Alaska Marine Mammal Field Work
NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration conduct research on marine mammals off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.
Research projects focus on ecology and behavior, population dynamics, life history, and status and trends. Research results assist NOAA and other agencies in making science-informed decisions for sound management of marine resources.
Annual Field Research Flyer (all projects)
Field Season Research Briefs (Individual Projects)
Cetacean Research
Marine Mammal Passive Acoustic Recorders
Location
Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi Seas, and western Gulf of Alaska
Timing
April, May, August, September
Funding
NOAA; Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), U.S. Navy; past funding for this project from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), North Pacific Research Board (NPRB), and the Marine Mammal Commission
Project
This project continues 15 years of passive acoustic monitoring in the Alaskan Arctic. Noise levels from anthropogenic sources are also monitored. Most moorings are located with oceanographic sensors. Collaborators include NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Lab and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Contact
Catherine Berchok - catherine.berchok@noaa.gov
Cook Inlet Beluga Acoustic Monitoring
Image
Location
Eagle River (Knik Arm), central Cook Inlet, and Tuxedni Bay
Timing
May, August – September
Funding
JBER (Dept. of the Army), Hilcorp Alaska LLC., High Gold Mining
Project
Echolocation loggers and adaptive resolution imaging sonar will be used in Eagle River to identify targeted prey by beluga, observe foraging behavior, and determine bathymetric features associated with areas of increased feeding concentration. Oil and gas platforms in mid-inlet are being instrumented with echolocation loggers and sound recorders to monitor noise and marine mammal presence. Beluga occurrence, habitat use, and soundscape characterization data is being collected in Tuxedni Bay.
Contact
Paul Wade – paul.wade@noaa.gov
Cook Inlet Beluga Biopsy Study
Location
Cook Inlet
Timing
August – September
Funding
NOAA
Project
A boat-based biopsy survey will be conducted to provide information on the sex, genetics, diet, and hormonal status of individual beluga whales. In collaboration with Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM) scientists, blubber samples will be collected using a darting gun. Photographs of each biopsied whale, and associated whales, will be taken and analyzed to identify individuals, which will be matched to the existing photo-ID catalog.
Contact
Paul Wade – paul.wade@noaa.gov
Cook Inlet Beluga Aerial Photogrammetry Study
Image
Location
Cook Inlet
Timing
July – September
Funding
NOAA
Project
Photogrammetry surveys will be conducted to estimate age classes and an index of beluga calf production in late August/early September. A hexacopter uncrewed aircraft system equipped with a high-resolution camera will be used to photograph beluga groups. Individuals will be measured to provide blowhole to dorsal ridge lengths, and whales will be assigned to calf, juvenile, and adult age classes based on relative lengths.
Contact
Paul Wade – paul.wade@noaa.gov
Cook Inlet Beluga Aerial Surveys
Location
Cook Inlet
Timing
June
Funding
NOAA
Project
A survey to determine abundance and trend will be conducted in early June 2024. Tracklines are flown along the entire coast north of Augustine Island and sawtooth tracklines cross the inlet. Distance sampling in strata in the Susitna Delta, Chickaloon Bay, and Trading Bay may be conducted in addition to or in lieu of the historic video sampling design.
Contact
Kim Shelden – kim.shelden@noaa.gov
Eastern Bering Sea Beluga Abundance Survey
Location
Norton Sound and Yukon Delta
Timing
June
Funding
ABWC and NOAA
Project
The EBS beluga stock resides in the vicinity of Norton Sound and the Yukon River Delta during the ice-free period from spring breakup to autumn freeze up. An aerial line-transect abundance survey of the Eastern Bering Sea beluga stock will be conducted in late June in 2024.
Contact
Kim Shelden – kim.shelden@noaa.gov
Harbor Porpoise Monitoring
Image
Location
Auke Bay, Southeast Alaska
Timing
May – August
Funding
NOAA
Project
Visual and passive acoustic monitoring will occur in Auke Bay and a nearby control site to evaluate the behavioral response of harbor porpoise to acoustic deterrent devices (pingers) as a potential tool to mitigate bycatch in fisheries in Southeast Alaska.
Contact
Kim Goetz – kim.goetz@noaa.gov
Cetacean Assessment in Behm Canal and Southern Clarence Strait
Image
Location
Southeast Alaska
Timing
September – October
Funding
U.S. Navy, NOAA
Project
Cetacean occurrence, density, and distribution will be assessed using a vessel survey and passive acoustics.
Contact
Robyn Angliss – robyn.angliss@noaa.gov
IWC-POWER Survey
Location
Southern Chukchi and eastern Bering Sea
Timing
August – September
Funding
International Whaling Commission, Govt. of Japan, NOAA
Project
A visual line transect and passive acoustic survey will be conducted for large whales.
Contact
Jessica Crance – jessica.crance@noaa.gov
Pinniped Research
Bering Sea Ice Seal Aerial Surveys
Location
Bering Sea out to the EEZ and to the southern sea ice extent
Timing
March – April
Funding
NOAA
Project
Multispectral aerial surveys will be flown over the sea ice habitat of the Bering Sea. Imagery will be used to detect and classify the species of animals on the sea ice to estimate abundance for ribbon, spotted, bearded and ringed seals. Survey flights will maintain a 30 mile buffer around the communities of Gambell, Savoonga, Little Diomede, and Wales during spring whaling.
