Introduction & Objectives

The Navy will continue 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 will occur in spring-summer 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 will continue the collaboration for a systematic line transect survey of the Gulf of Alaska in 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 – planned for 2022

Marianas – planned for spring/summer 2021 

Hawaii – Hawaii 2020 winter survey completed. Data undergoing analysis. Initial report completed: 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 NOAA Report on the California Current Ecosystem Survey (CCES): Cetacean and Seabird Data Collection Efforts, June 26-December 4, 2018

Hawaii – Hawaii 2017 summer survey completed. 

Publications

 coming soon