Draft Biological Report for the Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the Central America, Mexico, and Western North Pacific Distinct Population Segments of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) Prepared by: National Marine Fisheries Service U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration May, 2019 1 Draft Biological Report – Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Cover photo: Humpback whale breaching in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Photo by John Moran, NOAA AFSC (under NMFS Permit 14122). Acknowledgements NMFS is grateful for the commitment of time and generous contribution of expertise by the talented people who served on the Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Review Team: Kevin Brindock, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office Phil Clapham, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center Karen Kavanaugh, NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services Laura Koehn, NMFS Office of Protected Resources, Sea Grant Fellow Marc Lammers, NOS Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary Lisa Manning, NMFS Office of Protected Resources Rob O’Conner, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office Jessica Redfern, NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center Suzie Teerlink, NMFS Alaska Regional Office Nancy Young, NMFS West Coast Regional Office NMFS also acknowledges the essential assistance of both Rob O’Conner and Karen Kavanaugh, who created and managed the many GIS products necessary to complete this work. It would not have been possible to accomplish the many logistical, technical, and scientific aspects of the CHRT’s work without the expert and kind help of many people, including: Jeff Adams, Scott Baker, Elizabeth Becker, John Calambokidis, Ryan DeWitt, Megan Ferguson, Karin Forney, Nancy Friday, Christine Gabriele, Jolie Harrison, Marie Hill, Yulia Ivashchenko, Josh Lindsey, Ed Lyman, Bruce Mate, John Moran, Daniel Palacios, Eric Patterson, Alison Stimpert, William Sydeman, Julie Thayer, Jarrod Santora, Justin Viezbicke, Paul Wade, Janice Waite, Sarah Wilkin, Amilee Wilson, Alex Zerbini, and Juan Zwolinski. Special thanks goes out to all these people for tolerating our many questions and requests along the way. 2 Draft Biological Report – Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Acronyms BIA Biologically Important Area ESA Endangered Species Act CAM Central America DPS CCE California Current Ecosystem CHRT Critical Habitat Review Team CPS Coastal Pelagic Species DPS Distinct Population Segment EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone FMP Fisheries Management Plan MLLW Mean Lower Low Water MX Mexico DPS NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOS National Ocean Service NRC National Research Council PFMC Pacific Fisheries Management Council WNP Western North Pacific DPS 3 Draft Biological Report – Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Executive Summary This report contains a synthesis and assessment of the best scientific data available to support a critical habitat determination under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for three distinct population segments (DPSs) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) – the Mexico, Central America, and Western North Pacific DPSs. These DPSs were listed under the ESA on September 8, 2016, when the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a final rule revising the global listing of humpback whales (81 FR 62260). Once listed, the ESA requires that, to the maximum extent prudent and determinable, critical habitat be designated for endangered and threatened species based on the best scientific data available. NMFS convened a critical habitat review team (CHRT) consisting of 10 biologists from NMFS and the National Ocean Service (NOS) to evaluate critical habitat for each of the three DPSs of humpback whales. CHRT members gathered, synthesized, and reviewed the best scientific data available to 1) determine the geographical area occupied by each DPS, 2) identify habitat features essential to the conservation of each DPS, 3) delineate specific areas within the geographical area occupied that contain at least one essential habitat feature that may require special management considerations or protection, and 4) assess the relative conservation value of all identified specific areas. The geographical area occupied by the threatened Mexico DPS of humpback whales includes breeding areas off mainland Mexico and the Revillagigedo Islands; transiting areas off Baja California; and feeding areas in the North Pacific Ocean, primarily off California-Oregon, off northern Washington/southern British Columbia, in the Gulf of Alaska, and in the East Bering Sea (50 CFR 223.102(e)). The geographical area occupied by the endangered Central America DPS includes breeding areas off Central America (from Panama north to Guatemala, and possibly into southern Mexico) and feeding areas along the West Coast of the United States (California, Oregon, and Washington) and southern British Columbia (50 CFR 224.101(h)). Humpback whales of the endangered Western North Pacific DPS occupy breeding areas off Okinawa and the Philippines (as well as a poorly described breeding ground in the Western North Pacific Ocean), transiting areas around Ogasawara, and feeding areas in the North Pacific Ocean, primarily in the West Bering Sea and off the Russian coast and the Aleutian Islands (50 CFR 224.101(h)). Because critical habitat cannot be designated in foreign countries or areas outside of U.S. jurisdiction, the CHRT limited its review to habitats occupied and used by the whales within U.S. waters, which primarily serve as feeding areas. Based on the CHRT’s review of the best available scientific data, the CHRT unanimously concluded that prey within humpback whale feeding areas are essential to the conservation of each of the three DPSs of humpback whales. This essential feature was defined as follows: Prey species, primarily euphausiids and small pelagic schooling fishes of sufficient quality, abundance, and accessibility within humpback whale feeding areas to support feeding and population growth. 4 Draft Biological Report – Humpback Whale Critical Habitat The CHRT concluded that this essential feature may require special management considerations or protections as a result of ecosystem shifts driven by climate change, commercial fisheries, and pollution. Within the geographic areas occupied, the CHRT identified nine specific areas encompassing 122,809 square nautical miles (nmi2) of marine habitat for the Western North Pacific DPS, nine specific areas encompassing 62,947 nmi2 of marine habitat for the Central America DPS, and 19 specific areas encompassing 207,908 nmi2 of marine habitat for the Mexico DPS - all of which contain the identified essential feature. The Western North Pacific and Central America DPSs do not have any specific areas in common; however, 12 of the 19 specific areas identified for the Mexico DPS are shared with one of the other DPSs (see Figure ES1). As a final step, the CHRT evaluated each of the specific areas to assess their relative conservation value for each humpback whale DPS. Results of that analysis (shown in Figure 19 and Table 3 of this report) may be used to inform a potential, subsequent analysis comparing the benefits of designating any particular area to the impacts of designating the particular area. Figure ES1. The 19 units of critical habitat by DPS. 5 Draft Biological Report – Humpback Whale Critical Habitat Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 4 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................ 8 List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... 10 Background ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................................................ 12 Species Description and Life History.......................................................................................................... 13 General Overview ................................................................................................................................... 13 Distribution and Habitat Use .................................................................................................................. 16 Breeding and Calving Areas ................................................................................................................ 16 Feeding Areas ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Fidelity to Feeding Areas ................................................................................................................. 20 Fine-Scale Usage Patterns ............................................................................................................... 24 Migratory Areas .................................................................................................................................