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On-effort ship survey tracklines (horizontal lines) off the northern coast of Washington between 1995 and 2002. The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary boundary is delineated and labeled. Dashed and dotted lines show three northern lines surveyed only in 1997, the western extension of two lines surveyed only in 1996, and the southern four lines missed in 2002.
Source publication
We examined the summer distribution of marine mammals off the northern Washington coast based on six ship transect surveys conducted between 1995 and 2002, primarily from the NOAA ship McArthur. Additionally, small boat surveys were conducted in the same region between 1989 and 2002 to gather photographic identification data on humpback whales (Meg...
Citations
... Following decades of commercial whaling, the humpback group in Washington and British Columbia is now approximately 189 individuals, but increasing (Carretta et al. 2017). Humpbacks are found frequently in the Juan de Fuca canyon, just west of our model domain (Calambokidis et al. 2004 (Falcone et al. 2005). Further evidence that this large whale uses much of Puget Sound is offered by Calambokidis and Steiger (1990), who reported two humpbacks in South Sound and Hood Canal. ...
Our model is based on the Atlantis framework. It is a three-dimensional model of Puget Sound that simulates every component of the marine ecosystem, from bacteria to killer whales. Atlantis produces forecasts of changes in the system under different scenarios. This report describes the model and all of its inputs, and provides details on the data that were used to build the model. It also provides the results of our initial calibration efforts, this essential first step being critical to making sure the forecasts produced by the model are reliable for fishery managers and decision-makers.
... Our paper supports both of these hypotheses, and demonstrates the importance of canyon systems and the network of can- yons to krill hotspots of the CCE. Many species of fish, birds, and mammals seasonally migrate from the southern portion of the CCE, to the northern portions 29,[36][37][38][39][40][41] and likely depend on canyon networks for successful feeding and survival. We hypothesize that general pattern of movement for many species of predator in the CCE may be facilitated by the predator's use of krill hotspots found in association with canyons, and indicate that canyons may have a role in structuring meta-communities in this ecosystem. ...
Submarine canyon systems are ubiquitous features of marine ecosystems, known to support high levels of biodiversity. Canyons may be important to benthic-pelagic ecosystem coupling, but their role in concentrating plankton and structuring pelagic communities is not well known. We hypothesize that at the scale of a large marine ecosystem, canyons provide a critical habitat network, which maintain energy flow and trophic interactions. We evaluate canyon characteristics relative to the distribution and abundance of krill, critically important prey in the California Current Ecosystem. Using a geological database, we conducted a census of canyon locations, evaluated their dimensions, and quantified functional relationships with krill hotspots (i.e., sites of persistently elevated abundance) derived from hydro-acoustic surveys. We found that 76% of krill hotspots occurred within and adjacent to canyons. Most krill hotspots were associated with large shelf-incising canyons. Krill hotspots and canyon dimensions displayed similar coherence as a function of latitude and indicate a potential regional habitat network. The latitudinal migration of many fish, seabirds and mammals may be enhanced by using this canyon-krill network to maintain foraging opportunities. Biogeographic assessments and predictions of krill and krill-predator distributions under climate change may be improved by accounting for canyons in habitat models.
... Sound basin and adjacent areas (south of Admiralty Inlet) through the 1990s ( Calambokidis et al. 2004;Carretta et al. 2014). Recent aerial and vessel surveys, as well as anecdotal reports of sightings, indicate harbor porpoises are frequenting Puget Sound and can be found throughout the Salish Sea in greater numbers than were previously recorded during 1970-2000 and growing at >9% annu- ally, suggesting high local recruitment coupled with immigration (Evenson et al. 2016;Jefferson et al. 2016). ...
We evaluated harbor porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena L., 1758) strandings in the Salish Sea to determine calving seasonality (1980-2015). A total of 443 strandings were analyzed, of which 134 were calves and 53 neonates. Stranded calves were reported every month, but peaked in July, August, and September. Based on fetal size and an estimated fetal growth rate of 80 mm/month, mean conception date (and range) was back-calculated to 11 October ± 30 d (16 August - 31 December) and was later than in most other studies. Using mean length at birth (80 ± 5.8 cm), gestation was estimated to be approximately 10.8 months. Estimated birthing period was 16 July to 27 November, with a mean birth date of 10 September (± 30.7 d) and birth length of 80.0 cm. Estimated pregnancy rate (0.28 – 0.29) is lower than reported in other areas and is likely an underestimate due to missed early embryos, poor postmortem condition of a large proportion of the stranded adult females, and potential biases related to the animals that strand and are available. This study of harbor porpoise reproduction and calving in the Salish Sea is the first assessment of calving seasonality for this species in the northeast Pacific Ocean.
