Humpback whales distributed in the western North Pacific Ocean are listed as an endangered species with limited information about their population size. For this research, joint surveys and studies were conducted on humpback whales in the same region by research groups from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of Hawaii, Far Eastern Branch Russian Academy of Science, BALAYENA. ORG (Philippines), Ogasawara Whale Watching Association, Ogasawara Marine Center and Okinawa Churashima Foundation. The results of this research revealed a previously unknown breeding ground in the Mariana Archipelago. Female humpback whales with newborn calves were confirmed during the winter breeding season in the areas surrounding the Mariana Archipelago, and 30% of individuals observed were confirmed in the past in other breeding and feeding grounds in the western North Pacific Ocean. This finding is vital to the progression of conservation planning of humpback whales in areas of the western North Pacific Ocean including Okinawa.

Authors

Marie C. Hill, Amanda L. Bradford, Debbie Steel, C. Scott Baker, Allan D. Ligon, Adam C. Ü, Jo Marie V. Acebes, Olga A. Filatova, Siri Hakala, Nozomi Kobayashi, Yukari Morimoto, Haruna Okabe, Ryosuke Okamoto, Julie Rivers, Takayuki Sato, Olga V. Titova, Robert K. Uyeyama, Erin M. Oleson (太字：財団職員)

Title of Paper

Found: a missing breeding ground for endangered western North Pacific humpback whales in the Mariana Archipelago

Title of Journal

ENDANGERED SPECIES RESEARCH

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01010