PROJECTS

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) has conducted visual surveys for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) since 2010 as part of an ongoing effort to develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region. During 24 August–9 September 2018, non-systematic visual surveys were conducted from small vessels off Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan, and Guam. A total of 1,168 km of trackline was surveyed and most was in Beaufort sea states of 2–4 (73%) and swell heights of 0–4 ft (71%). Twenty cetacean groups were encountered, resulting in the collection of 6,437 photos, 33 biopsy samples, and the deployment of 5 satellite tags.

The PIFSC CRP has conducted research on cetaceans in the Mariana Archipelago since 2010. A cooperative effort with funding from U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet and PIFSC has included summer and winter small-boat surveys off the southernmost islands (Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan, Rota, and Guam), development of photo-ID catalogs, analysis of collected tissue samples and satellite telemetry tag data, and shipboard visual and PAM surveys in portions of the EEZ in 2010 and 2015. PIFSC has maintained long-term PAM on moored recorders off Saipan and Tinian (since 2010) and off Pagan (since 2015) as part of the Pacific Islands Passive Acoustic Network (PIPAN). The goal of these efforts is to collect the data necessary to conduct population assessments for cetaceans within the Mariana Archipelago, including the determination of their occurrence, population structure and abundance, movements, distribution, and habitat use.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) has been conducting visual surveys and long-term acoustic monitoring for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as part of an ongoing effort to develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region. Visual surveys have been conducted aboard small boats (7.6–12.2 m) since 2010 off the southernmost islands of the Mariana Archipelago (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and Aguijan). These surveys include the collection of photographs for individual identification, tissue samples for genetic analysis of population structure, and the deployment of satellite tags for assessment of individual movements throughout the broader region.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) has been conducting visual surveys and long-term acoustic monitoring for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as part of an ongoing effort to develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region. Visual surveys have been conducted aboard small boats (7.6-12.2 m) since 2010 off the southernmost islands of the Mariana Archipelago (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and Aguijan). These surveys include the collection of photographs for individual identification, tissue samples for genetic analysis of population structure, and the deployment of satellite tags for assessment of individual movements throughout the broader region

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) has been conducting visual surveys and long-term acoustic monitoring for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) as part of an ongoing effort to develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region. Visual surveys have been conducted aboard small boats (7.6-12.2 m) since 2010 off the southernmost islands of the Mariana Archipelago (Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and Aguijan). These surveys include the collection of photographs for individual identification, tissue samples for genetic analysis of population structure, and the deployment of satellite tags for assessment of individual movements throughout the broader region.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) has been conducting visual surveys for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and collecting long-term passive acoustic monitoring data at two sites in CNMI as part of an ongoing effort to develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region. Visual surveys, conducted aboard small boats (7.6 – 12.2 m), have been ongoing since 2010 off the southern Mariana Islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and Aguijan. T

an effort to further develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region, as well as to gather photos and biopsy samples and deploy satellite tags for population studies, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) conducted surveys for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the CNМІ (Figure 1) during 2010-2014. This research was carried out in partnership with the U.S. Navy and is expected to continue through 2015. Detailed reports for each survey year were submitted to the Navy (Oleson and Hill 2010, Ligon et al. 2011, Hill et al. 2012, Hill et al. 2013).

A long-term goal of this research is the evaluation of the population status of each cetacean stock. This includes producing population abundance estimates using mark-recapture techniques. The first step in the process is the creation of species photo-identification catalogs, which began during the summer of 2012

e Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) conducted surveys for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) in an effort to further develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region.1 This was the fourth year conducting cetacean surveys aboard small boats (7.6 – 12.2 m) around the southern Mariana Islands of Guam, Rota, Saipan, Tinian, and Aguijan (Fig. 1). This project was carried out in partnership with the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet by a team of four primary personnel (Table 1). The collected data are being used to reveal the occurrence and distribution, stock structure, and movements of cetaceans within the study area.

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s (PIFSC) Cetacean Research Program (CRP) conducted surveys for cetaceans in the waters surrounding Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (Figure 1) in an effort to further develop a record of cetacean occurrence in the region and to gather photos and biopsy samples for population studies. This project was carried out in partnership with the U.S. Navy Commander, Pacific Fleet by a team of six primary personnel (Table 1).

This report covers a number of activities carried out by the Cetacean Research Program (CRP) at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) in 2009 and 2010 supported with partial funding from U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet (PACFLT). The report is intended to provide preliminary data and results from 4 survey efforts between Hawaii and Guam in early 2010.