This report describes results from vessel surveys and visual species verifications conducted at the Jacksonville Shallow Water Training Range (JSWTR) in the Jacksonville Operating Area (OPAREA).

This report describes results of vessel surveys from a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report describes results from vessel surveys and visual species-verification trials conducted at the Jacksonville Shallow Water Training Range (JSWTR) in the Jacksonville Operating Area (OPAREA). This work continues from a multi-institutional monitoring program intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This proof-of-concept study was undertaken to establish whether wild seals could be successfully captured and tagged in coastal Virginia, because this has not been previously attempted in this area. Further, the study sought to establish the feasibility of using satellite tags to better understand seals’ residency time in Virginia waters, their local habitat utilization patterns, and where they migrate to in the spring. The information gathered from this effort will provide valuable baseline data needed for the future assessment of harbor seal movements and site fidelity along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

Since 2017, the Navy has undertaken telemetry (tagging) studies in order to characterize seals’ at-sea movements, habitat use, dive behavior, and the environmental variables that may influence their distribution and haul-out patterns. Location-only and depth-sensing tags, which track seals’ movements via satellite transmission, were deployed on seven harbor seals in 2018 and two in 2020 (no tags have been deployed to date on gray seals as part of this study).

This report documents the findings of a pilot study conducted in 2013 to investigate the efficacy of ground-based surveys as a potential alternative to, or in supplementation of, aerial surveys in detecting strandings of marine mammals and sea turtles (MM/ST) on remote shorelines, in this case the island of Ni‘ihau. In this study, aerial (helicopter) and ground-based (vehicle and horseback) shoreline surveys were conducted concurrently in order to compare the efficacy of each method. Observers scanned the shorelines of Kauai and Ni‘ihau, adjacent to PMRF, for stranded and near-stranded marine mammals and sea turtles within one week after an SCC training event that involved mid-frequency active sonar in August 2013.

Key results from the 2018 and 2020 tags, detailed methods and results from the 2022 tagging efforts, and where appropriate, cumulative analyses of all 14 satellite-tracked tags deployed to date.

Status report for the acoustic and visual survey for cetaceans in Behm Canal and Southern Clarence Strait, Alaska, FY22.

During HDR Inc.’s 2022/23 field season, baleen whale sightings included humpback whales, North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). This report will focus on results from the humpback whale sightings only

Primary objectives of this project have included the following: Collect baseline occurrence data (location, sex, group size, behavior) of humpback whales (and other species of baleen whales, opportunistically), Obtain identification photographs of humpback whales for inclusion in regional and local catalogs, Collect biopsy samples of humpback whales for sex determination, mitochondrial control region sequencing and microsatellite genotyping of tissue samples, and stable isotope analysis to assess foraging related to prey consumption • Conduct satellite tagging to document seasonal humpback whale movement patterns in the nearshore waters off Virginia Beach, specifically whether the whales spend significant time in areas of high shipping traffic and/or areas of U.S. Navy training exercises

The objective of this project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program is to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes Operational Area (VACAPES OPAREA) by addressing the following questions: • What age classes (juveniles, sub-adults, adults) are utilizing the waters within and adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay? • Do humpback whales exhibit site fidelity over periods of days to years? • Do humpback whales congregate in specific high-traffic and/or high-use U.S. Navy training areas? • Do humpback whales spend significant time within or move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire and mine neutralization exercise (MINEX) training (Year 2 and Year 3)?

A total of 23 nearshore and mid-shelf vessel surveys were completed during the 2023/24 field season. In total, 43 baleen whale sightings, including 33 sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) composed of 43 individuals, 6 sightings of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) composed of 9 individuals (1 deceased), 3 sightings of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) composed of 3 individuals, and 1 sighting of a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) composed of 1 individual occurred during the 2023/24 field season.

During HDR Inc.’s 2023/24 field season, baleen whale sightings included humpback whales, NARWs, fin whales, minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis). This report will focus on the photo-ID results from all baleen whale sightings, photogrammetry results from the drone, and status of the MAHWC and Happywhale matching. See Aschettino et al. (2025) and Engelhaupt et al. (2025) for further information and details from the vessel survey and tagging efforts, and Ozog and Engelhaupt (2025) for details from the supporting aerial surveys.

