OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 BOWHEAD WHALE FEEDING ECOLOGY STUDY (BOWFEST) IN THE WESTERN BEAUFORT SEA Final Report National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349 Funding Agency: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region U.S. Department of the Interior 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99503-5823 Contract No. M08PG20021 July 15, 2013 This report does not constitute a publication and is for information only. All data herein are to be considered provisional. OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 Cover photo credit: Julie Mocklin (NMML-AFSC), Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) off Barrow, Alaska, September 2008. NMFS Permit No. 782-1719 This report has been reviewed by the Department of Interior and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. ii OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 BOWHEAD WHALE FEEDING ECOLOGY STUDY (BOWFEST) IN THE WESTERN BEAUFORT SEA Final Report Prepared for: Environmental Studies Program Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region Bureau of Ocean Energy Management U.S. Department of Interior 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500 Anchorage Alaska 99503-5823 Submitted through: National Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA U.S. Department of Commerce 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, Washington 98115-6349 This study was initiated and supported by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Anchorage, Alaska, through an Interagency Agreement between BOEM and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (M08PG20021), as part of the BOEM Alaska Environmental Studies Program. iii OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 REPORT AVAILABILITY This document is available to the public through: National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 FAX: (703) 605-6900 www.ntis.gov CITATION May be cited as: Shelden, K.E.W., and J.A. Mocklin, Editors. 2013. Bowhead Whale Feeding Ecology Study (BOWFEST) in the western Beaufort Sea. Final Report, OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114. National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349. Email of corresponding editors: [email protected] and [email protected] iv OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 Project Organization David Rugh1 – Program Coordinator (2007-2010); primary liaison with Minerals Management Service (MMS, now BOEM); delivered the original inter-agency proposal to MMS; set up contracts/grants with the respective institutions and individuals; guided program development; managed the budget; and report editor. Kim Shelden1 – Program Coordinator (2010-2013); set up contracts/grants with the respective institutions and individuals; guided program development; managed the budget; and report editor. Phillip Clapham1 – Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program Leader; primary liaison with BOEM (2010-2013). Julie Mocklin1 – coordinated BOWFEST workshops, assisted with contracts/grants; and report editor (2007-2013). Charles Monnett2 – MMS Contracting Officer Representative overseeing inter-agency agreement (2007-2011). Jeffrey Denton2 – BOEM Contracting Officer Representative overseeing inter-agency agreement (2011-2013). Project Principal Investigators and Participants (in alphabetical order) Billy Adams3 – Boat captain for small-vessel operations (tagging/opportunistic observations). Philip Alatalo4 – Broad-scale oceanographic operations. Carin Ashjian4 – PI of broad-scale oceanographic operations. Mark Baumgartner4 – PI of fine-scale oceanographic operations. Catherine Berchok1 – PI of passive acoustic projects. Frederick Brower3– Boat captain for small-vessel operations (passive acoustics/opportunistic observations). Harry Brower3 – Boat captain during small-boat surveys. Robert Campbell5 – Co-PI of broad-scale oceanographic operations. Rob Delong6 – Analyzed small-boat survey data. Carter Esch4 – Doctoral student working on fine-scale oceanographic and acoustic studies. John “Craig” George3 – PI of boat-based studies and field coordinator for all BOWFEST projects 2008-2012. Stephanie Grassia1 – Analyzed passive acoustic data. Kimberly Goetz1 – Co-PI of aerial surveys. Cyd Hans3 – Assisted with coordinating grants between NMML and NSB. Sara Heimlich7 – Analyzed passive acoustic data. Gil Hillman8 – Developed automated matching program for bowhead whale photographs. Lara Horstmann9(also Horstmann-Dehn or Dehn) – Co-PI of bowhead digestive efficiency research. Bill Kopplin – Skipper of the broad-scale oceanographic vessel Annika Marie. William Koski10 – Analyzed photographs of bowhead whales and calibration targets. Don LeRoi11 – Designed and installed aerial photogrammetric equipment. Dave Mellinger7 – Analyzed