... Resident and transient sightings during visual surveys typically occur in shelf waters, 28 to 40 km from shore, a region where prey species for both ecotypes are also commonly encountered (Green et al. 1992, Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009). For residents, the higher number of encounters at site CE could be related to the distribution of Chinook salmon, their preferred prey species (Ford et al. 1998, Ford & Ellis 2006. ...
... During the fall southbound migration, gray whales typically travel farther offshore than during the spring northbound migration, when mothers with calves will often travel within a few kilometers of the coastline (Green et al. 1992). Off Washington, however, northbound gray whales will travel farther from shore than in other coastal areas due to an increase in the width of the 0−40 m depth zone of the continental shelf (Green et al. 1992, Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009). The offshore presence of gray whales, and potentially calves, in addition to the presence of the submarine canyon suggest that site CE is likely in a good location for transient killer whales to hunt, possibly explaining their higher acoustic presence there than at site QC. ...
Three killer whale Orcinus orca ecotypes inhabit the northeastern Pacific: residents, transients, and offshores. To investigate intraspecific differences in spatial and temporal occur - rence off the outer coast of Washington State, USA, 2 long-term acoustic recorders were deployed from July 2004 to August 2013: one off the continental shelf in Quinault Canyon (QC) and the other on the shelf, off Cape Elizabeth (CE). Acoustic encounters containing pulsed calls were analyzed for call types attributable to specific ecotypes, as no calls are shared between ecotypes. Both sites showed killer whale presence year-round, although site CE had a higher number of days with encounters overall. Transients were the most common ecotype at both sites and were encountered mainly during the spring and early summer. Residents were encountered primarily at site CE and showed potential seasonal segregation between the 2 resident communities, with northern residents present mainly during summer and early fall when southern residents were not encountered. Offshore encounters were higher at site QC, with little evidence for seasonality. Spatial and temporal variability of residents and transients matches the distribution of their prey and can potentially be used for further inferences about prey preferences for different transient groups. © A. Rice, V. Deecke, J. Hidebrand, A. Sirovic, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, U.S. Government 2017.
... Three killer whale populations (southern residents, west coast transients, and offshores) regularly occur in Washington. A fourth population (northern residents) occasionally enters the state's waters (Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009, Širović et al. 2012) and is not considered further in this report. Distribution. ...
Killer whales have been listed as a state endangered species in Washington since 2004. Three main populations known as the southern residents, west coast transients, and offshores occur in the state. While closely similar in appearance, these ecotypes differ in their biology, rarely interact with one another, and do not interbreed despite having largely sympatric year-round distributions ranging from California to Alaska. Southern residents totaled just 81 whales as of July 2015 and are the population of greatest concern. Numbers have been relatively stable since 2001, but remain 17% below their recent peak size recorded in 1995. In addition, the population’s growth rate remains well below the downlisting and delisting goals established in the 2008 federal recovery plan. The southern resident population faces significant potential threats from the reduced availability of chinook salmon, interactions with whale-watching vessels and human-generated marine sound, and factors associated with its small population size, including the recent skewing of births towards males, which will constrain productivity over the next few decades. In contrast, the west coast transient population has shown considerable growth since the 1970s in response to the recovery of its marine mammal prey base, and is now estimated to number more than 500 whales and be near its carrying capacity. Offshore killer whales are estimated at 300 individuals and have a stable population trend. All three populations carry heavy loads of environmental contaminants, face a continuing risk of major oil spills in their ranges, are susceptible to a disease outbreak, and will likely experience the impacts of climate change in the future. For these reasons, it is recommended that killer whales remain listed as a state endangered species in Washington.
... Three killer whale populations (southern residents, west coast transients, and offshores) regularly occur in Washington. A fourth population (northern residents) occasionally enters the state's waters (Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009, Širović et al. 2012) and is not considered further in this report. Distribution. ...