The objective of this multi-year project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program has been to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area

The objective of this multi-year project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program has been to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area (OPAREA)

This work builds upon and complements longer-term studies of movements and site fidelity of both Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off the North Carolina coast using photo-identiThe objective of this project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program is to establish baseline occurrence and behavior data for humpback whales in the Hampton Roads mid-Atlantic region by addressing the following questions: • What age classes (juveniles, sub-adults, adults) are utilizing the waters within and adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay? Do humpback whales exhibit site-fidelity over periods of days to years? Do humpback whales congregate in specific high-traffic and/or high-use U.S. Navy training areas? Do humpback whales spend significant time within or move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire and MINEX training (Year 2)? What are the relative sound levels humpback whaication (photo-ID)

The objective of this multi-year project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program has been to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area by addressing the following questions: What age classes (juveniles, sub-adults, adults) are utilizing the waters within and adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay? Do humpback whales exhibit site fidelity over periods of days to years? Do humpback whales congregate in specific high-traffic and/or high-use U.S. Navy training areas? Do humpback whales spend significant time within or move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire and mine neutralization exercise (MINEX) training?

The objective of this multi-year project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program has been to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area by addressing the following questions: What age classes (juveniles, sub-adults, adults) are utilizing the waters within and adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay? Do humpback whales exhibit site fidelity over periods of days to years? Do humpback whales congregate in specific high-traffic and/or high-use U.S. Navy training areas? Do humpback whales spend significant time within or move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire and mine neutralization exercise (MINEX) training?

The objective of this multi-year project under the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring Program has been to establish baseline information on occurrence and behavior of humpback whales near Naval Station Norfolk and within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area by addressing the following questions: What age classes (juveniles, sub-adults, adults) are utilizing the waters within and adjacent to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay? Do humpback whales exhibit site fidelity over periods of days to years? Do humpback whales congregate in specific high-traffic and/or high-use U.S. Navy training areas? Do humpback whales spend significant time within or move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire and mine neutralization exercise (MINEX) training?

Navy Marine Species Observers (MSOs) monitored UNDET training exercises at the Pu‘uloa Underwater Range, located west of the Pearl Harbor entrance channel, on 2 and 4 April 2013. The intent of the exercises was to provide training in precision cutting for harbor clearance or salvage. The primary purpose of the MSO presence was to monitor mitigation measures conducted by Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 (MDSU-1); however, visual surveys were also conducted opportunistically.

The HDR Monitoring Team is tasked to initiate a monitoring project that will provide quantitative data and information on the seasonal occurrence, distribution, and density of protected species (marine mammals and sea turtles) in Chesapeake Bay waters near Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent (PAX) River, roughly from Drum Point, south to Smith Point along the western shore and over to the coastal waters of the eastern shore.

A total of 22 nearshore and mid-shelf vessel surveys were completed during the 2024/25 field season. In total, 60 baleen whale sightings, including 40 sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) totaling 59 individuals, 10 sightings of North Atlantic right whales (NARWs; Eubalaena glacialis) totaling 22 individuals, 7 sightings of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) totaling 14 individuals, and 3 sightings of individual minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), occurred during the 2024/25 field season. A total of 24 aerial surveys were flown during the 2024/25 field season in association with this effort and the Offshore Cetacean Study (OCS) (A. Engelhaupt et al. 2026); see Ozog and Engelhaupt 2026 for additional details regarding the aerial surveys. Baleen whale sightings from the aerial surveys included humpback (n=45), NARWs (n=8), fin (n=11), and minke (n=3) whales (Ozog and Engelhaupt 2026). During the OCS surveys, baleen whale sightings included fin whales (n=12), humpback whales (n=7), a blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus; n=1), a minke whale (n=1), and an NARW (n=1) (A. Engelhaupt et al. 2026). Across this project and the OCS effort, satellite-linked telemetry tags were deployed on one humpback whale, one fin whale, and one NARW. Customized Animal Tracking Solution tags were deployed on two NARWs and two humpback whales. One biopsy sample was collected from the satellite-tagged humpback whale.

Since January 2015, HDR Inc. has been monitoring humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to assess their occurrence, habitat use, and behavior within and near United States (U.S.) Navy training and testing areas off Virginia via the Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Monitoring Project.

Since January 2015, HDR Inc. has been monitoring humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to assess their occurrence, habitat use, and behavior within and near United States (U.S.) Navy training and testing areas off Virginia via the Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Monitoring Project.

Preliminary Results from a Deep‐water Ecological Acoustic Recorder (EAR) Deployed off NW Ni‘i hau during RIMPAC‐2010

Two ecological acoustic recorders (EARs) were deployed on July 17, 2010, one at a depth of 800 meters (m) off the northwest coast (21° 59.613' N, 160° 12.167' W), and the other at a depth of 16 m off the southeast coast of Ni'ihau (21° 47.306' N, 160° 11.964' W). These two sites were selected by personnel from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific to provide acoustic data during the 2010 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in the Hawaii Range Complex.

