About This Project

The waters of the western New York Bight are located just outside the city of Manhattan, NY. Humpback whale sightings in this area appear to be increasing, and due to the presence of high human activity, it has become necessary to conduct an investigation. This study will analyze trends in sightings and distribution, identify relationships with environmental variables, and document seasonal residence. The results will identify critical areas, providing evidence towards the need for management.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Through my work at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in NJ, I became greatly familiar with the local marine mammals. I began to notice that there were increasing reports of humpback whales in the western New York Bight (NYB) from May to October. Unfortunately most research in this area is concentrated further east and offshore. When I entered graduate school, I knew that I wanted to change that. Previous studies in the coastal Mid-Atlantic have focused mainly on Virginia, and reported that humpback whale distribution was sporadic and occurred primarily during the winter (Swingle, et al., 1993). Other recent available data comes from whale watching vessels and anecdotal reports. A formal study is necessary to scientifically document these whales, and provide a baseline for future research.

What is the significance of this project?

Are humpback whale sightings in the western NYB increasing? This is the main focus of this research. The answer to this question will set the stage for future research on humpback whales in this area. Why is this important? Because the western NYB is an area of the highest vessel activity on the East Coast of the United States. It is where major shipping lanes to the Port of NY and NJ converge, along with additional commercial and recreational fishing traffic. Increasing numbers of humpback whales could mean an increase in human-wildlife conflict. Furthermore, documenting sighting locations and understanding what environmental variables drive their distribution will help in identifying critical areas for future management.

What are the goals of the project?

Most significantly, the goal of this project is to highlight the increasing presence of humpback whales in the western NYB. To answer this question, field work will be performed from June through October aboard a whale watching vessel in Queens, NY. On-board methods will include documenting the first and last location of each humpback whale sighting and taking photographs for individual identification. Statistical analyses will be performed on new and historic data to analyze trends in sightings, and determine whether GPS locations are clustered in areas of specific sea surface temperature or depth. Additionally, residence times of individual whales will be determined by the time between the first and last sightings of each individual within the field season.