Some of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s endangered false killer whales are rapidly losing weight, a warning sign that warming oceans and limited prey may be pushing one of the nation’s smallest whale populations closer to extinction, according to research by a team including scientists from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa.

The findings provide the first quantitative evidence that nutritional stress and competition with fisheries may be accelerating the decline of this iconic population, which now numbers fewer than 140 individuals.

The research—a partnership between the (PWF), (MMRP) at UH Mānoa and —utilized high-resolution drone photogrammetry to track 68 whales (roughly half the remaining population) between 2019 and 2025.

Rapid declines and climate links

The study documented extreme physiological shifts, including one individual that lost an estimated 28% of its body mass—approximately 500 pounds—over a 10-week period. Researchers also found that the population’s overall Body Condition Index hit a record low in 2020. This decline coincided with a severe marine heatwave and the largest single-year population drop in recent history, suggesting that rising ocean temperatures could be impacting the whales’ ability to maintain necessary energy reserves.

“This study is a critical step in understanding whether prey limitation is driving the extinction risk for these whales,” explains Jens Currie, Chief Scientist at PWF, PhD candidate in the , and lead author of the study. “Our findings suggest that many individuals are living on a thin metabolic margin. We are now examining how competition with fisheries for high-energy prey like ‘ahi (yellowfin tuna) and mahimahi may be forcing these whales into a state of chronic nutritional stress.”

Mapping health across the archipelago

The research highlights that health is not distributed equally across the population. Whales in “Cluster 1,” known for traveling broad distances across the islands, showed significant variability in their physical condition. This suggests that the high energetic cost of moving long distances to find prey may be taking a heavier physical toll on certain social groups than others.

To ensure the highest level of accuracy, the research team validated their drone measurements against 3D scans of whales in human care at the Okinawa Churashima Foundation in Japan. This calibration provided the foundational data needed to convert aerial images into precise weight and volume estimates, confirming that the study’s measurements are accurate to within 3%.

“This level of precision allows us to pinpoint exactly when and where these whales are struggling, which is key for directing conservation efforts,” said Lars Bejder, MMRP director, title=”�鶹��ý Institute of Marine Biology”>HIMB professor, and co-author of the study.

The whales found in �鶹��ý are a distinct, island-resident population adapted to the region’s coastal ecosystems and dependent on these waters for survival. They represent one of the smallest and most endangered whale populations in the United States, where the loss of even a few animals can have consequences for the entire population.

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For the first time, scientists have calculated a detailed “energetic budget” for �鶹��ý‘s short-finned pilot whales, revealing what it takes to power their extreme, 800-meter (2,600-feet) dives for food.

A new study led by the University of �鶹��ý at ��ā�ԴDz�’s (HIMB) found an average adult whale must eat 142 squid daily to survive, scaling up to 416 million squid annually for the entire population of short-finned pilot whales. This data, published in the , provides a new benchmark for protecting the historically understudied marine mammals.

“Pilot whales are one of the only oceanic dolphins that regularly dive to extreme depths—up to 1,000 meters—to find prey,” said William Gough, (MMRP) postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study. “This deep-diving, high-risk foraging strategy requires a delicate balance between the energy they spend and the energy they acquire. Our study is the first step in quantifying that balance for this specific population.”

Understanding precisely how much energy the animals require is essential for understanding how to effectively manage against threats and ensure their survival.

“This detailed scientific data gives �鶹��ý management agencies a critical tool to monitor how changes in the ocean—from warming waters to ship noise—might push the pilot whales past their survival limit,” said Lars Bejder, MMRP director and co-author of the study.

The deep waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are home to a genetically distinct population of short-finned pilot whales. These highly social, toothed whales are not migratory; they remain with their tight-knit, multi-generational families in one region for life. The population forages year-round where they pursue their preferred prey: squid.

Requirements can inform effective management

“Deep-diving species like pilot whales are especially vulnerable to human-induced disturbances, such as noises from ships or changes in ocean temperature, which can disrupt foraging or increase their energetic costs,” said Gough. “If they use more energy than they can find, they face an energy crisis that weakens their health, hurts their ability to fight off disease, and ultimately limits their ability to reproduce and recover the population.”

Despite this inherent vulnerability, the Hawaiian pilot whale population benefits from a stable and abundant squid food source, which may better equip them to cope with environmental disturbances than populations elsewhere.

The team placed advanced Customized Animal Tracking Solutions (CATS) tags on eight short-finned pilot whales off the coast of Lānaʻi between 2021 and 2024. The tags recorded movement, depth and sound, and used 2K cameras with LED headlights to observe the whales in their lightless, 800-meter-deep hunting habitat. The researchers developed a new method to estimate minute changes in energy usage by combining data from tags with body measurements from aerial drone footage.

“Getting to be on the water and close to these animals is an absolute joy,” said Gough. “But the fact that we can see into their world, even at 800 meters and under extreme pressures [80 times that at the surface], and observe them capturing their food in complete darkness, feels unbelievable to me. It’s truly a privilege to document the lives of these elusive, deep-diving whales.”

A new study by researchers from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s (HIMB) has revealed that endangered Hawaiian monk seals have a hidden vocal repertoire, using a complex range of sounds to call underwater.

Previously, scientists believed monk seals had a simple repertoire, identifying only six different calls based on seals in human care. In this study, the scientists analyzed thousands of hours of passive acoustic data from the wild, they discovered 25 distinct vocalizations.

The study, published in , also found that these low–frequency calls are produced by the seals throughout the day. These vocal types were heard consistently across the Hawaiian archipelago, with calling rates highest at sites where more seals were present. This new understanding of the monk seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi) vocal repertoire opens up a new window into their acoustic behavior.

“We discovered that Hawaiian monk seals—one of the world’s most endangered marine mammals—are far more vocal underwater than previously known,” said Kirby Parnell, lead author of the study and a PhD candidate with (MMRP). “By analyzing over 4,500 hours of recordings from across the Hawaiian Archipelago, we identified more than 23,000 vocalizations representing at least 25 distinct call types.”

Monk seal vocalizations

The study, which deployed passive acoustic recorders at five key monk seal habitats from Molokaʻi to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, uncovered:

Expanded vocal repertoire: Researchers identified 20 previously undocumented calls.

Novel communication strategy: The research provides evidence that monk seals can combine different vocalizations together, creating “combinational calls”—a communication strategy never before reported in any pinniped (seals, sea lions and walruses) species.

A foraging call: The team discovered one novel elemental call type “the whine” produced during foraging, representing only the second known example of a seal species using vocalizations while pursuing prey.

