Publications

We investigate the effects of climate change and fishing on Hawaii’s deep-set longline fishery for bigeye tuna; and find results that suggest a decline in Hawaii’s longline fishery yield may be inevitable.

This 2005-2013 study confirms the broad distribution of sperm whales across the North Pacific and highlights subtle temporal patterns in their acoustic activity, which may be related to shifts in animal behavior or movement. 

This paper describes song production by the eastern North Pacific right whale (NPRW, Eubalaena japonica) in the southeastern Bering Sea. Songs were localized in real-time to individuals using sonobuoys.

We review the natural history of T. gondii, its transmission and impacts in humans, domestic animals, wildlife and ecosystems. We also consider epidemiology, prevention, and control strategies, with the objective of facilitating awareness of this disease.

We review ways to safely handle and remedy the incidental capture of sea turtles, cetaceans, seabirds, sharks, and billfish in fishing. As well as summarize the most effective measures for improving survivability of these species post incidental capture.

This study builds on the number of parameters from previous efforts by using samples collected between 2004 and 2015 from Hawaiian monk seals.

Little is known about the winter distribution of the critically endangered eastern population of North Pacific right whale but it has been proposed that the eastern Aleutian Islands, specifically Unimak Pass, be a possible migratory route for individuals.

The eastern population of the North Pacific right whale is one of the most endangered baleen whale populations in the world numbering in the tens of individuals due to historical whaling followed by illegal catches in the 1960s.

This summary will provide an update on NOAA-AFSC’s latest research on seal-vessel interactions jointly conducted with the National Park Service. This research builds on studies since 2002 on ice-associated harbor seals in Disenchantment Bay which have focused on proximate effects such as when, where, and at what distances vessels were causing a disturbance. By employing GPS satellite tracking (for both seals and ships), we aim to address broader population-level effects, and in particular to better understand how vessels entering glacial ice habitats may approach and alter the haul-out behavior of nursing pups, thus potentially increasing their energetic costs of thermoregulation in the water. There is concern that chronic disturbances could reduce body mass of pups at weaning and survival, and ultimately impact population stability.

We evaluate the efficacy of model recommendations in this real-world vaccination project to aid the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.