passive acoustic data. v OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 Julie Mocklin1 – Co-PI of aerial surveys and aerial photographic projects. Sue Moore12 – Consulted with the passive acoustics team. Sarah Mussoline4 – Assisted with fine-scale oceanographic studies. Sharon Nieukirk7– Analyzed passive acoustic data. NOAA Aircraft Operation Center – Twin Otter pilots: Jason Mansour, Wally Pierce, and Nicole Cabana (2007); Nicholas Toth and Jon French (2008); Nicholas Toth and Chris Daniels (2009); Bradley Fritzler and Rob Mitchell (2010); Bradley Fritzler and Francisco Fuenmayor (2011); mechanics: Ron Pauley (2007-2009); Mike Merek (2009); Rob Miletic (2010); Sean Campbell (2011). Steve Okkonen9 – Co-PI of broad-scale oceanographic operations. Billy Okpeaha3 – Barrow boat captain during small-boat surveys. Melissa Patrician4 – Assisted with fine-scale oceanographic operations. Dave Rugh1 – Co-PI of aerial survey and photoidentification project (2007-2010). Gay Sheffield13 – Co-PI of collection and analyses of bowhead stomach contents. Kim Shelden1 – Co-Chief Scientist on 2011 aerial survey. Christy Sims1 – Aerial survey observer (2011). Mari Smultea14 – PI of literature review on studies documenting bowhead whales in the Alaskan Arctic. Robert Suydam3 – Consultant at the North Slope Borough. Kate Stafford15 – Co-PI of passive acoustic studies and assisted with fine-scale oceanographic operations. Barbara Tudor3 – Assisted with small-boat operations/coordination. Kelly Trask10 – Analyzed photographs of bowhead whales and calibration targets. Dana Wright16 – Analyzed passive acoustic data. Acronyms, Affiliations, and Addresses 1 NMML (National Marine Mammal Lab, AFSC, NOAA Fisheries Service), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349. 2 BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management), 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99503-5823. 3 NSB-DWM (North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management), Box 69, Barrow, AK 99723. 4 WHOI (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Dept. of Biology, Woods Hole, MA 02543. 5 URI (University of Rhode Island), Graduate School of Oceanography, Narragansett, RI 02882- 1197. 6 DeLongview Enterprises, Fairbanks, AK. 7 OSU (Oregon State University), Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, 2030 S. Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365. 8 UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch), Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Galveston, TX 77555-1031. 9 UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Institute of Marine Science, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220. vi OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 10 LGL (LGL Ltd, environmental research associates), 22 Fisher St., P.O. Box 280, King City, Ontario, Canada L7B 1A6. 11 Aerial Imaging Solutions, 5 Myrica Way, Old Lyme, CT 06371-1874. 12 S&T-PMEL (Science & Technology-Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, OAR, NOAA), 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-6349. 13 UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Marine Advisory Program, Nome, AK. 14 SES (Smultea Environmental Sciences, LLC), 29333 SE 64th St., Issaquah, WA 98027. 15 UW (University of Washington), Applied Physics Lab, 1013 NE 40th St., Seattle, WA 98115. 16 UM (University of Maine), School of Marine Sciences, 5706 Aubert Hall, Orono, ME 04469. vii OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 Page intentionally left blank viii OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROJECT ORGANIZATION . v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 1 INTRODUCTION . 13 SECTION I - AERIAL SURVEYS Rugh, Goetz, Mocklin, Vate Brattström, and Shelden . 17 SECTION II - PASSIVE ACOUSTIC MONITORING Berchok, Grassia, Stafford, Wright, Mellinger, Nieukirk, Moore, George, and Brower . 75 SECTION III - MOORINGS AND BROAD-SCALE OCEANOGRAPHY A – MOORINGS Okkonen . 143 B - BROAD-SCALE OCEANOGRAPHY Ashjian, Campbell, Okkonen, and Alatalo . 153 SECTION IV - TAGGING AND FINE-SCALE OCEANOGRAPHY Baumgartner . 195 SECTION V - NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH RESEARCH A - LOCAL BOAT SURVEYS George, Tudor, and Delong . 223 B - DIET STUDIES Sheffield and George . 253 C - BOWHEAD WHALE DIGESTIVE EFFICIENCY Horstmann-Dehn and George . 279 SECTION VI - PROJECT INTEGRATION AND CONCLUSIONS . 319 SECTION VII – SUMMARY OF PRODUCTS . 341 ix OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 Page intentionally left blank x OCS Study BOEM 2013-0114 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Bowhead Whale Feeding Ecology Study (BOWFEST) was initiated in May 2007 through an Interagency Agreement (formal title: The bowhead whale feeding variability in the western Beaufort Sea: feeding observations and