Ecological acoustic recorders (EARs) have been deployed around the islands of Oahu and Kauai in a project sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. Detailed information on the EAR was published by Lammers et al. (2008). EARs have been deployed from February, 2009 to the present time around Oahu and from February, 2009 until April, 2011 around Kauai. From April, 2011 four EARs in the waters of Kauai have been deployed along the southern coast.

NOAA Fisheries Science Centers have recently incorporated drifting acoustic spar buoy recorders (DASBRs) into their standard large-scale survey designs. Drifting autonomous instruments have many advantages, especially for species that are difficult to see at the surface, are vocal at depth, and whose sounds have been well characterized such that they can be readily identifiable from autonomous recordings. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center deployed DASBRs throughout the survey region with the goal of collecting data on the occurrence of beaked whales and other cryptic deepdivers. Traditional line-transect assessments for those species are often challenged by very low encounter rates, resulting in density and abundance estimates with high uncertainty, or in some cases, no estimates if groups were not seen during the ‘on-effort’ portions of the survey. Previous experience in the Marianas suggested that encounter rates for beaked whales on the DASBRs would be orders of magnitude higher within the DASBR data than in the visual survey or towed array datasets, likely enabling examination of density for some beaked whale species using the newly developed methods of Barlow et al. (2021a). Here, we detail our methodology to estimate density and abundance using 2021 survey dataset and how 2018 survey data were used to inform the detection parameters. This analysis has resulted in the first preliminary acoustic density and abundance estimates for Cuvier’s and Blainville’s beaked whales in the Mariana Islands region.

In August 2017, a marine mammal monitoring project was carried out combining boat-based field efforts and passive acoustic monitoring on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). Commander, Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) funded five days of small-boat effort and the National Marine Fisheries Service funded an additional six days of effort. Information obtained was compared to previous sightings during small-boat effort by Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) off Kauai and Niihau, during 1,119 hr of effort (19,194 km) over nine different years from 2003 through 2016 (see Baird 2016)

A joint project in February 2014 on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) was carried out utilizing combined passive acoustic monitoring and boat-based field efforts. There were 1,287 kilometers (km) (66.3 hours [hr]) of small-vessel survey effort over the course of the 10 day project, with 44.6 percent of search time (29.6 hr) spent within the PMRF instrumented hydrophone range boundaries. A total of 81.7 hr of acoustic monitoring was undertaken during the field effort. There were 26 sightings of five species of odontocetes, six of which were directed by acoustic detections from the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) system.

A joint project in February 2015 on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) was carried out utilizing combined boat-based field efforts and passive acoustic monitoring from the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) system. There were 1,132 kilometers (63.4 hours [hr]) of small-vessel survey effort over the course of the 13-day project. Weather conditions precluded field operations on 4 days, and strong westerly winds and/or range operations limited access to PMRF on seven additional days, with only 15.1 percent of search time (9.6 hr) spent within the range boundaries.

As part of a long-term U.S. Navy-funded marine mammal monitoring program, in February 2016 a combining boat-based field effort and passive acoustic monitoring was carried out on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). The U.S. Navy funded five days of small-boat effort and the National Marine Fisheries Service funded an additional two days of effort. There were 859 kilometers (49 hours) of small-vessel survey effort over the course of the seven day project.

As part of a long-term U.S. Navy-funded marine mammal monitoring program, in August 2017 a combination of boatbased field effort and passive acoustic monitoring was carried out on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off Kaua‘i prior to a Submarine Command Course scheduled for mid-August 2017. The U.S. Navy funded five days of small-boat effort and the National Marine Fisheries Service funded an additional six days of effort. There were 1,113 kilometers (77.4 hours) of small-vessel survey effort over the course of the 11 day project.

As part of a long-term U.S. Navy-funded marine mammal monitoring program, in August 2018 a combination of vessel-based field effort and passive acoustic monitoring was carried out on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) Kaua‘i prior to a Submarine Commander Course scheduled for mid-August 2018. The purpose of the monitoring effort was to assess the spatial movement patterns and habitat use of cetaceans that are exposed to mid-frequency active sonar and how those patterns influence exposure and potentially responses.

