Keeping Wildlife Wild How to safely enjoy PACIFIC ISLANDS protected marine wildlife REGIONAL OFFICE Waikiki Swim Club Adam Kurtz Protected Resource Division February 23, 2019 Honolulu, HI
National Environmental National Weather Satellite, Data and Service Information Service National Ocean National Marine Office of Oceanic Office of Marine Service Fisheries Service & Atmospheric & Aviation Research Operations U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 2
Protected Resources Division Work to conserve, protect, and recover species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 3
Wildlife Mgmt. and Conservation Branch • Wildlife rescue responses. • Reduce adverse human-wildlife interactions. • Outreach that promote species conservation and recovery. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 4
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 5
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2018/12/07/seals-keep-getting-eels-stuck-up-their-noses/amp/ U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 6
https://www.foxnews.com/science/knife-wielding-monk-seal-pup-spotted-on-hawaii-beach U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 7
Wildlife Management? U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 8
My Job: Manage harmful human interactions with protected wildlife by promoting compliance of the federal wildlife conservation laws, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act through outreach and education efforts throughout the region. Prevent people from being JERKS to animals. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 9
https://www.fpir.noaa.gov/stories/07282017_tour_operator_fined_for_harassing_spinner_dolphins.html https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/hawaii-visitor-fined-harassing-protected-marine-animals-kauai https://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/08/28/breaking-news/3-swimmers-fined-for-pursuing-spinner-dolphins-at-makua/ https://www.khon2.com/news/local-news/visitors-fined-for-holding-endangered-turtle-on-hawaii-beach/1012620424 U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 10
Wildlife Viewing: Helpful or Harmful? Wildlife viewing by residents and tourists is essential for education and conservation awareness of the species Irresponsible actions by wildlife viewers X can disturb and harm marine wildlife
Teaching = people how to respect wildlife. GOALS: Conservation & Recovery U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 12
Endangered Species Act Endangered = in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Threatened = likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 13
Endangered Species Act Illegal to take Harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or attempt to do those things to the species. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 14
Marine Mammal Protection Act Illegal to take = harass, hunt, capture, collect, kill any marine mammal or attempt to do so. Harassment includes human acts of pursuit, torment, or annoyance, which have the potential to: • Level A - injure a marine mammal, • Level B – disturb a marine mammal, by causing a disruption of behavioral patterns. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 15
Humpback whale Green sea turtle Hawaiian spinner dolphin Hawaiian monk seal ESA MMPA Bottlenose dolphin Insular false Hawksbill sea turtle killer whale Pilot whale U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 16
Why Should We Protect Them? • Important part of the marine ecosystem: • Apex predators; keystone species. • Charismatic megafauna: • Long-living; intelligent; sentinel species. • Many threats are man-made: • Disturbance, fishery interactions, entanglements, ingesting marine debris, contaminants and pollution, habitat degradation, boat strikes, disease, illegal hunting, man-made noise, and climate change. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 17
Impacts of Human Interactions Repeated interactions with humans can change an animal’s natural behavior and hurt its chances of survival: • Uses up precious energy. • Causes physiological stress. • Lowers reproductive success. • Affects socializing and communication. • Changes behaviors needed to survive (feeding, breeding, sheltering, etc.). • Conditions or habituates to humans. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 18
Commonly Viewed Protected Marine Species
Sea Turtles in Hawai`i Hawaiian green Hawaiian hawksbill honu honu`ea
Sea Turtles – Quick Facts Green Sea Turtle Hawksbill Sea Turtle Scientific name: Scientific name: Chelonia mydas Eretmochelys imbricata ESA List Status: Threatened ESA List Status: Endangered • Forages at Hāmākua coast on • Forages throughout Hawaiian Islands. Hawai`i Island and West Maui. • Nesting area at Ka`ū coast on • Nesting area mostly at French Frigate Shoals. BI; S. Maui; E. Moloka`i. • Forage mostly on sea grasses • Eat sponges, invertebrates, and and algae. algae.
Sea Turtles – Identification Green Sea Turtle Hawksbill Sea Turtle 1 2 1 2 3 4 Two scales Narrow head and Four scales Rounded head pointed beak between eyes between eyes Scutes adjoining Hatchlings dark Scutes overlapping Hatchlings all (tiles) (roof shingles) gray w/ white trim brown
Hawaiian Monk Seals `ilioholoikauaua “Dog that runs in the rough seas”
Hawaiian Monk Seals – Quick Facts Scientific name: Neomonachus schauinslandi Legal protection: • ESA (Endangered). • MMPA (Depleted). • ~1,400 total individuals. • ~1,100 in NWHI. • ~300 in MHI. • “Generalist” feeders. • Squid, octopus, crustaceans, eel, • various fish.
Dolphins and Whales in Hawai`i • ~26 species of dolphins and whales in Hawaiian waters. • Eight large whale species. • 18 small whale & dolphin species. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 25
Humpback Whales koholā U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 26
Humpback Whale – Species Profile Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae Legal protection: • MMPA (Depleted). • Migrate from Alaska (feeding • grounds) to Hawai`i (breeding grounds) in the winter. ~10k – 12k individuals in Hawai`i. • Feed mostly on krill. • Young calves frequently seen in • Hawaiian waters. Adapted by the HIHWNMS using migration data from the SPLASH project U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 27
Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins nai`a U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 28
Spinner Dolphin – Species Profile Scientific name: Stenella longirostris longirostris Legal protection: • MMPA. • Six island-associated stocks: • Kauai/Ni`ihau. • O`ahu/4-Islands Region. • Hawai`i Island. • Kure/Midway, Pearl and Hermes • Reef, Pelagic (offshore). Eat fish, squid, and shrimp: • One to four prey items per minute. • U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 29
A Day in the Life of a Spinner Dolphin At night: “working the During day: use shallow bays nightshift” to hunt offshore in to rest, nurture young, large groups. socialize and avoid predators. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 30
Intense Viewing Pressure • Easy to access for wildlife tour operators. • Intense viewing pressure during critical daytime resting period. • Advertising and social media often encourage close encounters. • Hawaii Island study (Tyne et al.): Number of dolphin-directed • Exposed to human activities (within tours across the MHI 100 m) 83% of the time and only about 10 min in between exposures. • Highest rates of human exposure than anywhere else in the world. U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 31
Swimmers’ Actions that Cause Disturbance: • Closely approaching. • Pursuit (following or chasing). • Diving down towards animals. • Eliciting a response (making noises, splashing, leaf game). U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 32
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