“We were surprised by the sheer diversity and complexity of monk seal vocalizations,” said Parnell. “The discovery of combinational calls, where seals link multiple call types together, suggests a previously unknown level of complexity in pinniped acoustic communication. Finding a new call type—the Whine—associated with foraging behavior was also unexpected and suggests that monk seals may use sound not only for mating or socializing, but possibly for foraging purposes as well.”

Seal conservation in �鶹��ý

These results lay the foundation for using passive acoustics to monitor monk seal populations to protect their acoustic habitats as human activity persists in Hawaiian waters. Future research will decisively link these documented vocalizations to specific Hawaiian monk seal behaviors, such as foraging, swimming, social interactions and reproduction. Next steps involve developing automated detection systems to monitor the seals’ acoustic activity more efficiently and non–invasively.

“This research provides the first comprehensive description of free–ranging Hawaiian monk seal underwater sound production, an important step toward understanding how they use sound for critical life–history events,” said Lars Bejder, director of MMRP, professor at HIMB and co–author of the study. “Because their vocalizations overlap with the same low–frequency range as many human–generated sounds (e.g. vessel noise), this work lays the foundations to evaluate how ocean noise may affect communication, reproduction, and behavior in this endangered species.”

About the team

The team included undergraduate and graduate students, and recent UH alumni, and coauthors from France and the .

“Manually annotating over 23,000 calls by hand is no small feat, and I have a team of interns to thank for helping with the analysis!” said Parnell. “This research would also not have been possible without the support of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, who deployed and retrieved the acoustic recorders in the .”

The work was supported by NOAA Fisheries via the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) award NA19NMF4720181.

The energy required for newborn humpback calves to grow after birth is 38 times greater than what they needed inside the womb according to research from University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (HIMB) in collaboration with Alaska Whale Foundation and other key partners. These findings were published in .

“This study addresses a key piece of the energetic puzzle in estimating the cost of being a humpback whale in the North Pacific: the cost of growth,” said Martin Van Aswegen, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at HIMB’s (MMRP). “While previous research has shown that these whales must grow very large in a short period of time, the actual energetic expense of that accelerated growth remained unknown.”

Geared to grow

Research revealed that calves require 6–8 times the daily growth energy of an adult whale, and they achieve 30% of their total lifetime growth in less than their first year of life. In fact, more than 60% of a calf’s crucial energy needs for growth occur within the first 150 days of birth.

Humpback mothers must support lactation while fasting in �鶹��ý breeding grounds and then traversing back to their feeding grounds in Alaska. This exposes the mother-calf pair to significant vulnerability when ocean conditions threaten the mother’s energy stores.

The study found that a mother’s ability to produce a large, healthy calf—one more resilient to starvation and environmental stress—hinges directly on her own energy reserves. Smaller females, with lower energy reserves, face trade-offs that constrain how often they can reproduce and how much they can invest in their offspring.

“By quantifying the energetic demands of growing big and strong, we provide crucial insight into how external pressures, including climate change and human disturbance, may affect the survival and resilience of these ocean giants,” said van Aswegen.

Warning signs

The study also revealed a worrying trend: mature humpback whales today are noticeably shorter than historical records, indicating a decline in body size of approximately 1–2 feet since the mid-1900s. Recent signs of humpback population stress in the region include a 76.5% drop in mother-calf sightings and an estimated 80% drop in crude birth rates in �鶹��ý between 2013–2018. These declines coincided with the longest-lasting global marine heatwave, suggesting that low food availability prevented mothers from getting enough energy for the demands of nursing and calf growth. The results affected calves and juveniles, whose higher energy requirements make them highly vulnerable.

“If humpback whales are to survive threats like extreme marine heatwaves and other stressors that result from human activity, we need to understand precisely how reproductive females accumulate and allocate energy to support the exponential costs of gestation and lactation,” said Lars Bejder, director of MMRP, professor at HIMB, and senior author of the study. “This knowledge is the foundation for making the urgent conservation changes required for the population’s future.”

Drones, data

The team used drones to take high-resolution aerial photos of more than 1,500 humpback whales in �鶹��ý and Southeast Alaska. They combined drone measurements with historical records and biological samples to acquire a full picture of humpback energetic needs throughout their lifespan.

“This non-invasive approach gives us a rare look at whale biology as they live, instead of relying only on historical whaling data from the 1900s,” said van Aswegen. “Our humpback whale health database, comprising over 12,000 measurements of 8,500 individual whales in the North Pacific, is being used across several projects within the Marine Mammal Research Program and abroad.”

The data can be used in conjunction with fine-scale behavior and movement data (from biologging tags), reproductive and stress hormone data (from tissue and breath samples), and tissue data derived from post-mortem events.

Partnerships

This work was made possible through MMRP, HIMB, Alaska Whale Foundation, Pacific Whale Foundation, University of Alaska Southeast, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Oregon State University, The Dolphin Institute (UH Hilo), UH Health and Stranding Lab, and HappyWhale. �鶹��ý fieldwork was funded through UH Mānoa, the US Department of Defense’s Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, the Office of Naval Research, ‘Our Oceans,’ Netflix, Wildspace Productions and Freeborne Media, the Omidyar Ohana Foundation, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and PacWhale Eco-Adventures, as well as members and donors of Pacific Whale Foundation. Southeast Alaska research was funded through awards from the National Geographic Society, the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Funds, and the North Pacific Research Board.

In a surprising discovery, a reveals that among seven species of baleen whales, only the humpback is capable of the high-performance turns required for its signature bubble-net feeding strategy. The research, led by recent graduate Cameron Nemeth, shows humpbacks use their unique pectoral flippers to achieve this maneuver, shedding new light on the biomechanics of this iconic feeding strategy.

Nemeth just earned his bachelor of science degree in marine biology, and conducted this research as part of a larger project at UH Mānoa �鶹��ý Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) . The study focuses on solitary bubble-net feeding, a complex foraging strategy where whales release bubbles in a ring to corral prey. By combining data from drones and non-invasive suction-cup tags, Nemeth and his team were able to accurately quantify the turning performance required for this maneuver.

“The fact that humpback whales’ pectoral flippers enhance their maneuverability wasn’t the most surprising part of our study, as there have been previous studies on the morphology of these flippers,” said Nemeth. “However, it was shocking to discover that amongst thousands of turns from a variety of behavioral states, no other species of whale examined were achieving the turning performance required to create a bubble-net.”

