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Summary

DOI: 10.25923/2jjg-p807

Description

The abundance of two remote and broadly-distributed populations of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in Hawaiian waters was estimated using sighting data collected from ship-based, line-transect surveys conducted by NOAA Fisheries within the central Pacific between 1986−2017, including the three Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (HICEAS) efforts in the summer and fall of 2002, 2010, and 2017. The abundance of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) population was estimated for 2010 and 2017 and of the pelagic population for each HICEAS year. Both design- and model-based line-transect analysis methods were used in the abundance estimation of the transboundary pelagic population, with the design-based approach estimating density uniformly within the U.S. Hawaiian Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the model-based approach estimating density as a function of habitat covariates within the broader central Pacific and, from that, the EEZ. The design-based estimates of NWHI abundance in 2010 and 2017 are 878 (CV = 1.15; 95% CI, 145 to 5,329) and 477 (CV = 1.71; 95% CI, 48 to 4,712) individuals, respectively. The design-based estimates of pelagic false killer whale abundance in the EEZ in 2002, 2010, and 2017 are highly variable across years compared to the model-based estimates, although the average estimates over the three survey years are similar at 2,736 (CV = 0.53; 95% CI, 1,030 to 7,269) and 2,115 (CV = 0.34; 95% CI, 1,111 to 4,026) individuals for the design- and model-based approaches, respectively. Random variation in encounter rate and shifts in distribution within and around the EEZ are likely contributors to the variation in the design-based estimates. The combined use of these approaches strengthens the assessment and management of pelagic false killer whales by providing consistent abundance estimates for context-specific management applications. Ultimately, the model-based approach offers a more stable basis for managing pelagic false killer whales over time and allows for the estimation of abundance outside the EEZ, which is especially important for mitigating population-level impacts from longline fisheries.

Document Information

Document Type
Technical Memorandum

Document Format
Acrobat Portable Document Format

Publication Date
2020-06

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Contact Information

No contact information is available for this record.

Please contact the owner organization (PIFSC) for inquiries on this record.

Item Identification

Title: Abundance estimates of false killer whales in Hawaiian waters and the broader central Pacific
Status: Completed
Publication Date: 2020-06
Abstract:

The abundance of two remote and broadly-distributed populations of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in Hawaiian waters was estimated using sighting data collected from ship-based, line-transect surveys conducted by NOAA Fisheries within the central Pacific between 1986−2017, including the three Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (HICEAS) efforts in the summer and fall of 2002, 2010, and 2017. The abundance of the northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) population was estimated for 2010 and 2017 and of the pelagic population for each HICEAS year. Both design- and model-based line-transect analysis methods were used in the abundance estimation of the transboundary pelagic population, with the design-based approach estimating density uniformly within the U.S. Hawaiian Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the model-based approach estimating density as a function of habitat covariates within the broader central Pacific and, from that, the EEZ. The design-based estimates of NWHI abundance in 2010 and 2017 are 878 (CV = 1.15; 95% CI, 145 to 5,329) and 477 (CV = 1.71; 95% CI, 48 to 4,712) individuals, respectively. The design-based estimates of pelagic false killer whale abundance in the EEZ in 2002, 2010, and 2017 are highly variable across years compared to the model-based estimates, although the average estimates over the three survey years are similar at 2,736 (CV = 0.53; 95% CI, 1,030 to 7,269) and 2,115 (CV = 0.34; 95% CI, 1,111 to 4,026) individuals for the design- and model-based approaches, respectively. Random variation in encounter rate and shifts in distribution within and around the EEZ are likely contributors to the variation in the design-based estimates. The combined use of these approaches strengthens the assessment and management of pelagic false killer whales by providing consistent abundance estimates for context-specific management applications. Ultimately, the model-based approach offers a more stable basis for managing pelagic false killer whales over time and allows for the estimation of abundance outside the EEZ, which is especially important for mitigating population-level impacts from longline fisheries.

Other Citation Details:

Bradford AL, Becker EA, Oleson EM, Forney KA, Moore JE, Barlow J. 2020. Abundance estimates of false killer whales in Hawaiian waters and the broader central Pacific. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-104, 78 p.

DOI (Digital Object Identifier): 10.25923/2jjg-p807

Keywords

Theme Keywords

Thesaurus Keyword
UNCONTROLLED
None Estimates
None False Killer Whale
None Marine Mammal Populations

Physical Location

Organization: Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
City: Honolulu
State/Province: HI
Country: USA

Document Information

Document Type: Technical Memorandum
Format: Acrobat Portable Document Format
Status Code: Published

Support Roles

Author

CC ID: 906312
Date Effective From: 2020-05-12
Date Effective To:
Contact (Person): Bradford, Amanda L
Address: 1845 Wasp Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
USA
Email Address: amanda.bradford@noaa.gov
Phone: (808)725-5714
Business Hours: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 991702
Start Date: 2020
End Date: Present
Download URL: https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/24756
Distributor:
File Type (Deprecated): PDF
Distribution Format: PDF - Adobe Portable Document Format

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Sighting details used for this analysis

Data Set (DS) Cross Reference Shipboard Cetacean Surveys- Visual Surveys- Sighting Forms
Data Set (DS) Cross Reference Shipboard Cetacean Surveys- Visual Surveys- WinCruz Sighting Records

Sighting data used in this analysis

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 59592
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:59592
Metadata Record Created By: Erin M Oleson
Metadata Record Created: 2020-05-12 23:28+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: SysAdmin InPortAdmin
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2023-10-17 16:12+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2020-10-26
Owner Org: PIFSC
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2020-10-26
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2021-10-26