_______________ OCS Study BOEM 2013-01110 Satellite Tracking of Bowhead Whales Movements and Analysis from 2006 to 2012 Final Report U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Region www.boem.gov OCS Study BOEM 2013-01110 _______________ OCS Study BOEM 2013-01110 Prepared under BOEM Contract M10PC00085 ii Satellite Tracking of Bowhead Whales: Movements and Analysis from 2006 to 2012 Authors Lori T. Quakenbush Robert J. Small John J. Citta Prepared under BOEM Contract M10PC00085 by Alaska Department of Fish and Game P.O. Box 25526 Juneau, Alaska 99802-5526 Published by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Anchorage, Alaska Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region August 2013 iii DISCLAIMER This report was prepared under contract between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM, and it has been approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of BOEM, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. It is, however, exempt from review and compliance with BOEM editorial standards. REPORT AVAILABILITY This report may be downloaded from the boem.gov website through the Environmental Studies Program Information System (ESPIS) by referencing OCS Study BOEM 2013-01110. It is also available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website adfg.alaska.gov. You will be able to obtain this report also from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. Here are the addresses. You may also inspect copies at selected Federal Depository Libraries. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Ocean Energy Management National Technical Information Service Alaska Region 5285 Port Royal Road Environmental Studies Section Springfield, Virginia 22161 3801 Centerpoint Dr. Suite 500 Phone: (703) 605-6040 Anchorage, AK 99503-5823 Fax: (703) 605-6900 Telephone requests may be placed at Email: [email protected] (907) 334-5200 Fax: (907) 334-5242 CITATION Quakenbush, L.T., R.J. Small, and J.J. Citta. 2013. Satellite tracking of bowhead whales: movements and analysis from 2006 to 2012. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region, Anchorage, AK. OCS Study BOEM 2013-01110. 60 pp + appendices. iv The Department of the Interior Mission As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the sound use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish, wildlife and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island communities. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) works to manage the exploration and development of the nation's offshore resources in a way that appropriately balances economic development, energy independence, and www.boem.gov environmental protection through oil and gas leases, renewable energy development and environmental reviews and studies. v Project Organization Page Authors: Lori T. Quakenbush (B.S., M.S.) is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist IV and Program Leader for the Arctic Marine Mammal Program within the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Her role in this project was that of Principal Investigator and Project Manager and her activities included coordination, communication, contracting, permitting, tagging, presentations, report writing, and manuscript preparation. Robert J. Small, PhD. is a Wildlife Scientist I and the Statewide Marine Mammal Program Leader within the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. His role in this project was that of Principal Investigator and his activities included coordination, contracting, permits, tagging in Canada, report and manuscript preparation. John J. Citta, PhD. is a Biometrician II with the Arctic Marine Mammal Program within the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. His role in this project was data management, archive, and analysis, weekly map production and distribution, and presentation, report, and manuscript preparation. Key Project Personnel: John “Craig” George, PhD. is a Senior Wildlife Biologist for the North Slope Borough (NSB), Department of Wildlife Management. He is a bowhead whale expert and his role in this project was to coordinate project and tagging activities in the NSB, communicate with the AEWC and Whaling Captain’s Associations, and prepare manuscripts. Mads Peter Heidi-Jørgensen, PhD. is a Senior Scientist with the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and is an expert in tagging large whales in Greenland, Canada, Russia, and South America. His group with includes Mikkel and Anders Villum Jensen have developed and provided the tags and some of the tag deployment equipment. Mikkel and Anders Jensen also deployed tags and trained others in tag deployment. Lois Harwood is a Wildlife Biologist with the Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. She provided coordination, contracting, permitting, personnel, and secured funding for tagging operations in Canada. Harry Brower, Jr., Lewis Brower, Billy Adams, George Tagarook, Eddie Arey, Tom Akeya, and Clarence Irrigoo are Alaskan Subsistence whalers who were key participants as taggers and boat drivers. James Pokiak, Charles Pokiak, Angus Alunik, Dennis Arey, Larry Arey, Pat Kasook, Buddy Gruben, Douglas Panaktalok are Canadian hunters and trappers who were key participants as taggers and boat drivers. vi Table of Contents List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................ xi Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1 Goals and Objectives ....................................................................................................................2 Overall Objectives ........................................................................................................................2 Objective 1 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 2 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 3 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 4 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 5 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 6 ...............................................................................................................................2 Objective 7 ................................................................................................................................3 Objective 8 ...............................................................................................................................3 Methods ...........................................................................................................................................3 Coordination .................................................................................................................................3 Tagging .........................................................................................................................................3 Genetic Analyses ..........................................................................................................................5 Bowhead Whales ......................................................................................................................5 Gray Whales .............................................................................................................................5 Photo-identification ......................................................................................................................5 Mapping .......................................................................................................................................6 Movement Analyses .....................................................................................................................6 Data Management