Highly efficient pectoral flippers

The research indicates that the humpback whale’s large pectoral flippers can generate nearly half of the force needed to turn, making them highly efficient at this feeding strategy. Other whale species, even if physically capable of similar turns, would need to expend significantly more energy, likely making the strategy energetically impractical. Humpbacks’ special body shape allows them to successfully hunt smaller or scattered groups of prey.

“This is a great example of a collaborative research project that took advantage of datasets from 28 different research organizations across six countries,” said Lars Bejder, research professor at HIMB, principle investigator of MMRP, and co-author of the study. “These sorts of initiatives are able to address questions that otherwise would be very difficult to answer.”

This research is significant for �鶹��ý, as humpback whales fast while in the islands, relying on the energy reserves they build up on Alaskan feeding grounds. Understanding the efficiency of their foraging techniques is crucial for assessing their overall health and energetic needs, which ultimately impacts their stay in Hawaiian waters.

Ongoing research, new Hawaiian language precedent

Nemeth led this large-scale project during his final semester as an undergraduate student at UH Mānoa. He will be continuing his research with the MMRP, transitioning to a PhD program in fall 2026 to lead the lab’s ongoing humpback whale project in Maui.

In a move to increase the availability of scientific literature in the Hawaiian language, Nemeth also worked with the journal to include a Hawaiian-language abstract for the paper. He translated the abstract himself and worked with a Hawaiian language professor to edit the text, setting a precedent for future publications from the lab.

Funding for this study was provided by UH Mānoa, the Omidyar Ohana Foundation, and the Lindblad Expedition–National Geographic Fund. Equipment was provided through a Defense University Research Instrumentation award from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Breathtaking footage of humpback whales is part of a new 12-minute video released in partnership between the (MMRP) at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� and , in celebration of World Ocean Day (June 8). “In the Wake of Whales” follows UH scientists as they study and monitor the annual migration of humpback whales from Alaska to �鶹��ý.

The video offers fascinating insights into one of nature’s most remarkable journeys—when thousands of whales travel nearly 3,000 miles to �鶹��ý each year to give birth. Among the many facts shared: pregnant females do not eat during the journey, relying entirely on their fat reserves; and a single pregnancy costs a mother about 22 million calories, including 97 pounds of fetal growth per day in the final months.

“Understanding the biology and behavior of humpback whales is essential, especially now as changing ocean conditions threatens their habitats and migratory patterns,” said MMRP Director Lars Bejder. “This video helps explain how their endurance and sacrifices are truly extraordinary.”

Whale tails, whale tales

The video features researchers documenting whale behaviors, collecting data and photographing the flukes of individual whales. These unique tail markings act as IDs and are uploaded to Happy Whale, a global database available to scientists and the public. With more than 10,000 whales cataloged—representing about 80% of the estimated 12,000 whales that migrate to �鶹��ý—MMRP’s collection is the largest in the world.

“Dolphin Quest is honored to support this research and help share it with the public,” said Dolphin Quest Co-Founder Rae Stone. “This project combines the best of science, education and conservation—and makes it accessible for everyone.”

MMRP operates from the on Moku o Loʻe in ����Ա�ʻ�dz�� Bay and has been focused on humpback whale research for the past five years, in strategic collaboration with the . This work has helped illuminate how changing ocean conditions and increased marine heatwaves may be affecting whale health, reproduction and migration.

Dolphin Quest, founded in 1988, has locations on Oʻahu, �鶹��ý and Bermuda. Its mission is “to protect marine animals and their environments through experiential learning and scientific discovery.” .

The video aims to inspire and educate viewers of all ages on the importance of protecting humpback whales. At the end of the film, a QR code invites viewers to support ongoing research and conservation efforts. .

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Leaving her home in India to attend the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa was a leap into the unknown for Ritu Krishna Raju. Having never traveled alone, the move came with excitement, but also the weight of being thousands of miles from her family.

Raju recounted her initial excitement mixed with the challenges of living far from her loved ones.

“When I first arrived in �鶹��ý, I was overwhelmed—excited, but also carrying the weight of being so far from home,” she shares in her commencement speech to be delivered at the fall 2024 ceremony.

Raju quickly discovered that the warmth of aloha extended beyond a word. She found a community and formed lifelong friendships with people who shared her values and passion. These friendships became her anchor, providing encouragement and laughter through the challenges of her journey. Surrounded by good friends, she learned the true meaning of ʻohana—family that extends beyond blood—and it deepened her connection to the islands and their people.

Marine biology attracts Raju to �鶹��ý

Drawn to UH Mānoa for its world-renowned marine biology program, Raju’s passion for the environment deepened during her studies. She interned with the at the , analyzing the vocal repertoire of endangered Hawaiian monk seals, gaining invaluable experience in marine mammal conservation. Raju also volunteered at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, where she educated visitors about marine life and the importance of protecting coral reefs, sharing her love for the ocean with countless tourists.

Her time at Mānoa was enriched by more than academics. She stretched her creative wings through dance performances and involvement at Kennedy Theatre, while also creating cherished memories with friends—whether hanging out in the courtyard near the Isabella Aiona Abbott Life Sciences Building or engaging with her peers as a Natural Sciences Ambassador.

Growing up, breaking through

More than three years later, she can look back and reflect on how much her experience at her journey at UH Mānoa has shaped her as a person.

“Growth often comes when you least expect it, and I’ve found that stepping out of my comfort zone has revealed more about who I am than I ever imagined. I’ve grown beyond the shy, unsure person I once was into someone who can navigate challenges with purpose and a deep respect for the world around me,” Raju said. “I am thankful for my family giving me their unwavering support that got me to where I am.”

As Raju wraps up this chapter of her educational journey she is considering graduate school to specialize in marine mammal biology with hopes to raise awareness about marine conservation back home in India. She will go knowing she has found and created a second home on the other side of the world with a community Raju can call her own.

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa biologists used drone imagery to understand how nursing humpback whale mothers and their calves fare as they cross the Pacific Ocean. Recent declines in North Pacific humpback whale reproduction and survival of calves highlight the need to understand how mother-calf pairs expend energy across their migratory cycle. The study was .

The team used drone cameras to measure calf growth and maternal body condition days after calf birth in �鶹��ý, and then compared these measurements to the body conditions of humpback females in Alaska feeding grounds, measuring pregnant and lactating (producing milk for nursing) females as well as humpback females whose reproductive status was unknown.

“A total of 2,410 measurements were taken from 1,659 individuals, with 405 repeat measurements from 137 lactating females used to track changes in maternal body volume over migration,” said Martin van Aswegen, (MMRP) PhD candidate and lead author of the study.