Killer whales have been listed as a state endangered species in Washington since 2004. Three main populations known as the southern residents, west coast transients, and offshores occur in the state. While closely similar in appearance, these ecotypes differ in their biology, rarely interact with one another, and do not interbreed despite having largely sympatric year-round distributions ranging from California to Alaska. Southern residents totaled just 81 whales as of July 2015 and are the population of greatest concern. Numbers have been relatively stable since 2001, but remain 17% below their recent peak size recorded in 1995. In addition, the population’s growth rate remains well below the downlisting and delisting goals established in the 2008 federal recovery plan. The southern resident population faces significant potential threats from the reduced availability of chinook salmon, interactions with whale-whaling vessels and marine sound, and factors associated with its small population size, including the recent skewing of births towards males, which will constrain productivity over the next few decades. In contrast, the west coast transient population has shown considerable growth since the 1970s in response to the recovery of its marine mammal prey base, and is now estimated to number more than 500 whales and be near its carrying capacity. Offshore killer whales are estimated at 300 individuals and have a stable population trend. All three populations carry heavy loads of environmental contaminants, face a continuing risk of major oil spills in their ranges, are susceptible to a disease outbreak, and will likely experience the impacts of climate change in the future. For these reasons, it is recommended that killer whales remain listed as a state endangered species in Washington.
... Humpback whales' association with shallower water might suggest that sea surface temperature could directly influence their position unlike other deeper and longer diving species. However, there is no evidence that the ca 6˚C "preference" found here is universal; for example Calamboukis et al. (2004) found that feeding humpback whales off northern Washington were associated with an average water temperature of 14˚C (no formal statistical correlation was made however). Humpback whales certainly shift their distribution in response to food availability (e.g. ...
Generalized additive models (GAMs) with spatially referenced covariates were fitted to data collected during the 1995 and 2001 Icelandic (shipboard and aerial) and Faroese (shipboard only) components of the North Atlantic Sightings Surveys (NASS-95 and NASS-2001). The shipboard surveys extended from the east coast of Greenland, around Iceland, down to an area along the west coast ofIreland (in 1995) and to the north of the United Kingdom (in 2001). In contrast, the aerial surveys were limited to Icelandic coastal waters only. The aim of the analysis was to predict density, and hence abundance, of humpback whales throughout the survey regions and also to establish if there was any evidence that humpback whale density was related to sea surface temperature or depth.
Fitting GAMs to the 1995 data proved problematic and so various subsets of the data were used in an attempt to improve the model fitting. Such difficulties did not occur with the 2001 data. Confidence intervals (CIs) for the abundance estimates were estimated using bootstrap sampling methods.
The estimated humpback whale abundance for the region covered by the aerial and shipboard surveys in 1995 was 10,521 (95% CI: 3,716–24,636) using all available data and 7,625 (3,641–22,424) if survey blocks with 0 sightings around the Faroes and south of 60˚ N where no humpback whales were detected were excluded from the analysis. The estimate for the total survey region in 2001 was 14,662 (9,441–29,879). The high upper bounds of the confidence intervals were thought to be caused by a paucity of effort over wide areas of the survey leading to interpolation. Overall, the uncertainty associated with these abundance estimates was approximately equal to, or greater than, that associated with a stratified distance analysis. Given these wide CIs the evidence for a substantial difference in abundance between years was equivocal. However there was evidence to suggest that humpback whales congregated in shallower waters between 6–8˚C.
... Twenty three species of cetaceans have been documented to occur in OCNMS (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2011) (seven of them, humpback whales, gray whales, killer whales, Risso's dolphins, Dall's porpoise, Pacific white side dolphins, and harbor porpoise) occurring regularly (Green et al. 1992;Osmek et al. 1996;Shelden et al. 2000;Calambokidis et al. 2004b;Forney 2007). Cetacean species which are found in OCNMS, with the likely exception of harbor porpoises, display seasonal trends in their residency patterns. ...
... Humpback whales are one of the more numerous whales in OCNMS (Calambokidis et al. 2004b;Forney 2007), occurring from early summer well in to winter (Sheldon et al. 2000, NWFSC unpublished data), after which they undertake a southern migration to breeding grounds. During the time the whales are in the OCNMS they have been observed feeding on schooling fish (Shelden et al. 2000), although the species are unknown. ...
... All three ecotypes of killer whales (resident, transient, offshore) commonly inhabit the OCNMS, occurring in all seasons (Calambokidis et al. 2004b;Hanson et al. In Press) but with some seasonal variability in occurrence. ...