As part of a long-term U.S. Navy-funded marine mammal monitoring program, in February 2020 a combination of vesselbased field effort and passive acoustic monitoring was carried out on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off Kaua‘i prior to a Submarine Command Course scheduled for mid-February 2020. The purpose of the monitoring effort was to assess the spatial movement patterns and habitat use of cetaceans that are exposed to midfrequency active sonar and how those patterns influence exposure and potentially responses. Results from this effort were compared with previous Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) survey effort and photo-identification and tag data from Kaua‘i, based on surveys in 11 different years since 2003.

A number of species of resident and non-resident odontocetes use the waters of the Kaulakahi Channel between Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, overlapping with the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). Submarine Command Courses (SCCs) held at PMRF provide an opportunity to assess exposure and measure odontocete reactions to mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) being used in realistic training scenarios. The primary goal of this assessment was to estimate MFAS received levels (RLs) for satellite tagged odontocetes and determine whether any large-scale movements occurred in response to hull-mounted surface ship MFAS exposure. Two prior reports have used odontocete satellite tag data and information on MFAS use to estimate RLs for animals tagged in 2011 through 2015.

The U.S. Navy’s marine species monitoring program addresses four general topics surrounding the impact of midfrequency active sonar (MFAS) on protected species: occurrence, exposure, response, and consequences. Occurrence of odontocete cetaceans on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) has been studied for several years using a combination of satellite tags and photo-identification, demonstrating the existence of resident populations of several species of odontocetes and resulting in considerable information on diving behavior and movement patterns of these species.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) off the island of Kaua‘i is the site of regular United States (U.S.) Navy training, some of which involves mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS) use from different types of military sound sources. PMRF includes acoustic instrumentation which allows for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) capabilities to detect and localize sounds such as vocalizing marine mammals. Recent boat-based studies at PMRF have utilized real-time PAM (in conjunction with the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges project) to detect odontocetes for vectoring a field tagging boat to groups in order to increase the likelihood of deploying satellite tags. The resulting data have allowed for an assessment of habitat use and range of several different species. Some of these boat-based tagging efforts were timed to occur just before Submarine Commanders Courses (SCCs) occurring on PMRF so that animal movements and diving behavior could be measured both before and during sonar use.

As part of the long-term United States (U.S.) Navy-funded Marine Species Monitoring Program, from 11–19 February 2024, Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) carried out a vessel-based field effort in conjunction with passive acoustic monitoring undertaken by the U.S. Navy (Navy) scientists on and around the underwater hydrophone ranges of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF). The effort was timed to occur immediately prior to the start of a Submarine Command Course (SCC) to allow for collection of movement and dive data that could be used to examine exposure and response of cetaceans to Navy mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS; see Henderson et al. 2021). Eight days of field effort were funded by the Navy, and one day of field work was funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. Wildlife Computers SPLASH10-F satellite tags were funded by the Navy for deployment on Navypriority species, and additional tags were provided by Wildlife Computers or CRC for deployment on other species (e.g., humpback whales [Megaptera novaeangliae]). Tags were programmed to collect dive behavior and Fastloc®-Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the time deployed until three and a half days after the end of the SCC and continue to transmit the dive and Fastloc®-GPS data for an additional six days. Starting on either May 2nd or May 3rd, the tags were duty cycled to transmit only every second day, to provide longer-term tracks of individual movements. During the period that tags were collecting dive and Fastloc®-GPS data, tags were programmed to try to obtain Fastloc®-GPS locations only for the 12 hours of the day when there were no or limited satellite overpasses. This programming change from previous Kauaʻi field efforts was taken to minimize temporal gaps in location data during the period that overlapped with and immediately followed the SCC. Field efforts were undertaken out of Kikiaola small boat harbor when conditions allowed for working on or near PMRF, or out of Port Allen when conditions on or near PMRF were not workable.

Movements and Spatial Use of Satellite‐tagged Odontocetes in the Western Main Hawaiian Islands: Results of Fieldwork Undertaken off O‘ahu in October 2010 and Kaua‘i in February 2011

Although considerable information is available on residency patterns and spatial use of odontocetes in the eastern half of the Hawai‘i Range Complex (HRC), much less is known about odontocetes in the western half of the HRC. In the second year of a three-year effort in the western main Hawaiian Islands we undertook surveys off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in July/August 2011, to examine spatial use and residency patterns using satellite tags, to provide visual verification of acoustically-detected odontocetes on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), and to obtain individual identification photographs and biopsy samples for assessment of population identity and structure.

