This report describes results from vessel surveys and visual species-verification trials conducted at the Jacksonville Shallow Water Training Range (JSWTR) in the Jacksonville Operating Area (OPAREA). This work continues from a multi-institutional monitoring program intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

In Hawai'i fishermen use a variety of hook and line methods to catch tuna associated with pantropical spotted dolphins. In response to reports of dolphins being hooked in fisheries, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposed recategorizing two fisheries ("charter vessel" and "trolling, rod and reel") in 2011 from Category III (those having a remote likelihood of serious injury/mortality) to Category II (those having occasional serious injury/mortality). After reviewing comments received in response to the proposal, NMFS did not re-categorize the fisheries, in part because of statements that fishing effort around dolphins may have been overestimated and that many vessels just trolled near dolphins, not through groups. We used photo-identification of individually distinctive vessels fishing in association with dolphin groups and observations on the number and behavior of vessels with dolphins to examine the extent and nature of interactions between fishing vessels and spotted dolphins off Hawai'i Island. Since 2010, 34.5% of spotted dolphin encounters had fishing vessels present within the group envelope of the dolphins (mean=3.7, SD=3.5, range=1-19, n=57 of 165 encounters). Two primary fishing methods were used, either trolling through groups of dolphins or repeatedly transiting through a group at high speed to the advancing front of the group and stopping and fishing as the group passed by, with some vessels alternating methods during encounters. Since 2010, 133 different vessels were documented fishing in association with dolphins; of these, 38 (28.6%) were documented on two or more occasions, and 26 were documented in two or more years. A mark-recapture abundance estimate of the number of vessels fishing in association with spotted dolphins in 2012 and 2013 was 322 (CV=0.05). In 2015 NMFS recognized three distinct island-associated populations of spotted dolphins in Hawai'i, including one off Hawai'i Island, thus the population of dolphins involved in these interactions is smaller than originally expected. While many factors likely influence the probability of boats fishing associated with dolphin groups, continued reports of occasional hooking combined with the relatively large number of vessels "fishing" dolphins suggest the fisheries categories should be re-evaluated.

The Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (HICEAS) 2017 was conducted in waters within the United States (U.S.) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around the Hawaiian Archipelago (henceforth “Hawaiian EEZ” for brevity) from 6 July through 1 December 2017 (Yano et al. 2018). The primary objective of this line-transect survey was to collect cetacean sighting data to support the derivation of cetacean density estimates using both design-based analyses and habitat modeling techniques.

The Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey (HICEAS) is a recurring ship-based, line-transect survey designed to estimate cetacean abundance in the entirety of the Hawaiian EEZ.

This project is intended to provide baseline information on the species composition, density, distribution, and basic behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present within the United States (U.S.) Navy’s Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area (OPAREA). This study is part of a larger, multi-institutional, marine mammal and sea turtle monitoring program of U.S. Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico supporting Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT)

This report represents one facet of a collaborative multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted at two sites in the US Navy’s Jacksonville Range Complex during August 2010 – July 2011. These sites are located 50 and 61 nm east of the Florida coastline on the shelf and shelf break at water depths of 40 m – 90 m. Acoustic data collected at these sites provide information on the presence of marine mammals and anthropogenic sound sources. High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) documented sounds between 10 Hz and 100 kHz with recording cycles of 5 minutes every 15 minutes. The data were divided into three frequency bands and data analysis was conducted with analyst scans of long-term spectral averages and spectrograms. Four mysticete whale species were recorded: fin, minke, sei, and humpback. No blue whale, North Atlantic right whale, or Bryde’s whale calls detected. A new call, designated the “5-pulse” was detected and is presumed to be produced by a mysticete whale due to its character, prevalence and intensity. Site A has more hours with calling mysticete whales than site B. However, humpback whale calls were detected only at site B, though these detections were few. The largest number of odontocete detections were attributed to unidentified odontocetes, thought to be primarily bottlenose and Atlantic spotted dolphins. Unidentified odontocetes were detected throughout the year. Overall numbers of detections were higher at site A than site B. There was a diel acoustic activity pattern with greater numbers of echolocation clicks produced at night, likely due to nighttime foraging. Risso’s dolphin echolocation clicks were only detected at site A and only occurred August through March. Five click types, yet to be associated to an odontocete species, were characterized and their seasonal and diel occurrence described. Ship noise was the most common anthropogenic sound at both sites A and B. Both sites had Mid-Frequency Active (MFA) sonar events throughout the period of data collection. At site A, a total of 2,437 MFA sonar pings were detected with a maximum peak-to-peak received level of 173 dB re 1 μPa. Similarly, a total of 2,496 MFA sonar pings were detected at site B, reaching a maximum peak-to-peak level of 166 dB re 1 μPa. Echosounder pings with a variety of primary frequencies (4 – 80 kHz) were found at both sites A and B. Explosions were recorded at both sites, though were more prevalent at site B. A low-frequency tone, referred to as the 130 Hz tone, was recorded at site A. High noise levels, possibly caused by instrument strumming and fluid flow at the sensor, occurred intermittently at both sites and likely decreased the detection range for low-frequency sounds.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between August 2010 and February 2011 in the Jacksonville, FL, survey area at Site B in 35 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 15 minutes and recorded for 160 days between 26 August 2010 and 1 February 2011. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for three frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz, 500 Hz – 5000 Hz, and 1 kHz – 100 kHz). Segments of data that did not allow for further analysis due to disk malfunctions or strumming noise were identified. The usable data were then scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Vocalizations of unidentified delphinids were detected in the data. All of the low- and mid-frequency data for this deployment were unusable, thus preventing detection of mysticete calls and mid-frequency active sonar.

Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted within the Navy’s Cherry Point OPAREA during August – December 2011 and July – October 2012 for a total of 105 and 81 days respectively. This site is located approximately 100 miles from the North Carolina coastline on the shelf break. The 2011 deployment was at a water depth of 952 m and the 2012 deployment was at a water depth of 914 m. Acoustic data collected at this site provide information on the presence of marine mammals and anthropogenic sound sources. High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) recorded sounds between 10 Hz and 100 kHz with recording cycles of 5 minutes every 10 minutes. The data were divided into three frequency bands and data were analyzed by scans of long-term spectral averages and spectrograms. Four baleen whale species were recorded: blue, fin, minke, and sei whales. The detections of their calls were made between late August and early December 2011. Blue whale calls were the only baleen whale call type detected in the 2012 deployment. No Bryde’s, humpback, or North Atlantic right whale calls were detected in either deployment. Several different toothed whale species were recorded: Blainville’s, Cuvier’s, and Gervais’ beaked whales, killer whales, pygmy or dwarf sperm whales (Kogia spp.), Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified odontocetes. All species except killer whales were recorded in 2011 and 2012. Killer whales were detected only in 2011. Ship noise was the most common anthropogenic sound in both deployments. MFA was noted during both deployments. A total of 391 pings were detected in 2011 with a maximum peak-to-peak received level of 156 dB re 1 μPa. In 2012, a total of 492 pings were detected with a maximum peak-to-peak received level of 167 dB re 1 μPa. Few echosounder pings over a variety of frequencies (4-80 kHz) were detected during both deployments. Explosions were detected in both deployments, though they were more prevalent in 2011 than 2012. High noise levels, possibly caused by instrument strumming and fluid flow at the sensor, occurred intermittently in both deployments and likely decreased the detection range for low-frequency sounds. This strumming was most prevalent in 2012.

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013b), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions:  Which cetacean species occur over the outer continental shelf to the east of NSN, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally?  What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area?  Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years?  What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes?  Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013b), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions:  Which cetacean species occur over the outer continental shelf to the east of NSN, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally?  What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area?  Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years?  What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes?  Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013b), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions:  Which cetacean species occur over the outer continental shelf to the east of NSN, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally?  What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area?  Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years?  What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes?  Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013b), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions:  Which cetacean species occur over the outer continental shelf to the east of NSN, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally?  What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area?  Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years?  What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes?  Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013b), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions: • Which cetacean species occur over the outer continental shelf to the east of NSN, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally? • What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area? • Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years? • What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes? • Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire or Anti-Submarine Warfare training events?

The United States (U.S.) Navy routinely conducts training and testing activities in the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Operating Area (OPAREA) off the mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. The region encompassing the deeper waters of the continental shelf, shelf break, and continental slope has been recognized as an important habitat for multiple species of cetaceans. Kenney and Winn (1986) showed that the shelf edge from Cape Hatteras to Georges Bank was the second most intensively used cetacean habitat off the northeastern U.S. based on 3 years of surveys conducted by the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program (CETAP 1982). This progress report includes all offshore monitoring activities conducted in 2021. The goals of this effort focus on addressing fundamental information gaps related to marine mammal occurrence, exposure, and response as identified by the U.S. Navy’s Integrated Comprehensive Monitoring Program (DoN 2010) and recommendations provided by a Scientific Advisory Group review (DoN 2011).

