Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Monitoring Inventory

The monitoring projects in the following inventory take place in or around the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Projects are conducted by either Sanctuary staff or by our partners. Summary information is presented for each.

For more information about the monitoring activities at Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, please click here, and review the Sanctuary Condition Report.

Contact the research coordinator at the Sanctuary for additional information.

Structures of Population, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpback Whales (SPLASH)

Lead	NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Committee, SPLASH Steering Committee
Objective	An international cooperative research project developed to understand the abundance, population structure, and potential human impacts on humpback whales across the entire North Pacific Ocean.

Method

Photo-identification and biopsy tissue sampling, in both feeding and wintering areas throughout the North Pacific.

Status	Duration	Frequency
Active	2004 - 2006	Variable

Links	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/science/splashinfo
	http://cascadiaresearch.org/SPLASH/splash.htm
Partners	Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory and Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Sanctuary Program, National Park Service, Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Instituto Nacional de Ecologia, Mexico
Keyword(s)	cetaceans

Habitat Mapping

Lead	Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Objective	Bathymetry mapping of the entire sanctuary. The synthesis, begun by the Hawai'i Underwater Research Lab, incorporates data from a wide variety of mapping groups and includes academic, state, and federal data.

Method

Vessel-based multi-beam mapping is conducted opportunistically when NOAA vessel has time or is transiting the sanctuary.

Status	Duration	Frequency
Active	1997 - present	Opportunistic

Links	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/science/habitatmapping
	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/science/rprojects
	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/documents/maps
Partners	Hawaii Underwater Research Lab
Keyword(s)	bathymetry

Humpback Whale Entanglement

Lead	Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Objective	Monitor the number of entangled baleen whales reported from within the sanctuary, release if possible and determine origin of gear and impact to whale.

Method

Assess whale entanglement reports to HIHWNMS and NOAA Fisheries.

Status	Duration	Frequency
Active	2003 - present	Continuous

Links	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/science/rprojects
	http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/condition/hihw/
Partners	NOAA Fisheries (Pacific Islands Regional Office), National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
Keyword(s)	cetaceans, gear impact

Ship Strikes to Whales

Lead	Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Objective	Aerial surveys assessing humpback whale distribution and abundance in Hawai'i.

Method

Aerial surveys conducted annually to assess ship strikes.

Status	Duration	Frequency
Inactive, pending funding	1993 - 2003	Continuous

Links	http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/science/rprojects
Partners	NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
Keyword(s)	cetaceans, ship strikes, distribution, abundance

Humpback Whale Observation

Lead	Dr. Joe Mobely
Objective	Monitor the number of baleen whales reported struck by vessels from within and around the sanctuary.

Method

Assess reports to NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

Status	Duration	Frequency
Inactive, pending funding	2003 - present	Every 2-3 years

Links	Reports - http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/
Partners	NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Keyword(s)	cetacean