Size matters

The research shows that larger females produced larger, faster-growing calves. Over a 6-month period, lactating females decreased in body volume by an average of about 17%, whereas the calves’ body volume increased by nearly 395% and their length increased by almost 60%. In �鶹��ý, humpback whale mothers lose nearly 214 pounds of blubber per day. Over a 60-day period, this is equivalent to losing roughly 50 tons of krill. Mother humpbacks in �鶹��ý lost 20% of their body volume over 60 days of lactation, and the energy they used lactating surpassed the total energetic cost of their year-long pregnancies.

In Southeast Alaskan feeding grounds, lactating humpback mothers were found to have the slowest rates of weight gain compared to non-lactating females, gaining about 32 pounds each day. Comparatively, pregnant and nonpregnant females gained weight at six and two times the rate of the lactating females, respectively.

“The surprising part of this study was our ability to find the same individual mothers and calves over great distances and time periods,” said van Aswegen. “To measure the same whales over 3,000 miles apart over a period of roughly 200 days is truly remarkable and provides such valuable data for the questions we were asking.”

Birth rates decline

Studies document a 76.5% decline in mother-calf encounter rates in �鶹��ý between 2013 and 2018, with birth rates declining by 80% from 2015 to 2016. In Southeast Alaskan feeding grounds, research reveals total reproductive failure in 2018, with calf survival decreasing tenfold from 2014 to 2019. These observations coincided with the longest lasting global marine heatwave, which shifted food webs and reduced availability of prey throughout the North Pacific. It is believed that humpback whales were unable to acquire sufficient food, resulting in nutritional stress and declines in reproduction.

“This work forms the basis for future studies investigating the energetic demands on humpback whales,” said Lars Bejder, MMRP director and co-author of the study. “Our humpback whale health database, comprising 11,000 measurements of 8,500 individual whales in the North Pacific, is being used across several projects within the Marine Mammal Research Program and abroad. These studies will be used to better predict the resilience of large baleen whale species in the face of threats, including disturbance, entanglement, vessel collision, and climate change.”

“This study showcases how teamwork across disciplines and institutions helps us uncover the intricate relationships between maternal health, calf growth, and environmental stressors,” said Jens Currie, MMRP PhD candidate, chief scientist at Pacific Whale Foundation and co-author of the study.

This work was done in partnership with , and other partners.

Proper intake of food is essential for pregnant humpback whales to pull off the extreme physical feat of annual migration between �鶹��ý and Alaska. Researchers at the (MMRP) at University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (HIMB) revealed the energetic cost and vulnerabilities of migratory humpback mothers-to-be in a study .

Humpbacks feed in polar waters and then must fast and migrate up to 5,000 km to the tropical waters where they breed and give birth. Humpback whale mothers spend about 10 months in pregnancy, averaging about 100 days a trimester. Using a variety of new and historical records of measurement on the whales they were able to determine their findings. They found that the size of mothers directly correlated to the size of the fetus—the larger the mother the larger the fetus and the larger the growth rate.

The team determined that the energy cost of the first two thirds of the pregnancy were negligible, comprising .01–1.08% of the energy used. The majority of the energy needs came in the final third of the pregnancy, when requirements ticked up to 98.2%.

Crucial 100 days of pregnancy

“It was surprising to see how the peak of energy requirements coincided with the onset of fasting in pregnant females, ultimately highlighting how crucial those final 100 days of pregnancy are for this migratory species,” said Martin van Aswegen, PhD candidate and lead author of the study. “Females that are late in the pregnancy are therefore particularly vulnerable to disruptions in energy balance, given periods of greatest energetic stress coincide with fasting and migration to sub-tropical breeding grounds. Our study highlights a particularly vulnerable period for pregnant humpback whales. This is important, because once these whales leave their high-latitude feeding grounds, they have a finite amount of energy available to invest in their offspring over a 3–5 month fasting period, with energy requirements being even higher after calf birth.”

A 75.6% decline in the number of humpback whale mothers with calves was seen and off �鶹��ý between 2013 and 2018. In Southeast Alaska, shows calf production was approximately six times lower between 2015 and 2019 compared to pre-2015 years, with mid-summer calf mortality increasing tenfold from 2014 to 2019. Studies have reported significant and prolonged shifts in the distribution of the marine food web, resulting in poor feeding conditions for humpback whales.

“This research underpins future studies on humpback whale energy demands,” said Lars Bejder, co-author of the study and director of MMRP. “Our drone-collected whale health database, developed in partnership with the Alaska Whale Foundation, includes over 11,000 measurements from 8,500 individual North Pacific whales. Its extensive temporal and spatial scale offers invaluable insights into the effects of large-scale climatic events on this iconic sentinel species. Sustaining such long-term, wide-scale studies is crucial for understanding these impacts within the context of natural variability in whale health.”

“This research underscores the value of collaboration in tackling complex questions about the lives of humpback whales,” said Jens Currie, co-author and chief scientist at Pacific Whale Foundation. “Through large-scale collaborations, we’re able to gain critical insights into the challenges migratory whales face during pregnancy to better inform conservation strategies. Together, we can address large-scale ecological challenges that no single institution could achieve alone.”

The research was done in partnership with , and others, and highlights key factors that will help inform future conservation.

Using drones to successfully assess the age of critically endangered, free-ranging dolphins in Greece is the focus of new research at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (HIMB). This work, done in partnership with the Tethys Research Institute, informs researchers’ understanding of population abundance and demographics, which can improve management practices and help ensure their survival. The study was .

(MMRP) researchers are comparing the drone imagery results with long-term data and data from stable, non-endangered bottlenose dolphin populations in Shark Bay, Australia, and Sarasota Bay, Florida.

“In [our new] study, we highlight the speed and accuracy of UAS-photogrammetry (drone imagery) in assessing the age structure of free-ranging dolphin populations, and the implications towards management and conservation,” said Fabien Vivier, MMRP researcher and lead author of the study. “Our hope is that by using this method, we can quickly monitor the age-structure of free-ranging dolphin populations. This information can facilitate the detection of early signs of population changes, such as a decrease in the number of calves, and provide important insights for timely management decisions.”

Healthy dolphin populations have a consistent proportion of calves, juveniles and adults; a deviation from this can suggest the population is unstable. Using drones, researchers were able to quickly quantify the age-structure of the critically endangered dolphin population in Greece in a few days.

Previous study classifies dolphin age

In a previous study, the MMRP team used specialized calibrated drones to successfully measure the length of free-swimming dolphins and classify them by age.