As part of an assessment of habitat use and movements of odontocetes being undertaken in the western half of the main Hawaiian Islands (see Baird et al. 2011, 2012), field operations funded by Commander, U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet were undertaken off of Kaua‘i in January 2012. There were two primary goals of these operations: 1) providing species verification for acoustic detections by the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) project on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) hydrophone range (see Moretti et al. 2012); and 2) deploying satellite tags prior to a Submarine Commanders Course (SCC) training event to be undertaken off Kaua‘i in February 2012.

Here we combine results of field efforts funded through the U.S. Navy’s Living Marine Resources Program (through a three-year grant from the Naval Postgraduate School) as well as additional field time in the study area in 2011 and 2012 funded through the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Commander, Pacific Fleet. We also utilize results from research efforts in the eastern main Hawaiian Islands, off Lāna‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island, to help interpret results from photo-identification and satellite tagging.

A joint project in February 2013 of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) combined passive acoustic monitoring and boat-based field efforts. There were 1,010 kilometers (km) (55.9 hours [hr]) of small-vessel field effort over the course of the 8-day project. Of the 55.9 hr of survey effort, 64.2 percent was spent within the PMRF instrumented hydrophone range boundaries, and 14.8 percent of the effort was in depths greater than 1,000 meters (m).

A joint project in July and August 2013 on and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) combined passive acoustic monitoring and boat-based field efforts. There were 671 kilometers (36.6 hours [hr]) of small-vessel survey effort over the course of the 8-day project, with 55.1 percent of time (20.2 hr) spent within the PMRF instrumented hydrophone range boundaries. A total of 33.0 hr of acoustic monitoring coincided with the small-vessel field effort.

As part of the long-term United States (U.S.) Navy-funded Marine Species Monitoring Program, from 16–24 August 2022, Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) carried out a vessel-based field effort in conjunction with passive acoustic monitoring undertaken by U.S. Navy (Navy) scientists on and around the underwater hydrophone ranges of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).

As part of the long-term United States (U.S.) Navy-funded Marine Species Monitoring Program, from 5-13 August 2023, Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) carried out a vessel-based field effort in conjunction with passive acoustic monitoring undertaken by U.S. Navy (Navy) scientists on and around the underwater hydrophone ranges of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).

As part of the long-term United States (U.S.) Navy-funded Marine Species Monitoring Program, from 1-14 August 2021, a combination of boat-based field effort and passive acoustic monitoring was carried out on and around the underwater hydrophone ranges of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF).

The purpose of this report is to summarize information obtained through the remote deployment of Low-Impact Minimally-Percutaneous External-electronics Transmitter (LIMPET) satellite tags on odontocete cetaceans off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in 2014. This study was undertaken to provide information on spatial use and diving behavior of a number of species of odontocetes, with particular emphasis on Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).

The present work is intended to complement ongoing research by Duke University off Cape Hatteras (hereinafter referred to as the Duke program) by providing information on the movement and diving behavior of these species over the medium term (weeks to months). The Duke program is focusing on shorter-term dive behavior (i.e., hours to days) using Digital Acoustic Tags and longer-term movements (i.e., months to years) using photo-identification (photo-ID) techniques

. This report summarizes information obtained through additional field efforts undertaken in 2016, while incorporating results from the first two years of effort. The present work is intended to complement ongoing research by Duke University off Cape Hatteras (hereinafter referred to as the Duke program) by providing information on the movement and diving behavior of these species over the medium term (weeks to months)

This work builds upon and complements longer-term studies of movements and site fidelity of both Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off the North Carolina coast using photo-identification (photo-ID)

This work builds upon and complements longer-term studies of movements and site fidelity of both Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) off the North Carolina coast using photo-identification (photo-ID)

The goals of this study were to determine abundance, habitat use, and distribution patterns of bottlenose dolphins in St. Andrew Bay and adjacent coastal waters in the NSWC PCD Testing Range over two seasons.

The goal of the spring 2016 component of this project was to conduct photographicidentification (photo-id) surveys to determine seasonal (spring) abundance, habitat use, and distribution patterns of bottlenose dolphins in St. Andrew Bay (SAB) and adjacent coastal waters surrounding the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC PCD).

The goal of the fall 2016 component of this project was to conduct photographic-identification (photo-id) surveys to determine seasonal (fall) abundance, habitat use, and distribution patterns of bottlenose dolphins in St. Andrew Bay and adjacent coastal waters surrounding the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC PCD).

The goals of this study were to conduct photographic-identification (photo-ID) surveys during 2015 and 2016 to determine abundance, distribution patterns, habitat use, and site fidelity of bottlenose dolphins in St. Andrew Bay and adjacent coastal waters in the NSWC PCD Testing Range over four sampling periods (July and October 2015, and April and October 2016).

