Assessing the Impacts of Human Activities on Whales and Dolphins

The goal of this study is to measure the short- and long-term impacts that human activities,  such as climate change, vessel traffic, fisheries, and marine tourism can have on the target  populations and use scientific data to advise on best practices and sustainable co-existence.

Climate Change

In the last century, humans have been accelerating the rate of climate change to dangerous and unsustainable levels. An increase in strength and frequency of weather events, both on land and in the ocean, have threatened species survival. In addition, many natural processes in the ocean are being affected by the increase in sea surface temperatures. The humpback whale, due to its long migration patterns and reliance on cool, nutrient-rich water, is a good indicator of how climate change is affecting the ocean’s productivity and health.

Pacific Whale Foundation researchers are contributors to the world’s first international research project aimed to establish an understanding of how changing ocean conditions influence the recovery of whale populations in the Southern Hemisphere. Along with PWF are more than 25 researchers from five countries gathering and contributing data to aid a team of researchers from six universities in building a model to predict whale distributions under future climate change scenarios, and help to investigate changes influencing population status and conservation of humpback whales.

Fisheries Interactions

Our research in Ecuador has revealed that fisheries interactions and bycatch is a significant threat to whales and dolphins in this region. We have documented numerous species of cetaceans becoming entangled and drowning in gill nets and even discovered marine mammals being used as bait in homemade fishing equipment. For this study, we have developed a community reporting network and from these reports we document stranded and entangled marine mammals. Our researchers are partnering with experts around the world to address entanglement in Latin America and work with the on-water community to develop mitigation strategies and provide assessment and response training.

Whale Watching

Wildlife watching is a multi-billion dollar industry that spans the globe and can have potentially  negative impacts on the targeted species. However, when conducted thoughtfully and  respectfully, tourism can have positive impacts not only on the animals but on their  environments as a whole. Conservation education, regulation compliance, and continued  monitoring and research contribute to the positive impacts of marine tourism. To this end, we provide annual trainings to tour operators in Machalilla National Park and emphasize our Be  Whale Aware code of conduct to minimize the potential impact caused by whale watching.

BLOGS