Taking into consideration the multiple intermediate scientific objectives in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Planning Process (DoN 2013), the goals of this study are to assist the U.S. Navy and regulatory agencies with environmental planning and compliance by addressing the following questions: Which cetacean species occur within the VACAPES OPAREA off Virginia, and how does occurrence fluctuate seasonally? What are the baseline behaviors and ecological relationships of offshore cetaceans within the study area? Do individual cetaceans exhibit site fidelity within specific regions of the study area over periods of weeks, months, or years? What is the seasonal extent of cetacean movements within and around U.S. Navy VACAPES training range boxes? Do cetaceans spend significant time within or primarily move through areas of U.S. Navy live-fire or Anti-Submarine Warfare training events?

The monitoring plan and reporting will provide science‐based answers to questions regarding whether or not marine mammals are exposed and reacting to Navy MFAS. The objectives of the monitoring plan are to address the following questions: 1. Are marine mammals and sea turtles exposed to MFAS at regulatory thresholds of harm or harassment? If so, at what levels and how frequently are they exposed? 2. If marine mammals and sea turtles are exposed to MFAS in the HRC, do they redistribute geographically in the HRC as a result of repeated exposure? If so, how long does the redistribution last? 3. If marine mammals and sea turtles are exposed to MFAS, what are their behavioral responses? Are they different at various levels? 4. What are the behavioral responses of marine mammals and sea turtles that are exposed to various levels and distances from explosives? 5. Are the Navy’s suite of mitigation measures for MFAS and explosives (e.g., Protective Measures Assessment Protocol [PMAP], measures agreed to by the Navy through permitting and consultation) effective at avoiding harm or harassment of marine mammals and sea turtles?

This report describes results from a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. This program began in 2007, with baseline aerial and vessel surveys and a passive acoustic monitoring program in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, and has since expanded to include study areas off Jacksonville, Florida and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

This report summarizes the aerial survey effort conducted at the JAX site from 2009 through 2017. The monitoring project was intended to provide information on the species composition, density, and spatial distribution of marine mammals and sea turtles present in Navy’s JAX operating area (OPAREA), with particular focus on the intended site of the USWTR. These aerial surveys extended over nine years and yielded a very detailed seasonal picture of the occurrence, distribution and abundance of marine mammals and sea turtles in the region. This work also provides an important baseline against which future changes in the marine mammal and sea turtle fauna can be assessed.

This report describes results of vessel surveys from a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report describes results of vessel surveys from a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic coast. The program began in 2007, with baseline aerial and vessel surveys and a passive acoustic monitoring program in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, and has since expanded to include study areas off Jacksonville, Florida, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Off Cape Hatteras, four years of surveys have provided information on the complex patterns of distribution and diversity of the marine mammals and sea turtles in this highly productive area. The current report builds on this past body of work and describes activities conducted during both the Deep Divers and Satellite Tagging projects conducted off Cape Hatteras between January and December 2014. This constitutes the second year of the Deep Divers project, which focuses on the distribution and ecology of several deep-diving odontocete species, including: beaked whale (Cuvier’s beaked whale: Ziphius cavirostris and Mesoplodon spp.); short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus); and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). To achieve a more robust picture of the medium-term movement patterns of these and other odontocete cetaceans in the Cape Hatteras survey area, we began a satellite tagging project during the reporting period. Satellite tagging effort and associated sightings are presented here; preliminary analyses of movement data are available in a separate report generated by the Cascadia Research Collective (see Baird et al. 2015). All survey effort in the Cape Hatteras study site this year was dedicated to Deep Divers and Satellite Tagging projects, so we also report ongoing photographic identification work for this area in this report.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. 5 Atlantic coast.

This report describes results of vessel surveys from a multi-institutional monitoring project 3 intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and 4 baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy 5 range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

A multi-institutional marine protected species monitoring program involving aerial, vessel and acoustic surveillance techniques was implemented at the proposed Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) offshore of Jacksonville, Florida in January 2009. Visual surveys, in conjunction with acoustic sampling methods, have been conducted to investigate cetacean and sea turtle occurrence, distribution and abundance. Through December 2012 a total of 722 aerial tracklines (60687 km) were flown, resulting in 641 cetacean sightings, encompassing 8079 individuals. Tursiops truncatus and Stenella frontalis were the most frequently encountered, followed by Grampus griseus, Globicephala macrorhynchus, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, Steno bredanensis, Eubalaena glacialis, Megaptera novaeangliae, Physeter macrocephalus, and Kogia spp. Cetaceans were encountered 126 times during the 3403 km of vessel surveys, totaling 950 individuals. Sightings consisted of S. frontalis, T. truncatus, G. macrorhynchus, and G. griseus. Across all visual platforms, T. truncatus were encountered throughout the range, whereas S. frontalis, S. bredanensis, and E. glacialis were recorded exclusively in shelf waters. All other species were detected only in pelagic waters. The towed passive acoustic array was deployed during 21 vessel surveys, generating 24.2 hours of recordings, detecting all four sighted species. High frequency acoustic recording packages (HARPs) were deployed at two sites in the study area for long‐term passive acoustic monitoring. The HARP data have been analyzed for diel, seasonal, and interannual trends in cetacean occurrence. Surveys are scheduled to continue in order to asses long‐term habitat usage patterns in the USWTR.

Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted using High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) deployed in waters offshore of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida with support from the US Navy during 2016 - 2017. The HARPs recorded underwater sounds between 10 Hz and 100 kHz. Data analysis consisted of analyst scans of long-term spectral averages (LTSAs) and spectrograms, and automated computer algorithm detection when possible. Three frequency bands were analyzed for marine mammal vocalizations and anthropogenic sounds: (1) Lowfrequency, between 10-1000 Hz, (2) Mid-frequency, between 1,000-5,000 Hz, and (3) Highfrequency, between 1-100 kHz.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between July 2010 and June 2011 in Onslow Bay at Site A in 171 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 10 minutes and recorded for 216 days between 30 July 2010 and 3 March 2011. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for two frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, North Atlantic right whales, possible sei whales, Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified delphinids were detected in the data.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between February and July 2011 in the Jacksonville, FL, survey area at Site B in 37 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 15 minutes and recorded for 163 days between 2 February 2011 and 14 July 2011. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for three frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz, 500 Hz – 5000 Hz, and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of humpback whales and unidentified delphinids were detected in the data.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between October 2007 and May 2008 in Onslow Bay at Site A in 162 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 10 minutes, with the exception of the period from January 1 – 16, 2008, when it recorded continuously due to an instrumentation malfunction, and recorded for 98 days between 10 October 2007 and 16 January 2008. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for two frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, possible sei whales, Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified delphinids were detected in the data.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between November 2009 and February 2010 in Onslow Bay at Site A in 171 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 15 minutes and recorded for 108 days between 8 November 2009 and 24 February 2010. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for two frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, possible sei whales, Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified delphinids were detected in the data.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between November 2009 and April 2010 in Onslow Bay at Site C in 335 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 15 minutes and recorded for 163 days between 8 November 2009 and 20 April 2010. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for two frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, humpback whales, possible sei whales, Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified delphinids were detected in the data.

A High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP; Wiggins and Hildebrand 2007) was deployed between July 2010 and February 2011 in Onslow Bay at Site D in 338 m. This HARP sampled at 200 kHz for 5 minutes of every 10 minutes and recorded for 210 days between 30 July 2010 and 24 February 2011. Long-Term Spectral Averages (LTSAs) were created for two frequency bands (10 Hz – 1000 Hz and 1 kHz – 100 kHz) and scanned for marine mammal vocalizations. Calls of blue whales, fin whales, minke whales, possible sei whales, Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins, sperm whales, and unidentified odontocetes were detected in the data.

The U.S. Navy has been using High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) to conduct passive acoustic monitoring in waters offshore of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida to determine patterns of occurrence and distribution of cetacean species and anthropogenic sounds since 2007. Many baleen whale species and six known odontocete taxa (Kogia spp., Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavisrostris), Gervais’ beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus), and Blainville’s beaked whale (M. densirostris)) had previously been identified within these recordings; however, a much larger number of detections of unidentified odontocete clicks remained. This work looked at steps toward classification of these unidentified odontocete clicks.

Vessel Surveys and Visual Species: Verification Trials at the Jacksonville Shallow Water Training Range

The survey site includes an approximately 6,500-square-kilometer area off the coast of Virginia extending from the southern portion of the eastern shore of Virginia to the North Carolina/Virginia state border. The aerial survey design was established based upon advisements from the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) at the University of St. Andrews and objectives identified by the U.S. Navy

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in Navy range complexes along the Atlantic coast. This program began in 2007, with baseline aerial and vessel surveys and a passive acoustic monitoring program in Onslow Bay, North Carolina and has since expanded to include study areas off Jacksonville, Florida and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. In Onslow Bay, six years of monitoring have yielded a comprehensive picture of the density, distribution and abundance of marine mammals and sea turtles and provided new insights into residency patterns among pelagic delphinid cetaceans in this region. More than four years of monitoring in Jacksonville have provided similar information on the density and distribution of marine mammals and sea turtles in this area. In Cape Hatteras, almost three years of surveys have provided preliminary information on the complex patterns of distribution and diversity of the marine mammals and sea turtles in this highly productive area. The current report builds on this past body of work and describes monitoring activities that occurred between January and December 2013.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.

