Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies

Satellite-monitored radio tags have yielded important information for the conservation and management of large whales. Tags provide far greater detail on large whale movements and habitat use than more traditional studies, and past tagging projects have revealed the existence of entirely unknown whale habitats. As such, tagging represents an important tool for the conservation of whales. However, it is not uncommon for tags to stop transmitting within days to months of deployment, and follow-up studies on the individuals have been limited. Further work is needed to improve the scientific and conservation value of this technology.

Satellite tagging is now being studied and improved as part of our research on Gulf of Maine humpback whales. PCCS has studied this population since the 1970s, and its strong fidelity to feeding sites, long feeding ground residency and accessibility are expected to allow repeated observations of tagged whales within the tagging year and many years into the future. Learn more about our population studies here.

The primary goals of this project are to characterize physical and physiological responses to the tag; to provide data to optimize tag performance and minimize tag loss and impact; and to better understand possible effects on individuals.

Satellite tags were deployed in July by our collaborators, tagging experts at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (Seattle, WA). Whales were tagged in and adjacent to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, north of Cape Cod, MA. PCCS is monitoring tagged whales on a weekly basis through the feeding season to evaluate whale and tag status. Another unique aspect of the study is the contribution of whale watching naturalists who are also sharing of their sightings and images of tagged whales with PCCS.

The project will also produce new information on humpback whale movement and habitat use in relation to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. A composite map of the movements of tagged whales can be viewed below (updated daily).

Lagged tracks of individual whales can be found here.

PCCS has studied "Colt" since his birthyear in 1981.

"Colt"with a satellite tag. See his track here.

Movements of tagged Gulf of Maine humpback whales off Cape Cod, MA (USA).

Data hosting and visualization provided by seaturtle.org

Individual whale movements can be viewed here

This project is being undertaken by multi-institutional team with expertise in whale behavior, ecology, anatomy, physiology, telemetry and wound healing processes. In additional to the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, our collaborators include the Australian Antarctic Division, Cascadia Research Collective and The Marine Mammal Center.

Primary research funding for this project comes from NOAA and Exxon through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This is a project of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). Research is being performed under NOAA scientific permit #14245.