Cetacean Research in the Pacific Islands - 2023

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The objective of this program by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) is to advance the scientific foundation for the conservation of cetaceans in the Pacific Islands Region. Research supported through this program will contribute to the assessment of whale and dolphin populations in the central and western Pacific Ocean, which requires an understanding of distribution, stock structure, habitat use, and natural and anthropogenic threats, along with estimates of abundance, demography, and mortality. For FY2023, program priorities include 1) Research to inform mitigation measures to reduce interactions between hook-and-line fisheries and false killer whales in the central and western Pacific; 2) Research on the demographics, abundance, and/or movement patterns of Main Hawaiian Islands insular and Hawaii pelagic false killer whale populations; 3) Research on abundance, distribution, and/or human disturbance of spinner dolphins in the main Hawaiian Islands, with special emphasis on spinner dolphins in the Maui Nui region; and 4) Research to inform cetacean stock assessment in the Pacific Islands Region.

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