In 2015, to serve the operational needs of the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing program, survey effort was extended north into Virginia creating the Norfolk Canyon survey area. Three years of aerial surveys at this site have provided preliminary information on the distribution and diversity of cetaceans and sea turtles. The current report builds on this past body of work and describes aerial survey monitoring activities at the Norfolk Canyon study area in 2017.

This report details part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information 3 on the species composition, population identity, density, and baseline behavior of marine 4 mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. 5 Atlantic Coast.

This report forms part of a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in Navy range complexes along the Atlantic coast. This program began in 2007, with baseline aerial and vessel surveys and a passive acoustic monitoring program in Onslow Bay, North Carolina and has since expanded to include study areas off Jacksonville, Florida and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

This document comprises the second annual progress report to the Department of the Navy for the reporting period of July 2008 through June 2009 (Year Two). It includes data from the monitoring program for protected marine species at the proposed site of an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina.

We have been conducting ongoing monthly aerial surveys off Cape Hatteras, NC, USA as part of the US Navy's marine species monitoring program in the Atlantic since 2011. We utilize line transect survey methods and extensively photograph all sightings to confirm species identification. Survey tracklines extend from shallow continental shelf waters, across the shelf break, to deep pelagic waters. From May 2011 through December 2014, 26,131km of trackline were flown, and 9,941 individual cetaceans were documented during 437 encounters. Nineteen species of cetaceans, including three mysticetes (Balaenoptera physalus, B. acutorostrata, Megaptera novaeangliae), five deep-divers (Physeter microcephalus, Kogia spp., Ziphius cavirostris, Mesoplodon europaeus, M. mirus), and eleven delphinids (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella frontalis, S. attenuate, S. coeruleoalba, S. clymene, S. longirostris, Steno bredanensis, Peponocephala electra, Lagenodelphis hosei, Grampus griseus and Globicephala macrorhynchus) were encountered. Similar surveys at the adjacent Onslow Bay, NC site yielded only 257 sightings (4,773 individuals representing nine species) despite nearly two times the survey effort flown (48,698km). At Cape Hatteras, minimum abundance estimates (i.e. uncorrected for availability or perception bias) were generated using spatio-temporal density surface modelling for species with sufficient detections. Predicted monthly abundance of T. truncatus varied between 170 (95% confidence interval; 0 - 17,100) and 3,450 (300 - 8,510). Monthly Stenella spp. abundance varied between 110 (0 - 360) and 1,720 (400 - 5,390). Monthly abundance of G. macrorhynchus varied between 10 (0 - 960) and 1,230 (220 - 4,300). These results demonstrate that the waters off Cape Hatteras support both higher diversity and density of cetaceans than adjacent waters along the US Atlantic coast. This site is included in the area of interest identified in six pending permits for large-scale, commercial seismic surveys. We suggest that the high density and diversity of cetaceans at this site warrants a special degree of concern by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

This is the fifth progress report of a monitoring program for protected marine species in waters offshore Cape Hatteras and Onslow Bay, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. The results of aerial line transect surveys and vessel-based photo-ID surveys and passive acoustic monitoring are reported for the period from January 2012 through December 2012.

This is the third annual progress report of a monitoring program for protected marine species at two proposed sites of Undersea Warfare Training Ranges (USWTR) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. The reporting period for this document extends from July 2009 through June 2010.

As part of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Testing and Training program, we are monitoring the occurrence, distribution and density of cetaceans at three offshore sites along the U.S. Atlantic coast. We are using an identical suite of survey methods (line transect surveys, photoidentification, biopsy sampling and passive acoustic monitoring) at each 500nm2 reference site. Surveys began in Onslow Bay, NC in 2007, Jacksonville, FL in 2009 and Cape Hatteras, NC in 2011. To date we have conducted 48674km, 60687km, and 14213km of aerial surveys with 6883km, 3403km and 2443km of vessel surveys and 1201 days, 1264 days and 28 days of Highfrequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP) recordings at Onslow, Jacksonville and Cape Hatteras, respectively

Aerial surveys of marine mammals were performed as part of the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Undersea Acoustic Ranges (3MR) program. Surveys were performed in three regions: a) Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Barking Sands, Kauai (BSURE and BARSTUR ranges; Jul 12-Nov 17, 2002); b) Bahamas (Northwest Providence Channel and AUTEC range; Jan 4-12, 2003); and c) main Hawaiian Islands (Feb 21–Apr 5, 2003). The mission was to identify species and record positions and composition of all marine mammal pods sighted. These data were made available to co-investigators (Martin and Moretti) of the 3MR program in order to correlate the visual positions with acoustic localizations using Navy assets. All surveys were flown in a twin-engine Partenavia aircraft at 100 knots airspeed and 244 m altitude. Four personnel participated on each flight including one observer on each side of the aircraft, data recorder and pilot. Methods used were consistent with those of modern distance sampling theory.

