This proposal submitted to the john h. Prescott marine mammal rescue assistance grant program is a priority 1B proposal that aims to increase capacity to conduct necropsies and improve detection of…

The University of Hawaii at Manoa received a $132,102 Project Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Marine Mammal Data Program (CFDA 11.439), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. This Priority 1B award supports enhanced capacity for conducting necropsies and improving detection of illness and injury in marine mammals stranded throughout the Pacific Islands Region, including the Hawaiian Islands and U.S. territories. The award enables high-quality necropsy procedures and disease testing to determine causes of death in stranded cetaceans, thereby generating critical data on marine mammal health, population threats, and morbidity and mortality patterns.

The project deliverables address a foundational need for marine mammal protection in the Pacific Islands by establishing systematic cause-of-death determinations and health assessments. Necropsy data and disease surveillance findings will inform conservation strategies, contribute to scientific understanding of regional marine mammal populations, and provide accurate public communication regarding stranding causation. The award reflects NOAA's discretionary funding priorities under the stranding network operations component of the Marine Mammal Data Program, which supports regional capacity building for response, rehabilitation, and research activities across authorized stranding networks nationwide.

This proposal submitted to the john h. Prescott marine mammal rescue assistance grant program is a priority 1B proposal that aims to increase capacity to conduct necropsies and improve detection of illness or injury in animals stranded in the pacific islands region (PIR). Conducting cause of death determinations when cetaceans strand in both the hawaiian islands and the U.S. Territories is foundational to effective protection of marine mammals in the pacific islands. High quality necropsies are needed to understand causes of morbidity and mortality and to obtain data on the health of these marine mammals and the threats that they face. Necropsy data and disease testing also dispels misinformation and ensures accurate public understanding of stranding causes.