Entanglement is the leading human-caused source of serious injury and death for many large whale species globally, including in the US pacific northwest (PNW)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded Cascadia Research Collective a Project Grant of $133,847 under the Marine Mammal Data Program (CFDA 11.439), effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. The award funds large whale entanglement response operations and data collection across the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Cascadia will respond to an increased number of whale entanglements involving endangered species such as humpback, blue, fin, and killer whales while coordinating with network partners and expanding the regional response capacity.

The project delivers four primary products and services: (1) responding to whale entanglements while supporting and involving regional network partners; (2) improving the coordination and quality of entanglement response data collected in the Pacific Northwest; (3) informing management and mitigation decisions through data gathered during response operations; and (4) facilitating network growth through targeted outreach, training of new response members, and skill enhancement. This funding addresses a critical gap in entanglement detection and documentation in the Pacific Northwest, where current mitigation efforts have been unable to reduce entanglement rates below allowable population management levels, with particular emphasis on the long-term health impacts to surviving females and species recovery.

Despite mitigation efforts, entanglements (often leading to serious injury or death) continue to exceed allowable management levels (PBR) along the west coast. Female survivors may face reduced reproduction rates and delayed fecundity, further hindering species recovery. With endangered species such as humpback, blue, FIN, and killer whales in the PNW, reducing entanglements below PBR is crucial, especially given other human-caused threats. Significant time, money, and effort have been invested in mitigation, gear modifications, and fishing restrictions. Yet, without entanglement response teams gathering critical data from entangled whales, IT is difficult to assess the effectiveness of these measures, understand long-term impacts on survivors, and determine where entanglements occur, not just where they'RE reported. For instance, from 2003-2023, the PNW had fewer confirmed reports (122) than central and southern california (307). However, 21% of reports in central or southern california linked to regional fisheries involved gear from washington, oregon, or n. California, reported only after the whales left their entanglement areas. In contrast, 95% of PNW reports were traced back to the PNW. These data emphasize the need for more detection efforts within the PNW, enhanced response data collection, and expansion of the response network. Through this grant, we aim to: 1. Respond to an increased number of entanglements while involving and supporting network partners in the PNW (washington, oregon, and northern california). 2. Improve the coordination and quality of entanglement response data in the PNW. 3. Inform management and mitigation decisions with data collected during responses. 4. Facilitate network growth through targeted outreach, train new members, improve skills, maintain the authorization status of responders, and identify candidates for advancement. 5. Train researchers to detect and document entangled whales and how to support response efforts. 6. Enhance responder and whale safety through training on whale behavior and on-water sessions. 7. Increase public awareness of local response teams to elicit real-time reports, reduce ad hoc responses, and manage public expectations. Cascadia research collective (CRC) is ideally positioned to achieve these goals as the regions leading entanglement response organization, with four authorized advanced level responders under noaas stranding response program. Our experienced team has responded to nearly 200 entangled whales, reducing mortality and gathering valuable data. CRC, a leader in large whale research since 1979, operates across the US west coast with a mobile response setup and strong ties to the PNW's entanglement, research, and stranding networks, which we will continue to leverage to improve outcomes for large whales from northern california to washington.