The ultimate goal of this study is to provide the United States (U.S.) Navy with the necessary data to help identify seasonal areas where cheloniid sea turtles are likely to occur in order to inform U.S. Navy environmental planning efforts. This project focuses on the three cheloniid sea turtle species commonly seen in Virginia.

The goal of this report is to provide the United States (U.S.) Department of the Navy (Navy) with the necessary data to help identify seasonal areas where Kemp’s ridley and green turtles are likely to occur in order to inform Navy environmental planning efforts.

Five species of sea turtles occur in Chesapeake Bay and the coastal waters of Virginia with varying regularity. They include the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), Kemp’s ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), green turtle (Chelonia mydas), leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) (Musick and Limpus 1997). Loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles are the most abundant and regularly occurring species, and green turtle numbers have increased over the past two decades in Virginia (Barco et al. 2015, Swingle et al. 2014, 2015, 2016).

The goal of the project is to assess the occurrence, habitat use, and behavior of loggerhead, green, and Kemp's ridley turtles in the Hampton Roads region to better assess the impacts that U.S. Navy activities may have on these protected species.

The ultimate goal of this study is to provide the US NAVY with the necessary data to help identify seasonal areas where cheloniid sea turtles are likely to occur in order to inform DOD sea turtle protection efforts. This project focuses on the three cheloniid sea turtle species commonly seen in Virginia, which are the loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, and green sea turtle (Hager 2014).

Kemp’s Ridley Tagging and Tracking in Chesapeake Bay and Costal Waters of Virginia: Final Report

Behavior and Distribution Bull Trout off Washington

Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted in the Navy’s Southern California Range Complex from January 2013 to June 2017 to detect marine mammal sounds. High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) recorded sounds between 10 Hz and 100 kHz at four locations: west of San Clemente Island (1,000 m depth, site H), south of San Clemente Island (1200 m depth, site N), northwest of San Clemente Island (900 m depth, site M) and west of La Jolla, California (500 m depth, site P).

We present progress on the development of methods to investigate the potential impacts of sonar and other anthropogenic activities on calling animals. The basis for this effort is previously collected PAM data from four sites in the years 2006 to 2015. Recording effort at these sites varied between 674 and 2,284 days per site, resulting in 19 years of cumulative acoustic recording during 79 instrument deployments and 227 TB of acoustic recordings. As part of the work in this progress report, automated routines have been established and/or modified to detect and classify acoustic signals of blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius caviostris) as well as Mid-Frequency Active (MFA) sonar pings and explosions.

Understanding the distribution of cetacean species and their populations over space and time is relevant to conservation, management, and mitigation goals. Geographic differences in Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) frequency-modulated (FM) echolocation pulses are investigated as a potential tool for population-level discrimination.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) provides extensive datasets to examine the behavioral response of cetaceans to anthropogenic sound. Using broadband passive acoustic monitoring, the full range of cetacean sounds and the sounds of naval and other anthropogenic sources are recorded. We have been collecting high-frequency PAM data in the Southern California (SOCAL) region since 2006. Within this dataset are many instances of anthropogenic sound as well as cetacean presence at the locations of naval training.

This ongoing project will study explosions recorded by passive acoustic monitoring in the Southern California (SOCAL) region between 2009 and 2012, and provide a description of their characteristics and frequency of occurrence. In this region, explosions are used both by the Navy as part of training exercises, and by the commercial fishing industry as a deterrent for marine mammals

Two Slocum gliders equipped with digital acoustic monitoring (DMON) instruments were deployed and operated in the mid-Atlantic Bight to the north and south of Cape Hatteras during the winter of 2018-2019. The gliders were remotely piloted to survey along pre-determined transects as local currents allowed, and sensor data were relayed to shore every 2 hours and posted on a publicly accessible website, dcs.whoi.edu. DMON data were reviewed daily by trained NAVFAC personnel, and the results of their review were posted on the same website, distributed to interested parties by text and email message, and made available for display in the Whale Alert app. Of the four baleen whale species monitored, humpback whales were the most commonly encountered, followed by fin, sei, and right whales. Only a single bout of right whale calls was detected by the glider deployed to the north of Cape Hatteras.

The overall goal of this study was to include the 2018 survey data in the previous 1991–2014 modeling dataset in order to improve SMDs for the CCE study area. Specific objectives included: Generating multi-year average density surfaces for the Navy and others to use in their long-term (2–7 year) environmental planning efforts; and Providing updated abundance and “minimum population size (Nmin)” estimates as defined in the Guidelines for Assessing Marine Mammal Stocks (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2016).

