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Table 2. Marine mammal research topics
supported by the NEFSC during fiscal years 1990-95 by research area |
| Topic |
Activities and Issues |
|
Ecological Roles and Habitat Requirements
|
| Oceanographic correlation to spatial distribution |
Respiration characteristics; predator-prey
relationships; food habits; trophic interactions; marine mammal - fisheries
interactions; geographic information system (GIS) program development for
habitat and environment analyses |
| North Atlantic humpback and fin whales |
Seasonal distribution and abundance; Years of the North
Atlantic Humpback (YONAH) Project; photographic identification; habitat
use; demographics |
| Biological sampling of fishery bycatch |
Incidental takes of marine mammals in commercial fishery;
laboratory necropsy and subsequent analyses including genetics, contaminants,
fatty acids, feeding habits, and health assessment |
| Northern right whale habitat requirements |
Detection of changes in population distribution and size |
| Satellite tagging and tracking |
Development and testing of the application of satellite
tags to cetaceans |
|
Human Interactions
|
| Marine mammal - fishery interactions |
Documentation of marine mammals incidentally taken in
commercial fisheries; bycatch estimation; sea sampling design for observer
program |
| Whale - vessel interactions |
Mitigation of ship strikes; interactions with whale-watch
vessels |
| Bycatch reduction |
Research and development of techniques to help prevent
bycatch of marine mammals; GIS program development |
|
Optimum Sustainable Population Size
|
| Harbor and gray seal distribution and abundance |
Aerial abundance survey; expansion of population distribution;
incidental mortalities |
| Harbor porpoise distribution and abundance |
Shipboard and aerial sighting surveys; seasonal movements;
population structure; winter distribution; abundance estimates |
| Harbor porpoise survey methodology |
Vessel avoidance; aerial-vessel survey calibration experiment;
development of hand-held, at-sea computer data entry device; adaptive sampling
design |
| Large marine pelagics distribution and abundance |
Pelagic delphinid surveys conducted by NEFSC along shelf
edge and slope waters from southern edge of Georges Bank to the Scotian
Shelf |
| Humpback photographic identification catalog |
Western North Atlantic humpback photographic identification
catalog with over 4,500 individual photos (maintained at College of the
Atlantic) |
| Northern right whale photographic identification |
Aerial and shipboard photographic identification catalog
with approximately 6,800 photo records of 340 right whales (maintained
at New England Aquarium); tracking of individuals; documentation of calving
intervals; scars and wounds |
| Northern right whale distribution and abundance |
Calving rates; population estimation and seasonal distribution;
demographics; behavior; social groups |
| Population dynamics and assessment of status |
Possible unsustainable bycatch levels of harbor porpoise;
population dynamics of pilot whales; assessment of all marine mammal populations;
performance study of IWC management procedures |
|
Research Planning and Archiving
|
| IWC Scientific Committee |
Overall coordination of U.S. research for submission
to IWC Scientific Committee; U.S. annual progress report |
| Workshop support |
Workshops conducted to address harbor porpoise research
needs and accomplishments; tag and tracking technology; gear modification
for bycatch reduction; NMFS-supported right whale research |
| Documentation and archiving |
Archiving of fisheries observer and port sampling data;
right whale database [maintained at the University of Rhode Island (URI)];
survey effort and sighting data; bibliographic system for cetacean literature |