alaska Sea Grant, the Aquatic BioInvasion and Policy Institute, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The grant will be used to train local citizen scientists in 30 coastal communities who will serve as the backbone to a new statewide marine invasive species monitoring and detection program. The citizen scientists will conduct field-based observations, using standardized and established protocols, to search for invasive marine species.

Kate Wynne, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program marine mammal specialist based in Kodiak, received a two-year, $137,000 grant from the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources and Alaska Sea Grant. Wynne will use the grant to train and equip MAP agents to respond to marine mammal strandings and to collect data and tissue samples over the next two years.