A total of six aerial surveys of marine mammals were performed on dates corresponding with scheduled dates for “choke point” maneuvers of the “Rim of the Pacific” (RIMPAC) joint military exercises in Hawaiian waters. Three surveys were performed in the vicinity of the Kaulakahi Channel (between Kauai and Niihau) (July 16, 17 and 20) and three were performed in the Alenuihaha Channel (between Hawaii and Maui) (July 24-26). The mission of the surveys was to detect, locate and identify all marine mammal species in the target areas using methods consistent with modern distance sampling theory.

Aerial surveys of marine mammal and turtle species were conducted during the period Aug. 13- 17, 2007 following completion of the “Valiant Shield” naval exercises in waters off the Northern Mariana Islands. Surveys encompassed approximately 2,352 km of linear effort, with transect grids distributed randomly throughout a 163,300 km2 target area.

Aerial Survey Monitoring for Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles in the Hawaii Range Complex in Conjunction with a Navy Training Event

Aerial Survey Monitoring for Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles off Oahu, Hawaii, in Conjunction with a Unit Level Training Event and Underwater Detonations

The United States (US) Navy uses lookouts (LOs) to detect objects in the water in the vicinity of ships. One class of object that LOs are trained to detect is marine mammals ; this forms an important component of the Navy’s procedures for marine mammal mitigation during training activities . As well as dedications of marine mammals by these LOs, detections of marine mammals may also be made by other members of the ship’s crew such as officers on the bridge (“watchstanders”) or sonar technicians, although acoustic detections require visual confirmation. We refer to these personnel together as the “lookout team” (LT). The primary goal of this project was to determine how effective LTs are at detecting marin

This report covers two separate activities carried out by the Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center from February to June 2009. A cetacean assessment survey of the main Hawaiian Islands was conducted by NMFS in February 2009. The survey was designed to conform to the 2002 NMFS HICEAS survey (Hawaiian Islands Cetacean Ecosystem Assessment Survey) so that abundance and distribution estimates would be comparable.

The aim of this study was to develop and refine robust statistical methods to evaluate the effects of Navy sonar on the acoustic behaviors of cetaceans. Data collected using High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) deployed off Jacksonville, Florida (n=1), Onslow Bay, North Carolina (n=2), and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (n=1) were combined with data previously analyzed from Marine Autonomous Recording Units (MARUs) off Jacksonville and Onslow Bay (Oswald et al. 2015).

Two random-forest classifiers were developed for the identification of whistles produced by five species of delphinids (bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus; Atlantic spotted dolphin, Stenella frontalis; striped dolphin, S. coeruleoalba; short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis; short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus) recorded in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. Acoustic data were provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Northeast and Southeast Fisheries Science Centers (NEFSC and SEFSC) and Duke University. One classifier was trained and tested with whistles detected and extracted with manual based methods using the bio-acoustic analysis software ROCCA (Real-time Odontocete Call Classification Algorithm). The other classifier was trained and tested with whistles detected and extracted using the fully automated Whistle and Moan Detector (WMD). Both ROCCA and the WMD are integrated as modules in the acoustic analysis software platform, PAMGuard (www.pamguard.org). Two classification approaches were tested: a single-stage random-forest approach, where whistles were classified directly to species, and a two-stage random-forest approach, where whistles were first classified into species groups (i.e., “large dolphin” or “small dolphin”) in stage 1 and then classified again, to species within those groups, in stage 2. The two-stage approach produced more accurate results when the classifier was trained and tested using manually detected/extracted whistles and when the classifier was trained/tested using automatically detected/extracted whistles. Individual whistles within an acoustic encounter were classified as ‘small dolphins’ (short-beaked common dolphins, striped dolphins) or large dolphins (bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, short-finned pilot whales) in stage 1 of the manual classifier, and as short-finned pilot whales or dolphins (short-beaked common, striped, Atlantic spotted, bottlenose) in stage 1 of the automated classifier. Both classifiers were used to identify individual whistles to species and then to identify encounters (i.e., groups of whistles produced during an acoustic encounter) based on the combined classification results for all of the whistles in each encounter. Overall correct classification scores for the manual classifier were 78 percent (standard deviation [sd] = 1.2 percent) for individual whistles and 86 percent (sd = 2.5 percent) for encounters. For the automated classifier, correct classification scores were 80 percent (sd = 1.9 percent) for whistles and 91 percent (sd = 2.4 percent) for encounters. Both classifiers have been incorporated into PAMGuard’s ROCCA module, and will be made available to users via PAMGuard’s website (www.pamguard.org) in the next PAMGuard software update. Recommendations for future research and further development of ROCCA include testing the Atlantic classifiers using recordings containing whistles from visually validated species, as well as those with varying signal to noise ratios and noise environments. ROCCA should also be tested in real time during shipboard towed-array surveys. Several recommendations are provided for future classifier development, including: ground-truthing ROCCA and adding species to the Atlantic classifier. Both of these tasks could be accomplished using acoustic recordings of delphinids collected during summer 2013 surveys conducted by NMFS-NEFSC and SEFSC. In addition, collaborations among research groups are recommended to explore methods for increasing classification success and creating multi-species classifiers for tonal signals produced by baleen whales. Finally, we recommend using a classifier developed specifically for the northwest Atlantic Ocean to process archival towed-array and seafloormounted recorder data to examine questions related to occurrence and behavioral responses of animals to naval activities.

