Whale Watching as a Platform for Data Collection Jooke Robbins, Ph.D. Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies Provincetown, MA USA PCCS
Research challenges Many poorly understood species and habitats Funding is limited Long term data series particularly challenging
Wider Caribbean Region Many species Many habitats Many nations
Commercial whale watching Operates in key habitats Marine mammal focus Frequent excursions Knowledgeable observers
Types of involvement Operators collect basic information Boat space shared with dedicated observers/scientists Operator involved in analyses Raise awareness or funds for local research
Gulf of Maine example One feeding gground of WCR humpback whales Three decades of data collection from whale watch boats Data have contributed significantly to science, conservation and management
Norway Greenland Iceland Canada U.S. Feeding North Atlantic Ocean Breeding North Atlantic humpback whale sightings, YoNAH, 1992-1993
Commercial whale watching companies in the Gulf of Maine
Data collection program Started aboard Dolphin Fleet boats in 1970s Annual, near-daily data collection April-October Covers small, but important subset of whale habitat PCCS
Program structure t Data and protocols designed by scientists Collected by naturalists, interns, volunteers Data used by scientists, students, managers Protocols shared with other groups Data now collected on most ww platforms
Basic data types Sightings Effort PCCS PCCS Individual info Environment PCCS PCCS
Common sightings data Date Start time End time Location Species Animals Calf present? Group type Group behavior*
Effort data Where and when did you go? Who was looking? What were the conditions like? What was the vessel used?
Common examples Vessel name Departure/return times Observer Weather Wind speed Sea state Vessel track Vessel track
Why does effort matter? PCCS PCCS PCCS
Individual data Individuals documented by photograph (photo-id) Practical for all individuals in some species, distinctive ones in others. Links data across observations PCCS
Longitudinal example SALT Crystal (M) 1980 Halos (M) 1983 Skeeter 1992 Etch-A-Sketch (F) 1998 Shishkabob (F) 2001 Thalassa (F) 1985 Yosemite (F) 2003 60 50 40 PCCS First seen: 1975 Last seen: 2011 Brine (M) 1987 Bittern (M) 1989 Salsa (M) 1991 Tabasco (F) 1998 Divingboard (M) 2005 Flyingfish 2007 Unnamed 2009 s seen 30 20 Day 10 Mostaza (F) 2000 Wasabi (M) 2003 Soya (F) 2006 Unnamed 2008 0 1980 1981 1 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 8 1989 9 1990 1991 1 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 9 2000 0 2001 2002 2 2003 2004 2005 Sanchal 2008 Year Zelle 2010
Spatial example Spatial example 250 300 Maine Nova Scotia 45N 69W 200 sions 150 mber of occas Canada Mass. United 50 100 Num a Mass. d States 40 0 40 80 Kilometers 0 50 0-50 51-100 101-150 151-200 201-250 251-300 301-350 351-400 401-450 Robbins, 2007 0 50 51 100 101 150 151 200 201 250 251 300 301 350 351 400 401 450 Inter-annual displacement (kilometers)
Environmental data Useful for understanding sightings, may include: Marine debris locations collected from whale watch boats Marine debris Fishing gear Vessel activity Water temperature Courtesy of UNH Water depth http://cecf1.unh.edu/debris/getwhalemap.cfm
Scientific challenges Data not first priority at sea Limited it time and geographic range Many collectors with variable skills High data volume, lower quality Useful data series take time to accumulate Bias and limitations must be carefully evaluated Not appropriate for all questions
Keys to success Consistent data collection Add components only if not losing quality Focus on what can be reliably collected for all sightings Long data series Photo-ID
>60 scientific ifi publications i Stock structure Abundance Demography Vital rates Habitat use Behavior Mating system Migratory destinations Human impacts PCCS
Unusual/rarely witnessed events Unusual species, behaviors or events Events that are biologically important but difficult to witness, like entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes PCCS
Distribution and habitat use What species are present? When are they there? Relative density Overlap with human activities Vessel traffic separation scheme showing whale concentrations and proposed lane shifts in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and proposed lane shifts. Graphic courtesy of David Wiley and Michael Thompson, SBNMS. http://stellwagen.noaa.gov/science/tss.html
Other behaviors WW boats can obtain data on many aspects of whale behavior during a sighting Potential for bias toward short behaviors and behaviors interesting to passengers Hain et al. 1995 PCCS
Behavioral impacts? Problematic to study behavioral impacts from the ww boats themselves Other data (sighting, effort and photo-id) can provide valuable insight into population and individual exposure
Movement/stock structure Photo-ID can detect individual exchange among areas on small and large scales WW data first confirmed link between Gulf of Maine and WCR Helped to define Gulf of Maine feeding ground on ocean scale
Population parameters With photo-id, ww data can shed light on aspects of reproduction, survival and contributing factors May be biased by coverage Possibilities improved by new analytical techniques PCCS PCCS
Assist independent studies Highlight areas where research may be fruitful or needed d Provide basic information to inform the design of systematic studies Contribute directly to dedicated research in some cases PCCS, NOAA permit14245
WCR applications i - examples Large-scale relative distribution Patterns of movement and exchange Clarify critical habitats Stock structure Identify human impacts
Benefits to operations Improve knowledge of watched species/ populations Enhance education and outreach Protect the resource you depend on
Who collects the data? Crew and naturalists may not be suitable or free to collect data Dedicated observers require space on the boat and funding
Other basic logistics Equipment may be needed (GPS, camera) Data collection training and refreshers Data entry and error checking
Potential operator concerns Time, vessel space and effort needed to collect and process data Guidance and suitable archives may not be immediately available Many years may pass without results
Importance of data archives WW data have limited value in isolation Networks of collectors needed to cover larger areas Large scale archives available, regional could be developed
North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog Accepts fluke photographs (with date and location) from all North Atlantic areas Facilitates collaboration on ocean scale and smaller scales when there is no other coordinator
OBIS-SEAMAP Ocean Biogeographic Information System Spatial Ecological Analysis of Megavertebrate Populations Online database for marine mammal, seabird and sea turtle data from across the globe. Current holdings: records:2,805,212, datasets:407, t species:311 Species, location, date/time (minimum)
Conclusions Whale watching platforms are a viable source of marine mammal data Potentially valuable for answering questions in WCR Effort will be required to develop and enhance WCR programs, archives and collaborations