Due to global climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects a high likelihood that marine ecosystems around the globe will be measurably altered in the coming century (Bernstein et al. 2007). In some cases, the collapse of entire ecosystems is viewed as possible, or even likely. These projections are valuable in terms of describing the global implications of climate change and clarifying the role that anthropogenic emission of greenhouse gases plays in large-scale ecosystem change. However, they are less useful for assisting managers and policy-makers at the regional or local scale in their efforts to prepare for and, where possible, adapt to climate-related changes.
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) is comprised of 8,572 square kilometers of marine and near-shore waters and intertidal habitat off of Washington State's Pacific Ocean coast. As one of 14 national marine sanctuaries managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), OCNMS is provided protected status because of extraordinary ecological and maritime heritage values. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries developed its "Climate-Smart Sanctuary" program in order to facilitate the process of climate adaptation in these special marine waters. This assessment is designed to assist OCNMS in adapting to climate change by bridging the gap between the global projections provided by the IPCC, and the regional and local implications of climate change by 2100.
The direct consequences of climate change on the physical environment in OCNMS were considered and, where possible, the direction and magnitude of change was estimated (Section 2). These physical effects were divided into seven categories: Increasing ocean temperature, ocean acidification, sea level rise, increasing storminess, changing ocean current patterns (with a focus on upwelling), increasing hypoxia or anoxia and altered hydrology in rivers draining into OCNMS. These are summarized here:
Based on the literature reviewed for this assessment it is considered likely that Pacific Northwest (including the habitats within OCNMS) average air and ocean temperatures will rise measurably by 2100, probably outside of the contemporary range of variability. Downscaling of multiple global climate models for the Pacific NorthWest Coastal zone suggests that ocean water will warm on average, by 1.2°C by 2050, given a range of emissions scenarios (Section 2.2).
The magnitude and extent of corrosive ocean water (with pH reduced relative to contemporary values and reduced availability of carbonate ions) is also expected to increase. Corrosive ocean water is currently associated with deeper water in OCNMS and is probably only drawn to the surface during periods of intense upwelling. By 2050, however, shallower areas within OCNMS will be exposed to corrosive water with greater frequency (Section 2.3).
Due primarily to the warming of the ocean and melting of land-based ice, mean true sea level rise in OCNMS could exceed 1.0 m by 2100, but variable rates of vertical land movement associated with tectonic forces will cause variations in the rate of relative sea level rise. Relative sea level is expected to be greater along the southern coast of shoreline within OCNMS as compared to the northern coast (Section 2.4).
Climate model projections suggest that the tracks of storms in the northeast Pacific Ocean will migrate, on average, further north due to climate change, but it is not clear if the magnitude or duration of storms will change. Observational evidence from locations in the northeast Pacific Ocean suggests the possibility that the ocean adjacent to OCNMS has become stormier in the last 50 years, though it isn't clear if the trend is related to long-term climate trends (Section 2.5).
Projections regarding the possibility of increased upwelling favorable winds in OCNMS are mixed, and based on the contemporary variability in the timing, duration and intensity of upwelling favorable winds it is considered unlikely that climate change will cause measurable changes by 2100 (Section 2.6). Other factors besides upwelling favorable wind, notably warming of the surface layer of the ocean (Section 2.2), may also influence the timing and magnitude of upwelling and, by extension, productivity in OCNMS.
Concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the northeast Pacific Ocean are expected to decrease as the upper ocean warms and becomes more stratified. Based on the dynamics of water masses influencing ocean areas within OCNMS, dissolved oxygen concentrations in the ocean waters in OCNMS should be approximately analogous. Long-term declines in dissolved oxygen have been observed at numerous locations in the northeast Pacific, including coastal locations near OCNMS (Section 2.7).
Future warming in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States is projected to alter regional rainfall patterns and trigger more 100-year magnitude floods and lower summertime low flows among some basins that drain to OCNMS, including the Sol Duc, the Hoh, the Queets and the Quinault Rivers (Section 2.8).
