US Navy
Marine Species Monitoring
Pacific Region: Current Projects
Pacific Monitoring Projects
The table below summarizes current marine species monitoring projects being conducted in the Pacific Ocean in support of Gulf of Alaska Navy Training Activities (GOA), Hawaii-Southern California Training & Testing (HSTT), Marianas Training and Testing (MITT), and Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements (50 CFR Part 218). Reports and data from these projects will be made available on the individual project profile pages and the Reading Room as they become available.
| Project Description | Intermediate Scientific Objective* | Status |
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Title: Pacific Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Diseases
Location: Hawaiian Islands and Mariana Islands Archipelago Objectives: Methods: Necropsy, biopsy, disease screening, genetic testing Performing Organizations: University of Hawaii Health and Stranding Lab Timeline: 2020-2025 Funding: FY20 - $57k; FY22 - $107k |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Establish the baseline behavioral patterns (foraging, diving, etc.) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur |
Completed |
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Title: Pacific Islands comprehensive stranding investigations
Location: Hawaii, Guam, CNMI Objectives: Conduct comprehensive investigations of stranded marine mammals throughout the Pacific Islands with emphasis on the Hawaiian and Mariana Island chains. This includes conducting necropsies of stranded animals, collecting and archiving samples, conducting disease screening, genetic testing, and analysis of historical data. The objective is to examine stranding patterns and causes of death for marine mammals in the Pacific Islands. Methods: necropsy, disease screening, genetic testing Performing Organizations: University of Hawaii Health and Stranding Lab Timeline: 2018-present Funding: FY18 $118k, FY20 $324k; FY21 $100k; FY22 $133k; FY23 $246k; FY25 $394k |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Establish the baseline habitat uses, seasonality, and movement patterns of marine mammals and ESA-listed species where Navy training and testing activities occur Leverage existing data with newly developed analysis tools and techniques |
Continuing |
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Title: Hawaiian Monk Seal Tagging
Location: Hawaii Objectives: Methods: Performing Organizations: Ocean Associates, Inc. Timeline: 2010-2013 Funding: |
Completed |
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Title: Conservation Canine for Marine Mammal Scat Collection in Hawaii
Location: Hawaii Objectives: K9 was successfully trained to detect and ‘direct’ boat drivers – via changes in behavior – to the scat of three species of marine mammals Methods: use of a trained Conservation Canine (K9) to detect marine mammal scat at sea Performing Organizations: US Pacific Fleet Timeline: 2021-2023 Funding: FY21 $41k |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas |
Completed |
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Title: Long Term Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Mammals Utilizing the Instrumented Range at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF)
Location: Hawaii Objectives: Improve understanding of the long term trends in occurrence of marine mammals (e.g., minke, humpback, fin, Bryde's, Blainville's) on the PMRF range. Examine what, if any, acoustic and physical behavioral responses occur to Navy activities. Methods: Passive acoustic monitoring and analysis of archived PMRF hydrophone recordings Performing Organizations: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (formerly SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific) Timeline: 2010-present Funding: Total to date: $7.8M = FY10 $105k; FY11 $150k; FY12 $40k; FY13 $380k; FY14 $445k; FY15 $450k; FY16 $70k; FY17 $347k; FY18 $449k; FY19 $491k; FY20 $713k, FY21 $788k; FY22 $652k; FY23 $550k; FY24 $688k; FY25 $721k; FY26 $774k |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Evaluate potential exposure of marine mammals and ESA-listed species to Navy training and testing activities Establish the regional baseline vocalization behavior, including seasonality and acoustic characteristics) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur Application of passive acoustic tools and techniques for detecting, classifying, locating, and tracking marine mammals Evaluate trends in distribution and abundance for populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species that are regularly exposed to Navy training and testing activities |
Continuing |
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Title: Visual Survey and Tagging of Hawaiian Odontocetes
Location: PMRF, Hawaii Objectives: Methods: Performing Organizations: Cascadia Research Collective Timeline: Funding: |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Estimate the distribution, abundance, and density of marine mammals and ESA-listed species in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Establish the baseline habitat uses, seasonality, and movement patterns of marine mammals and ESA-listed species where Navy training and testing activities occur Evaluate potential exposure of marine mammals and ESA-listed species to Navy training and testing activities Establish the baseline behavioral patterns(foraging, diving, etc.) of marine mammalswhere Navy training and testing activities occur Evaluate acoustic exposure levels associated with behavioral responses of marine mammals to support development and refinement of acoustic risk functions Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas |
ongoing |
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Title: Accelerometry tag development
