The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $232,276 Project Grant under the Broad Agency Announcement (CFDA 11.015) program to the Cascadia Research Collective to conduct small boat-based surveys in 2024 to gather photographic identifications and samples from humpback and blue whales along the U.S. West Coast. The project aims to understand the spatial-temporal distributions, abundance, demographics, and feeding ecology of these whale populations, with a focus on the different humpback whale distinct population segments (DPSs). The data and analyses will provide critical information to support conservation efforts and mitigate threats such as entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. Cascadia Research will also develop new models and analyses to improve blue whale population abundance estimates, which show discrepancies between different estimation methods.
Generated 2/25/25, 4:41 AM