US Navy
Marine Species Monitoring
Pacific Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (PACMAPPS) survey
Introduction & Objectives
The Navy continued its ongoing collaboration with NOAA called PacMAPPS (Pacific Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species) by providing significant funding toward the second systematic line transect survey of the Mariana Islands. This survey occurred in May-July 2021 in order to increase knowledge of marine mammal occurrence, density, and population identity in MITT. This survey will complement the data obtained during small boat surveys funded jointly by the Navy and NOAA from 2010-2019. It will also complement the Navy-contracted 2007 MISTCS survey that provided the first marine mammal density estimates for the Marianas. The survey results are expected to result in density estimates, which will be used by the Navy and NOAA for stock assessment reports (NOAA) and effects modeling (Navy).
The Navy continued the collaboration for a systematic line transect survey of the Gulf of Alaska in summer 2022. This survey will increase knowledge of marine mammal occurrence, density, and population identity in the Gulf of Alaska Temporary Maritime Activities Area (GOA TMAA).
Previous PacMAPPS surveys occurred in the Hawaiian Archipelago during summer 2017 and winter 2020 and along the U.S. west coast from California to Washington during 2018 with the same objectives to increase knowledge of marine mammal occurrence, density, and population identity. The survey results resulted in density estimates used by the Navy and NOAA for stock assessment reports and effects modeling.
Technical Approach
Large ship systematic line transect surveys, incorporating the following data collection methods: visual survey, photo-identification, biopsy and genetic analysis, satellite tagging, opportunistic acoustic recording
Progress & Results
Gulf of Alaska – summer 2021 survey completed.
Data undergoing analysis.
Mariana Islands – May-July 2021 summer survey completed.
Data undergoing analysis.
Hawaii – Hawaii 2020 winter survey completed.
Data undergoing analysis. Initial report: Cetacean and Seabird Data Collected During the Winter Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (Winter HICEAS), January–March 2020
California Current Ecosystem – West coast 2018 survey completed. Results in:
Hawaii – Hawaii 2017 summer survey completed.
Project Information
Location: Gulf of Alaska, Mariana Island archipelago, Hawaiian Islands archipelago, California-Oregon-Washington
Timeline: 2017-2022
Funding: FY17 $183k; FY18 $164k+$265k; FY21 $533k+$x
Points of Contact
Principal Investigator, Dr. Erin Oleson, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Cetacean Research Program
Principal Investigator, Dr. Jeffrey E. Moore, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division
Principal Investigator, Dr. Robyn P. Angliss, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program
Project manager, Julie Rivers, Pacific Fleet Environmental Readiness Division
Project manager, Chip Johnson, Pacific Fleet Environmental Readiness Division
Project manager, Andrea Balla-Holden, Pacific Fleet Environmental Readiness Division