The ecological implications of these likely or possible changes to the physical environment in OCNMS were analyzed in three different ways. First, the general ecological consequences of the suite of changes expected in OCNMS were examined (Section 3.2). These focused on the various ways in which marine ecological systems respond to change - by shifting species' ranges or by altering the timing of life history stages (phenology) for example - or on the consequences of these responses, which include changes in the composition of biological communities in OCNMS and increasing interactions between native" and "non-native species. Given the magnitude of projected climate-related change and evidence from distant and neighboring marine ecosystems it is likely that the marine ecosystem in OCNMS will experience all of these responses or consequences of climate change by 2100. There is some empirical, quantitative evidence from the Northeast Pacific Ocean that some of these responses or consequences are likely already influencing communities in OCNMS (Section 3.2).
Next, the cumulative impacts of multiple changes to the physical environment were assessed for four broad habitat categories: Nearshore and shallow water; deep-sea benthic; pelagic; and freshwater habitats. All habitat categories were vulnerable to various aspects of climate-related change. Chemical-biological impacts due to the changing properties of ocean water within OCNMS (i.e., increased ocean temperature, decreased oxygen concentration, increased acidity) are likely to interact directly with biota in all habitats. By contrast, the "mechanical" consequences of climate change, related to higher or lower streamflow, sea level rise, larger waves, or changes in the magnitude, intensity or location of storms are likely to influence freshwater and nearshore and shallow water habitats most directly. In all cases, though, there was no clear trend related to these changes due to the likely interaction between complex physical and biological systems. For example, in pelagic habitats primary productivity would be expected to increase under climate change scenarios involving increasing upwelling favorable winds and higher CO2 concentrations in ocean water, but rising ocean temperature would be expected to partly or entirely counteract that response by increasing stratification and reducing mixing in the shallow surface ocean.
Finally, the implication of climate-related changes on a select group of species or species assemblages, including phytoplankton, zooplankton, deepsea corals, intertidal mussels, sea urchins (Stronglyocentrotus spp.), Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister, formerly Cancer magister), fish, seabirds, cetaceans, pinnipeds and sea otters, was analyzed. There were clear implications of climate-related changes for all species analyzed. In some cases, those implications are due to the direct interaction between the organism and the changing environment, as is the case for some deep-sea coral species whose ability to maintain calcium carbonate body structures may be compromised by ocean acidification (Section 4.4). In other instances, the implications of climate-related change are via ecological interactions that mediate projected changes in the physical environments within OCNMS through other species. For example, given their role as mid- to upper-trophic level predators, the susceptibility of seabirds to climate-mediated changes will depend in large part on the impacts that their prey species experience (Section 4.9). In some instances, the documented consequences of climate cycles (Section 6.3) in the northeast Pacific Ocean are used to suggest the overall impact of climate change on particular species. For example, decreased ocean survival of Chinook and Coho salmon is likely based on observations made during conditions of unusually high water temperatures and reduced or delayed upwelling (Section 4.8).
Despite these very clear implications of climate change, very little certainty could be ascribed to the magnitude or direction of change for a given species or species assemblage, or to the overall consequence of ecological change. For example, despite the clear physical consequences of ocean acidification on some species of deep-sea corals, some capacity to adapt to corrosive ocean water has been demonstrated for species in OCNMS (Section 4.4). In some cases, possible or likely species alterations may not have clear ecological consequences. For example, resident forage fish including northern anchovy, Pacific herring, and smelts (surf and whitebait), may become less abundant in OCNMS (Section 4.8). The abundance of these species is currently highly variable, though. Additionally, migratory fish species, including Pacific hake, jack and Pacific chub mackerel, and Pacific sardine, are likely to become more abundant. Upper trophic-level species, like cetaceans (Section 4.11) and seabirds (Section 4.9), may have some capacity to adapt to these changes by altering their feeding behavior and targeting new or more abundant species. Even in instances in which conditions during El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO; Section 6.3) warm phases, for example, are used to project future climate-related trends, it is not entirely clear that these short-term events are perfect analogs for projected long-term climate trends.
Adapting to climate change within the sanctuary will be shaped in part by the need to decide if, when, and where adaptation should be directed at helping species and ecosystems increase their resistance, resilience, or ability to respond to climate change. In some cases these choices will be made based on what is required to meet the mission of the sanctuary and other directives governing the activities within the sanctuary. How those directives are interpreted may simultaneously be influenced by climate change as well.