For the last five months, Dr. Will Gough has been working at the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) on a number of goals that will build capacity within Hawaii and advance the Navy’s goals related to the long-term health of protected marine mammal species. These goals relate to Dr. Gough’s expertise working with accelerometry-based biologging tags and include: setting up infrastructure at the MMRP to maintain large quantities of tag data, collecting novel data and expanding existing datasets through field efforts, training members of the Navy and MMRP to work effectively with accelerometry data and biologging devices, develop training materials and short-form workshops to disseminate knowledge of accelerometry data processing and analysis more broadly within the Hawaiian community, and use new and existing datasets to answer questions of relevance to the Navy and other organizations tasked with monitoring and management of protected species.

For the period of funding, Dr. Will Gough has been working at the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) on a number of goals that will build capacity within Hawaii and advance the Navy’s goals related to the long-term health of protected marine mammal species. These goals relate to Dr. Gough’s expertise working with accelerometry-based biologging tags and include: setting up infrastructure at the MMRP to maintain large quantities of tag data, collecting novel data and expanding existing datasets through field efforts, training members of the Navy and MMRP to work effectively with accelerometry data and biologging devices, develop training materials and short-form workshops to disseminate knowledge of accelerometry data processing and analysis more broadly within the Hawaiian community, and use new and existing datasets to answer questions of relevance to the Navy and other organizations tasked with monitoring and management of protected species.

Three subsurface passive acoustic moorings were deployed in the western Gulf of Alaska on the EcoFOCI fall mooring cruise onboard the F/V Aquila 15 Aug – 14 Sep 2023; recovery is planned for September 2024, funding permitting. These mooring will allow investigation into the seasonal occurrence of many species of vocalizing marine mammals including North Pacific right (NPRW), blue, fin, humpback, minke, gray, sperm, killer, and beaked whales, Dall’s and harbor porpoise, general pinniped sounds, and anthropogenic noise sources such as vessels and seismic airguns. This is important data that the Navy needs to prepare environmental planning documentation, including those for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and ESA documents and consultations. It is also needed to inform the National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Regional Office’s NPRW critical habitat expansion decision. In addition to the field work, processing of existing passive acoustic recordings from three moorings in the WGOA is ongoing, with one site (Barnabus Trough) completed for the high-frequency band. Killer whale vocalizations were detected on 214 of the 358 days with recordings.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Alaska Fisheries Science Center has maintained passive acoustic recorder moorings in areas of interest to the US Navy in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Archival data from three of these sites were analyzed for the timing and occurrence of key cetacean species. In addition, three subsurface passive acoustic moorings were deployed for a year (fall 2023 to fall 2024) in areas of mutual interest to NOAA and the Navy. Two of these new moorings, located along the western GOA slope, were redeployed in 2024.

DDG P Atlantic Aug 2016

DDG Q Atlantic Aug 2017

CG C Atlantic Aug 2014

The present study provides new and current estimates of cetacean density for the six most commonly encountered cetacean species off southern California based on sighting data collected during 37 quarterly CalCOFI cruises from 2004 to 2013. The current study resulted from a high survey repetition rate that allowed for the examination of inter-annual and seasonal trends in density as well as temporal and spatial patterns of distribution for six common cetacean species off southern California: blue whales, fin whales, humpback whales, short-beaked common dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and Dall’s porpoise.

Cetacean distribution, density and abundance in the Southern California Bight were assessed through visual and acoustic surveys during five California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) cruises from August 2012-November 2013. Visual monitoring incorporated standard line-transect protocol during all daylight transits while acoustic monitoring employed a towed hydrophone array during transits and sonobuoys at oceanographic sampling stations. Visual effort included 584 observation hours covering 10,900 kilometers yielding 565 sightings of 15 identified cetacean species.

Spatial and temporal distribution patterns, density and abundance of cetaceans in the southern California Bight were assessed through visual and acoustic surveys during five California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) cruises from August 2011 – July 2012. Visual monitoring incorporated standard line-transect protocol during all daylight transits while acoustic monitoring employed a towed hydrophone array during transits and sonobuoys at oceanographic sampling stations.

This report summarizes small boat based research conducted on cetaceans off southern California by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in collaboration with Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) from August 2009 – July 2010. The primary objectives of this research were to use sighting, photo-identification, biopsy and acoustical sampling techniques to assess the occurrence, distribution and population structure of small cetaceans in a region that is subject to frequent naval exercises; this information is needed to evaluate possible effects from Mid Frequency Active Sonar (MFAS) trials and ultimately for the development of appropriate management protocols.