“When dolphins come to the surface to breathe, they expose their blowhole and dorsal fin,” said Vivier. “By measuring the distance between the two, we can estimate their total body length. Since total length is related to age, we can estimate the age-group of a single dolphin.”

Aquatic mammals known as cetaceans, which include whales, dolphins and porpoises, face a slough of threats from habitat degradation, climate change, fisheries, and chemical and noise pollution. One quarter of the 92 known cetacean species are at risk of extinction, and there is a clear and urgent need to implement effective conservation strategies.

The project was done in collaboration with the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. The work in Greece was funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), OceanCare and the Costas M Lemos Foundation. The work in �鶹��ý is funded by ONR, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, the Omidyar ʻOhana Fund at �鶹��ý Community Foundation and Dolphin Quest.

Discovering a behavior key to humpback whales’ survival and offering a case to include humpbacks among the rare animals that make and wield their own tools is the focus of new research out of the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa. researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” to hunt, but they discovered that they manipulate the bubble net to maximize their food intake in Alaskan feeding grounds.

The research, done in partnership with (AWF), was published in .

“Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually create or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, co-lead author of the study and (MMRP) director. “We discovered that solitary humpback whales in southeast Alaska craft complex bubble nets to catch krill, which are tiny shrimp-like creatures. These whales skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form nets with internal rings, actively controlling details like the number of rings, the size and depth of the net, and the spacing between bubbles. This method lets them capture up to seven times more prey in a single feeding dive without using extra energy.”

Success in hunting is key for the whales’ survival. Humpback whales’ energy budget for the entire year depends on their ability to capture enough food during summer and fall in Alaska. Unraveling the nuances of their carefully honed hunting technique sheds light on how migratory humpback whales consume enough calories to traverse the Pacific Ocean.

Demystifying whale behavior

Marine mammals known as cetaceans include whales, dolphins and porpoises are difficult to study. For this study researchers employed specialty tags and drones to study the whales’ movements from above and below the water.

“We deployed non-invasive suction-cup tags on whales and flew drones over solitary bubble-netting humpback whales in Alaska, collecting data on their underwater movements,” said William Gough, co-author and MMRP researcher. “The tools have incredible capability, but honing them takes practice. Whales are a difficult group to study, requiring skill and precision to successfully tag and/or drone them.”

Improved management to come

Cetaceans throughout the globe face a slough of threats that range from habitat degradation, climate change, fisheries, to chemical and noise pollution. One quarter of the 92 known cetacean species are at risk of extinction, and there is a clear and urgent need to implement effective conservation strategies on their behalf. Understanding this essential behavior makes resource managers better poised to adeptly monitor and conserve the feeding grounds that are critical to their survival.

“This is a rich dataset that will allow us to learn even more about the physics and energetics of solitary bubble-netting,” said Bejder. “There is also data coming in from humpback whales performing other feeding behaviors, such as cooperative bubble-netting, surface feeding, and deep lunge feeding, allowing for further exploration of this population’s energetic landscape and fitness.”

“What I find exciting is that humpbacks have come up with complex tools allowing them to exploit prey aggregations that otherwise would be unavailable to them,” said Andy Szabo, AWF executive director and study co-lead. “It is this behavioral flexibility and ingenuity that I hope will serve these whales well as our oceans continue to change.”

This work was supported by Lindblad Expeditions – National Geographic Fund, UH Mānoa and a Department of Defense Defense University Research Instrumentation Program grant.

To get a unique look at how climate change is impacting marine mammals, UH News interviewed whale expert Lars Bejder, director of the at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa , on how innovative technologies are helping experts monitor the health of marine mammals.

Bejder is a conservation biologist who focuses on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins in �鶹��ý and internationally. He utilizes drones and specially designed sensors to gather data on cetaceans.

What species of marine mammals do you monitor?

�鶹��ý has more than 20 species of whales and dolphins. We study between 8–10, and each one of those have different conservation issues and pressures.

The most iconic species we have in �鶹��ý is the humpback whale that spends about three months a year here on their breeding grounds. We study the Hawaiian monk seals, which are only found here in �鶹��ý and spinner dolphins, which is a coastal species. We also study pilot whales and false killer whales. Some generic threats for all of them are entanglements, ship strikes, noise pollution and climate change, and depending on the species, some are more or less affected by each of these.

What kind of tech are you using?

Using innovative technology such as drones and tags, we’re starting to get a good understanding of how humpback whales change from year to year based on climatic events. For example, a few years ago, when there was a large heat wave across the North Pacific, we saw significant declines in humpback whale health or body condition, which shows us how closely these animals’ health are linked to climate.

The two main new technologies that we use are calibrated drones and suction cup tags, the suction cup tags we use across species—so humpback whales, pilot whales, false killer whales and monk seals. We apply these onto those animals and acquire an incredible wealth of data. We use drones to estimate body condition and health of individuals and populations, and we use those across all of the different species that are here in �鶹��ý.

How are you using tech to monitor humpback whales?

We have collected the world’s largest database on humpback whale health. And when I say health, it’s body condition which we measure through drones using calibrated lenses and custom fit altimeters. We’re able to fly these instruments repetitively over the same animals across ocean basins. So on the breeding grounds here in �鶹��ý and also on the foraging grounds up in Alaska, we can really see how the body condition of these animals changes every season and every year. We have now measured 10,000 humpback whales. And when you think about it, the population estimate here in �鶹��ý is between 12,000 and 14,000. So a significant amount of the animals are visiting �鶹��ý. The fact that we also measure them up in Alaska allows us to see how much energy and condition they lose here in �鶹��ý and vice versa.

How is climate change impacting humpback whales?

If you have a very good year, for example, the conditions are right, you’re going to have a lot of prey, and things are good for the whales up in Alaska. And a year later, you see that the animals are healthy, they’re large, and you’re getting calves. But what we’re also finding is when we have a bad year, for example, climatic events that are not good for prey items up in Alaska, the year later, we have significantly skinnier animals and less calves being born. And that’s really telling us something about the health of the oceans is portrayed through these animals. By simply flying a drone over animals, we can say something about the health of the ecosystem, and that’s really, really promising and exciting.

To help protect and understand �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s whale populations, marine mammal researchers at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and Pacific Whale Foundation are utilizing cutting-edge non-invasive suction-cup tags to track endangered false killer whales and short-finned pilot whales. The CATS (Customized Animal Tracking Solutions) tags, equipped with cameras, hydrophones, accelerometers and depth sensors, provide insights into the daily lives of these marine species.