There are several tenets or guiding principles related to "climate-smart conservation" that can be used to frame adaptation thinking in the sanctuary. These include protect adequate and appropriate space, manage for uncertainty and expect surprises, reduce non-climate stresses, mainstream climate adaptation, plan for both climate variability and climate change, and reduce the rate and extent of climate change. These guiding principles can be used to frame decisions about adaptive actions related to the four management focal points detailed in the 2011 Management Plan and OCNMS Terms of Designation (water, habitats, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources).
... This seasonal presence is consistent with seasonal occurrence of blue whale calls off Washington as reported by Watkins et al. (2000) and Burtenshaw et al. (2004). Blue whales are not frequently sighted at this location (Calambokidis et al. 2004), but the first sighting in decades was reported by visual surveys associated with this project during this monitoring period (Oleson et al. 2010). This visual sighting occurred in January, which is consistent with the acoustic detections in late fall and winter. ...
... Northern Resident killer whales were detected generally in the summer of 2008, while Southern Residents were detected during the late winter through early summer of 2009. Both Resident ecotypes were previously detected in this area during the same months of the year (Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009); so the temporal separation observed during this year may not be a persistent pattern. Transients, on the other hand, overlapped with both resident ecotypes, as they did in earlier years of surveys. ...
... Transients, on the other hand, overlapped with both resident ecotypes, as they did in earlier years of surveys. No killer whales were sighted in visual surveys during this period (Oleson et al. 2010), but have been sighted numerous times earlier and in previous studies (Calambokidis et al. 2004, Oleson et al. 2009). ...
In 2007 it was proposed that the U.S. Navy's Quinault Underwater Tracking Range (QUTR) off the outer Washington coast be expanded into deep water habitats (used by beaked and sperm whales) and along the coastal shelf (where coastal cetaceans forage). In 2004 an acoustic and visual monitoring effort was initiated within the boundaries of the expanded QUTR to characterize the vocalizations of marine mammal species present in the area, to determine the year-round seasonal presence of all odontocete and mysticete whales, and to evaluate the distribution of cetaceans near the Navy range. Acoustic data have been collected at two sites using autonomous High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs). This report summarizes acoustic data collected from June 2008 to June 2009. Seasonal occurrence and relative abundance of species consistently identified in the acoustic data are discussed in the context of earlier visual and acoustic data collections.
... The study yielded estimates of seasonal distribution and abundance for the most common cetacean species. Since that time, cetacean surveys in this region have generally been limited to the summer and fall, including broad-scale visual and acoustic ship surveys (Barlow 1994Barlow , 2003) conducted by NOAA Fisheries, and fine-scale ship-based surveys along the northern Washington coast (Calambokidis et al. 2004a) conducted by the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS). Very few winter and spring surveys have been conducted, including winter aerial surveys along the northern Washington coast conducted by NOAA Fisheries (Shelden et al. 2000). ...
... For large cetacean sightings, especially humpback, gray, and killer whales, photographs were taken to document species and to allow photographic identification of individual animals. Photographic identification was conducted using methods established in past work along the west coast on gray whales (Calambokidis et al. 2004b) and humpback whales (Calambokidis et al. 2004a, Calambokidis and Barlow 2004). Biopsy samples were also collected from many of the humpback whales encountered using a small dart fired from a crossbow. ...
... A total of 21 of the 68 whales identified in these surveys has also been seen in northern Washington, while much smaller numbers have been seen in other feeding areas, including California, Oregon, and British Columbia (Table 4). This finding contradicts an earlier conclusion that humpback whales in southern Washington were more likely part of the feeding aggregation off California and Oregon than the one off northern Washington and southern British Columbia (Calambokidis et al. 2004a). The Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpback whales in the North Pacific (SPLASH; Calambokidis et al. 2008) study utilized some of the identifications collected as a part of this study in 2004 and 2005. ...
Since July 2004, visual and acoustic monitoring efforts for marine mammals have been conducted in waters off the outer Washington coast. These efforts have been specifically to determine the seasonal occurrence of marine mammal species and to estimate their relative abundances, particularly in the area of the proposed expansion of the U.S. Navy's Quinault Underwater Tracking Range (QUTR) of the Northwest Range Complex. This has resulted in the first multi-year, year-round effort in 20 years to document and understand the presence of marine mammal species in this region. This report summarizes all data so far collected, presenting analyses of seasonal occurrence, variation in sighting distribution, and evaluation of relative abundance for all species that can be consistently identified from the visual and acoustic data sets.
