Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale NMS Science Needs
Click on individual links below to learn more about the immediate science needs for critical management issues. To contact us about the science needs described below, contact the Sanctuary Research Coordinators.

Cetacean Health (Updated 5/26/2011)
Cetaceans are a key living marine reseource in the Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS or Sanctuary). The Sanctuary needs to develop and use tools to monitor the health of individual, free-swimming whales through cumulative sampling to assess and track the health of the overall population.

Acoustic Monitoring (Updated 5/26/2011)
In order to determine when to enact any future management initiatives, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS or Sanctuary) needs to be able to remotely determine the density of whales throughout the Sanctuary. As the whales' presence in the Sanctuary is seasonal, being able to determine the beginning, peak and end of their presence is important for any seasonal management actions.

Cover Sheet