Lars Bejder, Jens Currie and their team have been deploying CATS tags, which were originally used on larger species such as humpback whales, and have evolved to cater to the specific needs of smaller species such as pilot whales and false killer whales. The tag is a non-invasive tool that separates from the whale when air is released into the suction cups.

“We started using these tags on smaller animals, which we haven’t done before,” said Bejder, director of the UH (MMRP). “That has opened up new windows to different species that we haven’t focused on before. Part of that has been the development of the next iteration of tags, which are meant for deep diving cetaceans. These tags are currently one-of-a-kind as far as we know.”

The deployment of CATS tags on these whales enables scientists to track their movements, diving patterns, and even record the sounds of their underwater environment. The tags are designed for deep-diving cetaceans, capable of withstanding pressures at depths of up to 1,000 meters. This allows researchers to explore the behaviors of pilot whales and false killer whales, shedding light on the impacts of human activities and the threats it could pose to �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s endangered false killer whale population. Understanding how false killer whales interact with prey can help inform the fishing industry on optimizing gear to reduce unintended interactions.

“The Main Hawaiian Islands Insular false killer whale is an endangered population here in �鶹��ý,” said Currie, a PhD student in MMRP and director of Pacific Whale Foundation’s research. “There are only about 130 animals left in the population based on the latest estimate. It’s an important population to be studying and we can gain some impactful insights for conservation and management measures for false killer whales using these tags.”

Bejder and Currie emphasized the important role the public plays in spotting these marine mammals. To report sightings of false killer whales, call the NOAA Fisheries Hotline at (888) 256-9840, option 5. All research is being conducted under federal permits and IACUC approvals.

A new tool uses facial recognition technology to identify individual whales and dolphins in the wild across 24 species. The research was led by University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (HIMB) PhD student Philip Patton and published in .

“From a conservation standpoint it is really useful to be able to recognize the same individuals over time because you can see what areas the individuals use,” said Patton. “You can also use this information to estimate population size and population trends.”

This multi-species photo-identification model based on a state-of-the-art method in human facial recognition was created for a organized by Happywhale.com that challenged engineers to develop a tool that could individually identify whales and dolphins using an algorithm. The algorithm engineers developed can identify characteristics such as scarring, pigmentation, size and more on individual dolphins and whales.

Accelerating information gathering process

The UH Mānoa studies these species using photography to inform management and conservation efforts for marine mammals in �鶹��ý.

“When we go out and do these surveys like taking pictures of them out in the field, using an algorithm like this we can really speed up the information gathering process,” said Patton. “Once we get back to the lab we can run our photos through the algorithm and it will tell us who is there and then we immediately have some information to judge things like population, space use, etc. which are important for conserving Hawaiian whales and dolphins.”

Ecologically, dolphins are very social, and this new tool provides a way to observe dolphin social behavior in a non-invasive way.

“You can actually learn a lot of information from just recognizing the same individual over time and noting where you saw it,” said Patton.

The publication is the product of a massive collaboration, with 56 researchers from around the globe sharing their valuable image data—representing six continents and 24 species—to advance cetacean research and conservation.

The study included HIMB graduate students Liah McPherson and Jens Curry, and Patton’s faculty advisor Lars Bejder. Funding for Patton’s work came from the NOAA Quest Fellowship.

Video credit: Anna Schmalz

Using unoccupied aerial system (UAS), or drone photography, researchers from the University of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ�� at ����ԴDz� (SOEST) are now able to determine the age-structure of free-ranging dolphin groups. This work will aid monitoring the health of dolphin populations and inform timely conservation efforts. The findings of the study that developed and applied this new technique were published in .

When dolphins come to the surface to breathe, they expose their blowhole and dorsal fin. By measuring the distance between the two, researchers can estimate their total body length. Since total length is related to age, the international team of researchers, led by scientists at the (HIMB) in SOEST, developed a technique of inferring age based on length for each measured dolphin within a group.

“This method can help us quantify the age-structure of free-ranging populations,” said Fabien Vivier, lead author of the study and doctoral candidate in the at HIMB. “Healthy dolphin populations usually contain a certain proportion of newborn, immature, and mature animals, while deviances from this distribution may be interpreted as a population growth or decline.”

Previous studies documented encouraging results of using drone photography to study and measure the size and body condition of large whales. However, no studies had applied this approach to assessing small dolphins, such as bottlenose dolphins.

“Because it is difficult working with free-ranging animals, we could not be sure if it would work out as planned,” said Vivier.

Quickly monitoring health

To understand whether analyzing UAS photos would be reliable for estimating the length of free-swimming dolphins, researchers collaborated with and tested the method on their bottlenose dolphins. They then tested the approach in estimating the age-class of free-ranging dolphins by collaborating with the in Florida, the world’s longest-running dolphin research project.

The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program provided the age, total body length, and distance between the blowhole and dorsal fin for many individuals in their study community. This offered the unique opportunity to calibrate and test the accuracy of the team’s age estimates and the inferred age-class based on length for free-ranging individuals.

“Our hope in developing and using this method is that we can quickly monitor the health of free-ranging dolphin populations,” said Vivier. “This may facilitate the detection of early signs of population changes, for example, a decrease in the number of calves, and provide important insights for timely management decisions.”

While this method was developed on bottlenose dolphins, it can be applied to other dolphin species, which will aid in monitoring and conservation. The team’s current research focuses on spinner dolphins in the main Hawaiian Islands.

This work was funded by , (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research), the and .

–By Marcie Grabowski

Research opportunities are not just for faculty and graduate students. Undergraduate students at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� can get funding for research and creative work () early in their academic careers. A new opportunity provides motivated early-career undergraduate students with up to $3,000 in scholarship funding.

Launched by the (UROP) in fall 2022, (ERC) funding allows students to experience research and creative work without having to write a full project proposal. Awardees receive a stipend of $1,500 for one semester or $3,000 for two semesters. Like all of UROP’s funding opportunities, ERC funding requires the mentorship of a UH ����ԴDz� faculty member. ERC students who want to continue with research and creative work after completing their ERC experience will be better prepared for success, including securing additional funding from UROP such as and .

The ERC application cycle is open for spring 2023 (students would be able to receive their stipend funding at the beginning of summer 2023 or fall 2023) and the deadline to apply is April 20, 2023, 5 p.m. HST.

