Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

Updating the Alaska Humpback Whale Collaborative Database

Project ID: J8W07100014

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: University of Alaska Southeast

Fiscal Year: 2010

Initial Funding: $26,139

Total Funding: $137,330

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Alaska Region

Principal Investigator: Straley, Jan

Agreement Technical Representative: Barry, Sheri

Abstract: National Park Service (NPS) staff at Glacier Bay National Park (GLBA) and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) will work together to update and maintain the collaborative “AK_Database” of humpback whale sightings and photographs, comprising data since the 1970s in southeastern Alaska. Under this agreement, along with cooperative management of the database structure and content, UAS will produce specific products from this database, including whale sighting histories from 2003 to 2008 for use in a recently completed Pacific Northwest (PNW) CESU project entitled “Estimating population size of humpback whales in Southeast Alaska using modified mark-recapture models.” UAS will also collaborate with NPS to reconcile photo-identification data from humpback whale research conducted in southeastern Alaska and northern British Colombia with results of genetic analysis of biopsy samples (collected during 2004-2006) for a concurrent PNW CESU project entitled “Linking genetic and long term sighting histories of individual humpback whales in a collaborative database.” UAS will also assist NPS with database modifications to incorporate the resulting genetic data into the AK_Database. The Alaska humpback whale collaborative database is a critical tool to better understand the movements and genetic structure of this endangered species.

Deliverables: