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NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS T O F C E N O M M T M R E A R P C E E D MARCH 2011 U N A I C T I E R D E M ST A AT E S OF GLOBAL REVIEW OF HUMPBACK WHALES (Megaptera novaeangliae) Alyson Fleming and Jennifer Jackson NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-474 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), organized in 1970, has evolved into an agency that establishes national policies and manages and conserves our oceanic, coastal, and atmospheric resources. An organizational element within NOAA, the Office of Fisheries is responsible for fisheries policy and the direction of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In addition to its formal publications, the NMFS uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum series to issue informal scientific and technical publications when complete formal review and editorial processing are not appropriate or feasible. Documents within this series, however, reflect sound professional work and may be referenced in the formal scientific and technical literature. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS ATMO SP This TM series is used for documentation and timely communication of preliminary results, interim reports, or special ND HE A RI C C purpose information. The TMs have not received complete formal review, editorial control, or detailed editing. I A N D A E M I C N O I S L T A R N A T O I I O T A N N U . E S C . R D E EP M AR OM TMENT OF C MARCH 2011 GLOBAL REVIEW OF HUMPBACK WHALES (Megaptera novaeangliae) 1,2Alyson Fleming and 3Jennifer Jackson 1University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography [email protected] 2Protected Resources Division Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 3333 North Torrey Pines Court, La Jolla, California 92037 3Marine Research Limited [email protected] NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFSC-474 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Gary F. Locke, Secretary National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Jane Lubchenco, Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere National Marine Fisheries Service Eric C. Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries TABLE OF CONTENTS I INTRODUCTION 7 II OBJECTIVE 7 III BACKGROUND AND LISTING HISTORY 7 IV SPECIES DESCRIPTION AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY 8 V DIFFERENTIATION/DISTINCTIVENESS OF SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN HEMISPHERE POPULATIONS 8 VI NATURAL HISTORY 9 A) Reproduction 10 B) Mortality 11 C) Distribution and Migratory Patterns 12 1. Northern Hemisphere 12 2. Southern Hemisphere 12 D) Feeding 13 1. Northern Hemsiphere 13 2. Southern Hemisphere 14 VII THREATS AND POTENTIALLY ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM HUMAN ACTIVITIES 15 A) Anthropogenic impacts 15 1. Ship Strikes 15 2. Anthropogenic Sound 17 3. Pollution 18 4. Tourism and Research Activities 20 5. Fishery Interactions 21 6. Scientific Whaling and other Commercial Hunts 23 7. Subsistence Hunting 23 B) Non-anthropogenic impacts 24 1. Parasites 24 2. Predation 25 C) Potential Threats 25 1. Climate Change 25 2. Commercial Whaling 27 3 VIII REGULATORY BODIES WITH CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMPBACK WHALES 28 A) International 28 B) Domestic 32 IX STATUS OF NORTH ATLANTIC POPULATIONS 33 A) Distribution and population structure 33 B) Abundance 42 C) Genetic diversity 45 D) Trends 45 E) Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 46 F) Threats and anthropogenic impacts 47 G) Recovery from Exploitation 50 X STATUS OF NORTH PACIFIC POPULATIONS 51 A) Distribution and population structure 51 B) Abundance 64 C) Genetic diversity 65 D) Trends 65 E) Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 66 F) Threats and anthropogenic impacts 67 G) Recovery from Exploitation 70 XI STATUS OF THE NORTHERN INDIAN OCEAN POPULATION 71 A) Distribution and population structure 71 B) Abundance 72 C) Genetic diversity 73 D) Trends 73 E) Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 73 F) Threats and anthropogenic impacts 74 G) Recovery from Exploitation 75 XII STATUS OF SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE POPULATIONS 76 A) Summary of current IWC stock definitions and divisions 76 B) Population summary of Antarctic feeding grounds 77 C) Population summary of Southern Hemisphere breeding grounds 78 4 1. Southwestern Atlantic Ocean 78 i. Distribution and population structure 78 ii. Abundance 80 iii. Genetic Diversity 80 iv. Trends 80 v. Habitat and Ecosystem Conditions 80 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 81 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 83 2. Southeastern and central Eastern Atlantic Ocean 84 i. Distribution and population structure 84 ii. Abundance 88 iii. Genetic Diversity 88 iv. Trends 89 v. Habitat and Ecosystem Conditions 89 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 91 vii Recovery from Exploitation 92 3. Southwestern Indian Ocean 93 i. Distribution and population structure 93 ii. Abundance 97 iii. Genetic Diversity 99 iv. Trends 99 v. Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 99 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 101 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 103 4. Southeastern Indian Ocean 104 i. Distribution and population structure 104 ii. Abundance 106 iii. Genetic Diversity 107 iv. Trends 107 v. Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 108 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 109 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 110 6. Southwestern Pacific Ocean 111 i. Distribution and population structure 111 ii. Abundance 113 iii. Genetic Diversity 114 iv. Trends 114 v. Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 115 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 116 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 117 7. South Pacific Islands (Oceania) 118 i. Distribution and population structure 118 ii. Abundance 124 5 iii. Genetic Diversity 124 iv. Trends 125 v. Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 125 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 126 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 128 8. Southeastern Pacific Ocean 129 i. Distribution and population structure 129 ii. Abundance 132 iii. Genetic Diversity 133 iv. Trends 133 v. Habitat or Ecosystem Conditions 133 vi. Threats and Anthropogenic Impacts 135 vii. Recovery from Exploitation 138 XIII FIGURES 140 XIV APPENDICES 151 A) Appendix 1 151 B) Appendix 2 163 XV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 164 XVI LITERATURE REVIEW 165 Cover Photo: Aerial photograph of humpback whale mother and calf provided by Wayne Perryman, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, La Jolla, CA. *Authorship: Both authors contributed equally to this document. 6 I. INTRODUCTION This review presents the best available scientific information relevant to assessing the status of the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Humpback whale population structure is described by incorporating information on spatial distribution, migratory connections and genetic population differentiation. Data on abundance and trends are presented relative to population structure. Habitat conditions, threats and recovery status are discussed. In December 1970, the humpback whale was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969. When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in 1973, the humpback whale was automatically incorportated onto the ESA‟s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants with an endangered designation, along with all other previously listed large whale species. A Final Recovery Plan was published for the humpback whale in 1991. All humpback whale populations were listed as one global entity or species under the Act. The listing status of the various populations should reflect current and best available scientific information; hence a review is now being undertaken. II. OBJECTIVE The objective of this report is to summarize all relevant information needed for assessing the validity of the current listing, if warranted. This document reflects the best available information on population structure, abundance, health and recovery. III. BACKGROUND AND LISTING HISTORY F.R. Notice citation announcing initiation of this review: 74 FR 40568; August 12, 2009 Listing History Original Listing: The humpback whale was listed under the precursor to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, and was provided an “Endangered” designation under the ESA‟s List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants in 1973. The humpback whale remains listed as Endangered under the ESA as one global species. FR notice: 35 FR 18319 Date listed: December 2, 1970 Entity listed: Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Classification: Endangered 7 Recovery Plan or Outline Name of plan: Final Recovery Plan for the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Date issued: November, 1991 Dates of previous revisions: N/A IV. SPECIES DESCRIPTION AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY Humpback whales are large, globally distributed, baleen whales with long pectoral flippers, distinct ventral fluke patterning, dark dorsal coloration, a highly varied acoustic call (termed „song‟) and a diverse repertoire of behavior. Coloring of the ventral surface varies from white to marbled to fully black. Humpback whale pectoral flippers are typically white in the North Atlantic and black in the North Pacific (Clapham, 2002). Body lengths differ between the sexes with females being approximately 1-1.5m longer than males. The maximum reliably reported body lengths are 17.4 meters for a male and 16.2 meters for a female, both taken in Antarctica (Chittleborough, 1965). The largest individuals recorded at the California whaling stations of Moss Landing and Trinidad were an 18.6m female and a 17.4m male, and though it is unclear how reliable the measurements from these stations are, there is a possibility that individuals of this length existed in
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