This document comprises the first annual progress report to the Department of the Navy on a monitoring program for protected marine species at the proposed site of an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) in Onslow Bay, North Carolina.

This is the fourth progress report of a monitoring program for protected marine species in waters offshore Onslow Bay and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida. The results of aerial surveys, vessel-based line transect and photo-ID surveys and passive acoustic monitoring are reported for the period from July 2010 through December 2011

In this paper the occurrence, distribution and abundance of cetaceans in offshore waters of Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA is described. Between June 2007 and June 2010 monthly aerial and shipboard line-transect surveys were conducted along ten 74km transects placed perpendicular to the shelf break. In total 42,676km of aerial trackline (218 sightings) and 5,209km of vessel trackline (100 sightings) were observed. Seven species of cetaceans were observed, but the fauna was dominated strongly by common bottlenose and Atlantic spotted dolphins. Both species were present year-round in the study area.

The goal of the aerial survey was “to monitor and report the presence/absence, distribution/re-distribution, reaction/no reaction, injury, and/or mortality of MM/ST during exposure to SCC OPS Navy training event”. This involved monitoring and reporting, in as detailed fashion as possible, the surface behavior of MM/ST. In particular, we were to monitor for any changes in the near-surface behavior, orientation, occurrence, and location of animals relative to the USS Lake Erie’s activities using a systematic search and focal follow method. This included monitoring for any potentially dead, injured, or distressed animals and “any animals found to be exhibiting behaviors or associations deemed unusual”

This report describes results from a multi-institutional monitoring project intended to provide information on the species composition, population identity, density and baseline behavior of marine mammals and sea turtles present in United States (U.S.) Navy range complexes along the U.S. Atlantic Coast

Our understanding of the movements and patterns of residency of pelagic cetaceans is limited because it is difficult to obtain repeated samples from animals that live their entire lives far from shore. Surveys of such populations typically occur at broad spatial scales, interspersed by long time periods and often do not allow for identification of individual animals. We used dedicated photo-identification techniques as part of the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Testing and Training program to identify patterns of residency of odontocetes at three sites along the shelf break of the U.S. east coast ranging from 50 to 150 km from shore. Our surveys began in Onslow Bay, NC in 2007, and Jacksonville, FL and Cape Hatteras, NC in 2009. In Onslow Bay, we have re-sighted 7 of 139 (5%) Tursiops truncatus and 3 of 78 (4%) Stenella frontalis. It is likely that these T. truncatus include both offshore and coastal ecotypes; we are currently analyzing biopsy samples obtained during these surveys to address this proposition. We have not matched any of the T. truncatus to other catalogs from coastal waters, but the S. frontalis appear to range widely over the shelf. For example, one S. frontalis photographed at the offshore site in September 2011 was observed in June 2001 and June 2002 in the near-shore waters of Onslow Bay. In Jacksonville, we have catalogued 41 T. truncatus and 60 S. frontalis and have resighted 2 of 60 (3%) S. frontalis. We have identified 117 individual Globicephala macrorhynchus off Cape Hatteras and have matched 14 of 117 (12%) individuals. To date we have found no matches among the three sites. The re-sightings of these species within the three study areas occurred over multiple seasons and years, and suggest a surprising degree of residency by individual odontocetes in these offshore waters.

Long-term high-frequency acoustic recording packages (HARPs) at eight sites along the western North Atlantic shelf break.

During 2024 fieldwork supporting the Atlantic Behavioral Response Study (BRS) (Southall et al. 2025) and other related research, the study team collected more than 7,900 digital images within the Cape Hatteras study area. The team used these images to confirm species, identify individual animals, compile sighting histories and conduct follow-up monitoring of satellite tagged animals.

Photo-Identification Analyses in the Cape Hatteras Study Area: 2020 Annual Progress Report

Photo-Identification Analyses in the Cape Hatteras Study Area: 2022 Annual Progress Report

This review examines historical data from 535 odontocete stranding events in the Mariana archipelago and Hawaiian Islands by date, location and species and spans the time period of 1848 to 2023. Reports of strandings increased across the two geographic regions that were generally consistent over time. A total of 54 historical stranding events that represent 14 odontocete species are described for the Mariana Islands. A total of 481 stranding events that represent 19 odontocete species are described from the Hawaiian Islands, significantly updating the last published report that examined 202 odontocete strandings that occurred in the main Hawaiian Islands between 1937 and 2002. ArcGIS cluster maps were utilized to identify groupings of stranding events across the geographic regions. The majority of strandings in the Mariana Islands were reported from the west and southeastern coast of Guam, followed by Saipan, Rota and Tinian. Stranding hotspots in the Hawaiian Islands were identified at Mā’alaea Bay, Maui, at windward Oʻahu and near Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island.

We report significant pathological findings from 250 stranding investigations of 20 cetacean species in the Pacific Islands region between 2006 and 2022. Full or partial necropsies of 196 of the 250 stranding cases (78.4%) resulted in a diagnosis or multiple diagnoses associated with death in 126 cases. Natural disease accounted for 60.3% of stranded animals; approximately half were in poor body condition at time of death due to chronic illness. Morbillivirus and Brucella sp. infections caused mortality in eleven species, including striped dolphins and the Longman’s beaked whale. Toxoplasma infection, of anthropogenic cause in Hawaiʻi, led to the deaths of two spinner dolphins. Pygmy and dwarf sperm whales, beaked whales and pilot whales showed heavy parasitism by nematodes, cestodes and trematodes. Approximately 12.7% of stranded individuals were perinates/neonates, with three cases of dystocia with maternal mortality. Anthropogenic trauma was observed in 30.2% of strandings. In seven Cuvier’s beaked whales, cranial and/or microvascular hemorrhages were categorized as trauma. Vertebral and skull fractures were attributed to direct vessel strikes for two pygmy sperm whales, a Cuvier’s beaked whale, a humpback whale calf and a striped dolphin. Blast trauma was observed in three Fraser’s dolphins that were part of an uncommon stranding event. Significant plastic debris, and/or fishery debris were found in stomachs of six species and fatal fishhook penetration occurred in a Submitted in Support of the U.S. Navy’s 2023 Annual Marine Species Monitoring Report for the Pacific STANDARD FORM 298 Back (Rev. 8/98) bottlenose dolphin. This study highlights the value of carcass examinations in a region inhabited by small island associated populations where carcass recovery rates are low, and cetaceans face an array of natural and anthropogenic threats.

Odontocete species use echolocation signals (clicks) to forage and navigate. The aim of this study is to explore inter- and intra-specific variation in clicks among odontocete species in the Northwest Atlantic, Temperate Pacific, and Hawaii. Clicks were examined for seven species of delphinids in the Northwest Atlantic; common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, pilot whale, rough-toothed dolphin, striped dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, and bottlenose dolphin. Newly developed PAMGuard tools were used to automatically measure a suite of click parameters. Five parameters were compared among species; duration, center frequency, peak frequency, sweep rate, and number of zero crossings. Significant differences in duration, center and peak frequency were evident among species within this study area (Dunn’s test with Bonferroni adjustment p

Cetacean and Seabird Data During the Mariana Archipelago Cetacean Survey

The primary goals of HICEAS 2017 were to collect data required to estimate the abundance and distribution, examine the population structure, and understand the habitat of cetaceans within U.S. waters around the Hawaiian Islands. There were 5 major research components to HICEAS 2017: visual observations for cetaceans following a line-transect survey design; passive acoustic monitoring for cetaceans using towed hydrophone arrays, sonobuoys, and autonomous drifting acoustic recorders; collection of photographs and tissue samples and deployment of satellite tags for select cetacean groups; visual observations for seabirds following a strip-transect survey design; and ecosystem measurements for assessment of cetacean and seabird habitat.

The primary goals of Winter HICEAS 2020 were to collect data required to estimate the abundance and distribution, examine the population structure, and understand the habitat of cetaceans around the main Hawaiian Islands during the winter months (January–March). There were 5 major research components to the project: visual observations for cetaceans following a line-transect survey design; passive acoustic monitoring for cetaceans using towed hydrophone arrays, sonobuoys, and autonomous drifting acoustic recorders; collection of photographs and tissue samples and deployment of satellite tags for select cetacean groups; visual observations for seabirds following a strip-transect survey design; and ecosystem measurements for assessment of cetacean and seabird habitat.