Location: Hawaii Objectives: Methods: Performing Organizations: University of Hawaii Timeline: 2022-2026 Funding: FY22 $66k; FY23 $139k; FY24 $72k |
Determine what behaviors can most effectively be assessed for potential response to Navy training and testing activities Application of analytic methods to evaluate exposure and/or behavioral response of marine mammals to Navy training and testing activities Evaluate behavioral responses of marine mammals exposed to Navy training and testing activities to support PCoD development and application |
Completed |
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Title: Estimation of Received Levels of MFAS and Behavioral Response of Marine Mammals at PMRF
Location: Hawaii Objectives: Further our understanding of the Monitoring Questions: 1) What is the occurrence and estimated received levels of MFAS on 'blackfish', humpback, minke, sperm and Blainville's beaked whales within the PMRF instrumented range? and 2) What, if any, are the short term behavioral responses of 'blackfish,' humpback, minke, sperm and Blainville's beaked whales when exposed to MFAS/explosions at different levels/conditions at PMRF? Methods: PAM, tagging, photo-ID, biopsy, visual survey Performing Organizations: Cascadia Research Collective, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (formerly SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific), Southall Environmental Associates, and HDR, Inc. Timeline: 2013-present Funding: |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are exposed to U.S. Navy training and testing activities |
Continuing |
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Title: Effectiveness of Navy Lookout Teams in Detecting Cetaceans
Location: AFTT and HSTT study areas Objectives: Obtain data to characterize the potential exposure of marine mammals and ESA-listed marine species to Navy training and testing activities, evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures Methods: visual survey Performing Organizations: U.S. Navy, HDR Inc., University of St. Andrews Timeline: 2010-2022 Funding: $500k |
Evaluate potential exposure of marine mammals and ESA-listed species to Navy training and testing activities Evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation measures |
Completed |
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Title: North Pacific Humpback Whale Tagging
Location: Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Alaska Objectives: Determine the occurrence, movement patterns, and residency patterns of multiple humpback whale Distinct Population Segments within Pacific Ocean Navy Range Complexes Methods: Long-term satellite tracking, biopsy sampling, photo-identification Performing Organizations: Oregon State University Timeline: 2016-2020 Funding: FY17 $484K; FY18 $140K; FY19 $686K |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas. |
Completed |
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Title: Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges
Location: Hawaii, Southern California Objectives: Improve understanding of the long term trends in occurrence of marine mammals on the PMRF and SOAR ranges. Methods: Passive acoustic monitoring of Navy ranges Performing Organizations: Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Timeline: 2016-present Funding: |
Estimate the distribution, abundance, and density of marine mammals and ESA-listed species in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Establish the regional baseline vocalization behavior, including seasonality and acoustic characteristics) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur Application of passive acoustic tools and techniques for detecting, classifying, locating, and tracking marine mammals Application of analytic methods to evaluate exposure and/or behavioral response of marine mammals to Navy training and testing activities Evaluate trends in distribution and abundance for populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species that are regularly exposed to Navy training and testing activities |
Continuing |
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Title: Pacific Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (PACMAPPS) survey
Location: Gulf of Alaska, Mariana Island archipelago, Hawaiian Islands archipelago, California-Oregon-Washington Objectives: Identify species of beaked whales, odontocetes, and baleen whales that occur in the surveyed areas; Monitor marine mammal and sea turtle presence, distribution, and diversity in offshore waters; Develop a better understanding of marine mammal distribution, movement patterns, habitat use, population structure, and abundance; Develop reference library of visually-validated acoustic recordings of marine mammals. Methods: Visual surveys, photo-identification, biopsy and genetic analysis, satellite tagging, opportunistic acoustic recording during sightings Performing Organizations: National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Fisheries Science Center Timeline: 2017-2023 Funding: FY17 $183k; FY18 $164k+$265k+$200k; FY21 $300k; FY23 planned |
Determine what species and populations of marine mammals and ESA-listed species are present in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing areas Determine what populations of marine mammals are exposed to Navy training and testing activities Establish the baseline habitat uses, seasonality, and movement patterns of marine mammals and ESA-listed species where Navy training and testing activities occur Establish the regional baseline vocalization behavior, including seasonality and acoustic characteristics) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur Application of passive acoustic tools and techniques for detecting, classifying, locating, and tracking marine mammals |
Completed |
