Marine mammal bycatch is a significant anthropogenic threat to recovering populations. Gear reduction in Washington (USA) crab fishery decreased entanglement risk to whales.
The Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) of NOAA Fisheries, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), conducts research on marine mammals off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.
In spring/summer of 2018 and 2021, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Cetacean Research Program deployed drifting acoustic recorders in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones surrounding the Mariana Archipelago.