ERC funded research

Pearl Thompson, a sophomore majoring in marine biology, received ERC funding in spring 2023 to work on a project that aims to describe Hawaiian monk seal underwater acoustic communication using passive acoustic recorders. The work involves detecting and classifying monk seal vocalizations (e.g. whoops, growls) recorded at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands where the majority of the remaining 1,500 seals live. Thompson’s mentors are Lars Bejder, director of the in the , and PhD candidate Kirby Parnell.

“Participating in ERC will impact my future plans as it will provide insight as to what working in my field of interest is really like,” Thompson said. “This is a valuable opportunity in which I am able to experience a taste of the life path I plan to follow. Working with people that are experts in my field of interest has helped me learn a lot about this career path which has been truly invaluable.”

Another spring 2023 ERC recipient, Aniqua Mehdi, a freshman majoring in biochemistry is working on a project related to the recent ban of certain sunscreens in �鶹��ý due to their harmful chemicals. Mehdi’s project involves quantifying the occurrence of organic ultraviolet filters at beaches along Oʻahu’s south shore to better understand the impact chemicals used in sunscreen have on the reef environment. Mehdi’s mentor is Professor Philip G. Williams from the .

“I want to do research of my own in the future and even as a career, and because of ERC I can experience it early on in my professional career and gain valuable experiences that will make me a better researcher,” Mehdi said. “Through ERC, I received a stipend to help with a research project and I don’t have to take on additional jobs that I am not particularly interested in, and can focus instead on building skills needed for my interests and my future career.”

Collaboration expands research and creative work opportunities

ERC is the result of a collaboration between UROP and the . With $100,000 in ����ԴDz� tuition scholarship funds, UROP worked over summer 2022 to set up this new opportunity and promoted it widely on campus. In fall 2022, UROP received 30 applications requesting a total of $76,500 in ERC funding. UROP decided to fund 22 complete applications for a total of $55,000.

“Undergraduate research and creative work is a cornerstone of the ����ԴDz� experience. Nowhere else in the world can an undergraduate student find access to a research and creative work experience at a public, Research 1 university committed to becoming a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning,” UH ����ԴDz� Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Nikki Chun said. “We rely on our students to make the most of their research and creative experiences and become pioneers in their disciplines.”

UROP Assistant Director Seung Yang added, “We are very pleased with the number of interested students given the novelty of the opportunity, and the fact that most students and faculty on campus are just becoming aware of its existence. We are very much looking forward to supporting more students to experience faculty-mentored research and creative work in the coming years.”

Through ERC funding, UROP aims to increase undergraduate participation in faculty-mentored research and creative work to increase student satisfaction, enrich their academic experience and prepare them for a lifetime of professional work. Both nationally and on the UH ����ԴDz� campus, undergraduate students who participate in faculty-mentored research and creative work are more likely to stay in school and graduate in a timely manner.

For more information, or email urop@hawaii.edu with questions. UROP will offer this opportunity every fall and spring semester.

An unlikely collaboration of a world-renowned cellist aboard the most famous voyaging canoe brought music to the world including the ears of Native Hawaiian practitioners and University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (HIMB) researchers and students, and perhaps even the wildlife in December. The once in a lifetime trip in waters off of �鶹��ý Island featured a memorable performance and discussion about the unique culture of whales in �鶹��ý and connections between music and nature.

“Yo-Yo Ma’s team chose to work with HIMB because of our mutual interest and experience in making connections across art and science. We hope that these kinds of immersive cultural experiences can help foster our sense of stewardship of the Earth’s amazing resources, in �鶹��ý and around the world,” said HIMB Director Eleanor Sterling.

UH’s (MMRP) Director Lars Bejder and Faculty/Researcher Aude Pacini had the opportunity to sail onboard the Hōkūleʻa—together with approximately 20 other people—including Hōkūleʻa crew, Yo-Yo Ma and his team, and other respected Native Hawaiian practitioners. Late in the afternoon, the team departed from Kawaihae Harbor on �鶹��ý Island’s Kohala coast and they returned after sunset.

“We discussed how humans impact the world’s oceans and how we can raise awareness about the plight of the health of the oceans through music and whales—both of which allow us to draw in many people to convey important messages about how we need to protect the oceans,” said Bejder.

Bejder and Pacini were aboard Hōkūleʻa while UH graduate student Liah McPherson and MMRP volunteer Kyleigh Fertitta joined on one of the support vessels to deploy a drone (which due to delays and weather did not happen).

“In assisting as a marine mammal acoustic expert, one of my responsibilities was to record the underwater sounds and music as well as to discuss the impact of human activities on marine life in particular, and underwater noise on marine mammals,” said Pacini.

Koholā (humpback whale), cello frequencies

Once the team reached their destination, the first song Yo-Yo Ma performed was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Pacini had a hydrophone in the water and recorded the sounds of his song that propagated from the hull of the Hōkūleʻa into the ocean. As Yo-Yo Ma was playing the song, people saw a koholā breach in the background as he was playing.

“The last piece Yo-Yo Ma played was unique,” said Pacini. “We played the 1960s humpback whale recording from Roger Payne on our phone and Yo-Yo Ma played his version of humpback whale song, and the two were almost identical as the frequency range of the cello is very close to the range of humpback whales.”

Before the team headed back toward the harbor, Yo-Yo Ma, Pacini and Bejder discussed koholā, biology, acoustics, culture and art.

“As we started to head back towards Kawaihae harbor—with the red glow of lava from the Mauna Loa volcano eruption—we all sat in peace and reflected on the couple of hours that just had passed in the company of Native Hawaiian practitioners, Yo-Yo Ma, whales, the amazing crew aboard the historic Hōkūleʻa,” said Bejder.

This trip was supported by Hōkūleʻa’s Nainoa Thompson, Sonja Swenson and Lehua Kamalu, and the entire crew present that day; Mike Nakachi, who provided logistical and vessel support; the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra; and Dolphin Quest, who provided support for UH researchers and students.

Humpback whales may one day avoid Hawaiian waters due to climate change and rising greenhouse gasses, according the findings of a published in Frontiers in Marine Science by a team of researchers including three University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� graduate students—Hannah von Hammerstein and Renee Setter from the in the , and Martin van Aswegen from the in the .

Humpback whales are known to migrate toward tropical coastal waters, such as �鶹��ý’s, where they give birth to their calves. These areas lay in regions with sea surface temperatures ranging between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius (approximately 70–82 degrees Fahrenheit), and the whales typically return to the same sites annually.

According to von Hammerstein, Setter, van Aswegen and co-researchers from the Pacific Whale Foundation, anthropogenic climate change is warming the oceans at unprecedented rates. At the current pace, it is likely that some of these breeding grounds will heat up past the 21–28℃ temperature range over the next century.