Contact
Michael Cameron – michael.cameron@noaa.gov
Surveys of Harbor Seals in Glacial Fjords
Location
Glacial fjord habitats in Prince William Sound, Gulf of Alaska, and Southeast Alaska
Timing
June and August
Funding
NOAA
Project
We will conduct aerial surveys for harbor seals using a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft over glacial fjord habitats in Prince William Sound, Gulf of Alaska, and Southeast Alaska. These surveys will collect visual and infrared imagery of harbor seals resting on ice floes within the fjords.
Contact
Michael Cameron - michael.cameron@noaa.gov
Uncrewed Aerial Surveys of Harbor Seals in the Pribilof Islands
Location
St. Paul, St. George and Otter Islands
Timing
May – September 2024
Funding
NOAA
Project
Surveys for harbor seals will be conducted using a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) in the Pribilof Islands in an effort to support an image-based, community approach to monitoring this isolated harbor seal stock. Surveys will be both land- and boat-based and will leverage UAS expertise and local knowledge from the communities of St. Paul Island and St. George Island.
Contact
Michael Cameron – michael.cameron@noaa.gov
Vessel-based Studies of Ice-associated Seals
Location
Bering Sea, ice edge zone
Timing
April – May
Funding
NOAA
Project
Ribbon, spotted, and bearded seals will be tagged with satellite-linked transmitters and sampled to monitor their abundance, health, foraging ecology, and habitat requirements. Small boats based on a chartered vessel will access the seals on the ice floes, and a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) will collect images.
Contact
Michael Cameron – michael.cameron@noaa.gov
Steller Sea Lion Vessel-based Studies Remote Camera Install
Location
Western Gulf of Alaska
Timing
May
Funding
NOAA
Project
A chartered vessel will be used to access Steller sea lion rookeries in the WGOA. Scientists will download images and install remote cameras to collect images of sea lions on these long term study sites.
Contact
Tom Gelatt – tom.gelatt@noaa.gov
Steller Sea Lion Vessel-based Studies in the Western and Central Aleutian Islands
Location
Western and Central Aleutian Islands
Timing
June – July
Funding
NOAA
Project
To estimate demography and movements of Steller sea lions, direct and indirect (from remote camera installations) observations of sea lions will be made in the Aleutian Islands west of Adak, Alaska. An uncrewed aerial system will be used to supplement crewed aircraft aerial surveys to obtain sea lion counts for determining abundance and distribution.
Contact
Tom Gelatt – tom.gelatt@noaa.gov
Steller Sea Lion Aerial Surveys
Location
Eastern and Central Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska
Timing
June – July
Funding
NOAA
Project
High-resolution aerial photographic surveys of Steller sea lions will be conducted in the Gulf of Alaska using crewed aircraft. Time series of counts dating from the mid-1970s are used to track overall and regional trends in population abundance to monitor recovery of the endangered western population.
Contact
Tom Gelatt – tom.gelatt@noaa.gov
Northern Fur Seal Vital Rates Studies
Location
Pribilof Islands
Timing
August – October
Funding
NOAA
Project
University of Washington employees temporarily hired under the Cooperative Institute will be working with MML staff and volunteers to spend up to 10 weeks on St. Paul and St. George Islands collecting observations of previously marked northern fur seals. This data will be used for studies of northern fur seal demography and vital rates. In late fall, a cohort of pups and adult females will be tagged.
Contact
Tom Gelatt – tom.gelatt@noaa.gov
Northern Fur Seal Population Assessment
Image
Location
Pribilof Islands
Timing
July – August
Funding
NOAA
Project
A crew of scientists will use mark-recapture techniques to assess northern fur seal population abundance. Counts will be conducted in early July of adult male fur seals on both Pribilof Islands.
Contact
Tom Gelatt – tom.gelatt@noaa.gov
Uncrewed Surveys of Pinnipeds in the Aleutian Islands
Location
Western Aleutian Islands
Timing
September
Funding
NOAA
Project
A medium-range, fixed-wing uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) based at Eareckson Air Station, Shemya Island, will be used to survey Steller sea lion and harbor seal sites in the western Aleutian Islands. Our goals are to evaluate the feasibility of transitioning to uncrewed aerial surveys of pinnipeds in remote parts of Alaska, to reduce risks to NOAA personnel and aircraft, and to advance the application of beyond visual line-of-sight UAS operations in the U.S.
Contact
Michael Cameron – michael.cameron@noaa.gov
Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Bearded and Ringed Seals in Kotzebue Sound
Location
Kotzebue Sound
Timing
June – September
Funding
NOAA, Species Recovery Grants to Tribes
Project
Using passive acoustic monitoring to describe year-round spatiotemporal distribution of bearded seals and ringed seals and their relationship to ice concentration in Kotzebue Sound.
Contact
Manuel Castellote – manuel.castellote@noaa.gov