Coral reef surveys were conducted at Farallon de Medinilla (FDM) September 27 – October 1, 2017 by Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific, Scientific Diving Services (SDS) to satisfy requirements of the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Area Biological Opinion (MITT BO) issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2015 (NMFS 2015). The primary objectives of this survey were to quantify the abundance and location around the island of Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed corals, quantify coral reef health (percent cover of living coral, coral species composition, and coral condition), and compile observations of ordnance impacts

Coral reef surveys were conducted at Farallon de Medinilla (FDM) September 27 – October 1, 2017 by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific), Scientific Diving Services (SDS) to satisfy requirements of the Mariana Islands Training and Testing Area Biological Opinion (MITT BO) issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in 2015 (NMFS 2015). Two reports have been produced, based upon the field data obtained. The first report, entitled “Farallon De Medinilla 2017 Coral Reef Survey Report,” is dated May 2018 (Carilli et al. 2018). This document should be regarded as the second report of the 2017 survey results

In order to further investigate potential changes in behavior in response to MFAS exposure, sounds of marine mammals were recorded in the vicinity of three U.S. Navy training exercises before, during, and after the use of MFAS in Onslow Bay, North Carolina (July 2008), and near Jacksonville, Florida (September–October, and December 2009). The resulting passive acoustic data were analyzed using automated signal-detection software to detect individual sonar transmissions (“pings”), and sounds of North Atlantic right, minke, fin, and sperm whales. In addition, putative right whale “gunshot” sounds that had been detected in an earlier, separate analysis of the Jacksonville recordings were reviewed by two experienced marine mammal acoustic analysts.

This project is intended to provide baseline information on the species composition, density, distribution, and basic behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present within the United States (U.S.) Navy’s Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area (OPAREA). This study is part of a larger, multi-institutional, marine mammal and sea turtle monitoring program of U.S. Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico supporting Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT)

The Pacific Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (PacMAPPS) survey occurred from 1 August to 26 August 2021, beginning and ending in Kodiak, AK. Over the course of the survey, a total of 2,330 km of on-effort tracklines were surveyed in suitable weather conditions, and a total of 687 sightings of marine mammals were documented (including duplicates and resights).

This survey implemented visual line transect and passive acoustic methods to assess the presence and distribution and to estimate density and abundance of cetaceans in Behm Canal and central Clarence Strait.

This report represents one facet of a collaborative multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report provides equations to the Commander, Pacific Fleet Environmental Readiness Division to calculate expected levels of the underwater sound field created from explosive sources that may be applied to environmental characterization or UNDET training mission planning on the Pu`uloa Range with respect to possible noise exposure to marine mammals and turtles.

NOAA Fisheries’ Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program (HMSRP) and U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Environmental initiated a collaborative research effort to investigate potential impacts of naval activities in the HRC. To accomplish this goal, positional data was collected by 13 global positioning system (GPS) telemetry tags deployed over a 2-year period (2010–2011) on 11 individual Hawaiian monk seals, for a total of 38,232 hours (1,593 days).

HDR vessel-based visual monitoring for marine mammals was conducted 1–9 February 2014 in conjunction with Cascadia Research Collective (CRC) satellite-tagging and real time acoustic monitoring by the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) team. These efforts were to aid species-validation projects conducted in and around the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) instrumented range, northwest of Kauai in the Hawaii Range Complex (HRC). The monitoring survey was conducted prior to the commencement of the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Commanders Course (SCC) that took place 17–21 February 2014, which included the use of mid-frequency active sonar.

A shore-based platform, incorporating two high-powered 25 × 150-millimeter binoculars ("Big Eyes"), was evaluated as an alternative approach for surveying marine areas for protected species (marine mammals and sea turtles). During a pilot study at a test site on Oahu (278-meter [m] elevation), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) blows were visible through Big Eyes at 37 kilometers (km) away in Beaufort Sea State (BSS) 2. This suggests the approach could be effective at detecting baleen and sperm whales from long distances, priority species under the United States Department of the Navy's Marine Species Monitoring Program.

Aerial shoreline surveys following U.S. Navy (Navy) training events were conducted in the Hawaii Range Complex to monitor for strandings and to document sightings of marine mammals and sea turtles in an effort to answer the monitoring question: “Do marine mammals strand along shorelines of the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) within 1 week following Navy training events?” This report summarizes marine mammal and sea turtle sighting data obtained during 67.5 hours of aerial survey effort over 16 days in the MHI between 2010 and 2014.