Project Objectives

Conduct visual line-transect surveys and passive acoustic monitoring for cetaceans, and other marine mammals, to determine species occurrence, and to estimate density within Navy’s testing range. Acoustic monitoring devices will be deployed during the vessel based survey, and long-term passive acoustic hydrophones will be monitored for year-round detection of rare and/or cryptic cetacean species.

Project Objectives

Response

Project Objectives

This 12‑month integrated pilot project combines three complementary components: (A) shore‑based theodolite monitoring of harbor porpoises, (B) high‑bandwidth passive acoustic monitoring and soundscape characterization, and (C) suction‑cup multi‑sensor tag deployments on Bigg’s (transient) killer whales. Together, these data streams will quantify occurrence, movement, diving, and behavioral context for these two key species in relation to the local soundscape—including operational signals near the Dabob Bay Range Complex (DBRC) and the Bangor Trident Base. Results can provide an empirical foundation and inform the study design of future cetacean behavioral response studies (BRS) in Hood Canal.

Project Objectives

Determine cause of death when cetaceans strand to ensure accurate public understanding of stranding cause, with focus on infectious diseases

Project Objectives

This project was jointly funded through NAVSEA and the NUWC Keyport NISE program to address the Navy’s need for multi-year data on harbor porpoise occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution patterns in Hood Canal using passive acoustic monitoring (PAM).

Project Objectives

Determine feasibility and efficacy of deploying high resolution multi-sensor tags on rough-toothed dolphins at PMRF and determine how collected data can be used to move toward a better understanding of the effects of Navy activities, ultimately leading to PCoD modelling.

Project Objectives

Conduct marine mammal in-water vessel-based line transect surveys in the Puget Sound basin to: 1) Record data on all marine mammal species seen with the study area, with a focus on the killer whale (Orcinus orca) and the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). 2) Identify the seasonal occurrence and abundance/density of cetaceans within the study area. 3) Identify the effects of environmental variables on the distribution and abundance of species in the study area.