Gulf of Maine humpback whale satellite tagging project
PCCS, NMML, AAD, CRC & MMC

Gulf of Maine humpback whale satellite tagging project

Satellite-monitored radio tags have yielded important information for the conservation and management of large whales. Tags provide far greater detail on large whale movements and habitat use than more traditional studies, and past tagging projects have revealed the existence of entirely unknown whale habitats. However, it is not uncommon for tags to stop transmitting within days to months of deployment, and follow-up studies on the individuals have been limited. Further work is needed to improve the scientific and conservation value of this technology.

In this study, satellite tagging and its effects are being examined among Gulf of Maine humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). This is among the best studied humpback whale populations. Its strong fidelity to particular feeding sites, long feeding ground residency and strong overlap with observer effort that are expected to result in repeated sightings of tagged animals, and a maximized resighting potential in future years. The project will also produce new information on humpback whale movement and habitat use in relation to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

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Project partner
The project is being undertaken by multi-institutional team with expertise in whale behavior, ecology, anatomy, physiology, telemetry and wound healing processes. It includes scientists from the following institutions:

Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) http://www.antarctica.gov.au/science

Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) . http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/

The Marine Mammal Center (MMC) .http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/

National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML)http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/nmml/

Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS)www.coastalstudies.org

Research is being performed under NOAA scientific permit #14245.

Project sponsor
Primary research funding comes from NOAA and Exxon through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This is a project of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP).

Overview

Attributes described below represent those in the original dataset provided by the provider.
Only minimum required attributes are visible and downlodable online. Other attributes may be obtained upon provider's permission unless otherwise noteded below.

This section explains attributes included in the original dataset. OBIS-SEAMAP restricts the attributes available to the public to date/time, lat/lon and species names/counts only. Should you need other attributes described here, you are encouraged to contact the data provider.

Attributes in dataset provided

Attribute (table column)	Description