Using a statistical “delta downscaling” method to increase the resolution of global sea surface temperatures and track the critical 21–28℃ isotherms (lines drawn on a map or chart joining points with the same temperature) that border humpback whale breeding grounds throughout the 21st century, research suggests two possible climate change scenarios:

• By 2100, in a worst case scenario with continuing high development and unabated carbon emissions, 67% of humpback whale breeding grounds will surpass the critical sea surface temperature of 28℃.
• In a “middle-of-the-road” scenario with global and international institutions working toward emission mitigation goals, that number would fall to 35% of breeding grounds.

“We expected to see critical warming in some of the breeding grounds, but the number of critically affected areas was a surprise,” said von Hammerstein. “While the results of the study are daunting, they also highlight the differences between the two emission scenarios and what still can be won by implementing emission mitigation measures.”

Setter added, “It’s really crucial that we try to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and really try to stay on that ‘middle-of-the-road’ greenhouse gas emissions scenario at the very least, just so that we can save as many of those breeding grounds as possible from surpassing that critical temperature threshold.”

The researchers note that, while it is currently not known whether humpback whales will continue to migrate to breeding grounds above 28°℃, they hope their findings may be an incentive for policymakers to work toward reducing emissions, not only in �鶹��ý but also on an international level.

“Our findings provide yet another example of what is to come with anthropogenic climate change, with humpback whales representing merely one impacted species,” van Aswegen said. “Improving our understanding of how ecosystems are going to change is critical for the effective and timely implementation of mitigative measures.”

Two episodes highlighting humpback whales and featuring researchers from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and UH Hilo are in new episodes of the public television series Changing Seas, produced by South Florida PBS. The series premieres on June 22.

UH researchers who appear in the first two episodes Vanishing Whales and Humpback Health include Kristi West, an associate researcher at UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s ; Martin van Aswegen, a PhD candidate at UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s (MMRP); Adam Pack, a marine mammal scientist at UH Hilo; and Lars Bejder, director of MMRP.

“Marine mammals serve an important educational, economic and cultural role in �鶹��ý,” said Bejder. “�鶹��ý also boasts a rich cultural history, as well as strong tourism and fishing industries, renewable energy resources and a military presence. Many of these activities, along with other emerging threats, including climate change, have the potential to negatively impact marine mammals in ways that are not yet well understood.”

• Related UH News story: PBS’ Nature turns to UH Hilo researcher for guidance on humpback whales, April 22, 2021

See more stories on marine mammals.

Episodes

“” takes a closer look at the humpback population that migrates between �鶹��ý and Alaska. Its decades-long recovery from commercial whaling is considered a conservation success story. But when sightings of the animals suddenly dropped, people became concerned. Now, scientists in both locations are trying to understand what happened to the whales and why.

“” delves deeper into the many mysteries that remain about these ocean leviathans. When in their Hawaiian breeding grounds, the humpbacks fast for an extended period, while expending energy on mating and giving birth. Now, for the first time, a team of scientists is making remarkable discoveries about how the whales’ body size and overall health change across the animals’ migratory cycle.

“It is really important that we study these issues and provide outlets for community members to learn about these animals and the threats that they are exposed to,” said van Aswegen. “This documentary provides a good overview information on the humpback whales in �鶹��ý and how our research group is studying them.”

“Humpback whales hold a special place in the hearts of Hawaiian residents and are recognized sentinels of ocean health,” said West, who is also the director of UH ��ā�ԴDz�’s Stranding Lab. “Evaluating the impact of threats faced by humpback whales is critical to effective conservation efforts.”

Other episodes in the series include “Kelp: Hidden Treasure of the Salish Sea,” showing the decline of kelp forests in the Pacific Northwest, and “Saving Florida’s Starving Manatees,” which examines why Florida’s iconic sea cows are dying in record numbers.

Premiere dates

• June 22 and 26: 8–9 p.m., and

After the premiere date, episodes will be available for streaming on or on the “Changing Seas TV” YouTube channel.

Oʻahu high school students spent the week on Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) learning about marine mammals science at a University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa summer program. Developed by two graduate students, the Summer Marine Mammal Intensive Learning Experience (SMMILE) program, a fully funded overnight learning experience, ran from June 12–18.

Eleven incoming high school juniors and seniors from across Oʻahu participated in the SMMILE program, which was developed by UH Mānoa Marine Biology Graduate Program PhD students Kirby Parnell and Brijonnay Madrigal.

“As an underrepresented minority student myself, I know the importance of introducing students to marine mammal science and marine science at an early age to inspire them to potentially pursue the field in the future,” said Madrigal.

SMMILE provides an opportunity for underrepresented high school students to learn about marine mammal science, marine protected areas and conservation. Preference was given to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander high school students because their representation in STEM is among the lowest percentages of any minority group and the field of marine mammalogy reflects this deficit.

“This is an important opportunity because it will open up their [students’] minds to new career paths that they never would’ve thought of,” said Pohakumakamae Kahuanui, a Kapolei High School student who is going into 12th grade. “I, for example, never wanted to go to college but now going to this program, I’m thinking about going to college.”

Facilitating hands-on learning

Participants stayed overnight on Moku o Loʻe in the dormitories for the duration of the program.

High school students had hands-on learning opportunities through guest lectures, training, field trips and workshops throughout the week. Topics covered during the program included: acoustics/hearing, unmanned aerial vehicles, tagging, population studies, photo ID, stranding/response and conservation/management.

“Bri, the other co-instructor and I, we are really interested in outreach and education,” said Parnell. “We had opportunities when we were younger to do fun camps like this to learn about marine science, and we really hope to just involve local students to learn more about marine mammals here in �鶹��ý.”

Upon completing the SMMILE program high school students gain basic knowledge of marine mammals, with a focus on �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s marine mammals; applicable skills for studying marine mammals in the field and in human-care facilities; opportunities to network with undergraduate and graduate students, experts and organizations that participate in science-based conservation; and to learn to appreciate the diversity of �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s marine mammals.

SMMILE is funded by a Marine Mammal Commission grant and a UH Mānoa Student Equity Excellence and Diversity (SEED) Inclusion, Diversity, Access and Success (IDEAS) grant. The program was free for 11 high school students.

Oʻahu high schools that have students participating in SMMILE include: Kapolei High School, Waipahu High School, Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Roosevelt High School, Punahou School, Saint Louis School, Kaiser High School, Kalāheo High School, Castle High School and Asia Pacific International School, �鶹��ý Campus.