2018 Annual Meeting
A Spotlight on the Pacific Northwest and Alaska
The Commission would like to thank all who attended our 2018 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA.
The Commission’s 2018 Annual Meeting on May 29-31, 2018 in Seattle, Washington focuses on Pacific Northwest and Alaskan marine mammal science and management issues. Some of the major topics include impacts of a changing ocean, conservation concerns related to recovering pinniped populations, southern resident killer whales, West Coast large whale entanglements, sea otters, and Alaskan species of concern. Following the meeting, this page will host the presentations and brief summaries of each session below.
Click here for a PDF copy of the agenda. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or feedback.
Day 1: Tuesday May 29
8:30-10:00 AM: Executive Session (closed to public)
Morning Break
10:30 AM: Public Meeting Begins
- Welcome and Overview from the Chairman
Daryl Boness, Chairman, Marine Mammal Commission (MMC)
11:00-12:00 PM: Physical and Biological Characteristics of the North Pacific
Sue Moore, Senior Scientist, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Science and Technology
- Pacific Decadal Oscillation, El Niño Southern Oscillation, and “the Blob”
Nick Bond, Research Meteorologist, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory - On the Past, Present and Future of the California Current Upwelling System
Briana Abrahms, Research Ecologist, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center - The Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem: Lower Trophic Level Trends and Dynamics
David Kimmel, Lead Research Oceanographer, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Lunch Break
1:30-3:00 PM: Impacts of a Changing Ocean
Samantha Simmons, Scientific Program Director, MMC
- Domoic Acid and Harmful Algal Blooms: Impacts on the Ecosystem
Vera Trainer, Harmful Algal Bloom Team Lead, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center - Recent Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events
Frances Gulland, Commissioner, MMC - Status and Trends: Cetacean Abundance and Distribution in the North Pacific
Paul Wade, Research Fisheries Biologist, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center - Status and Trends: Pinniped Abundance and Distribution in the North Pacific
Tom Gelatt, Alaska Ecosystems Program Leader, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Afternoon Break
3:30-5:00 PM: Emerging Tools and Technologies
Randy Wells, Senior Conservation Scientist, Chicago Zoological Society
- Advances in Telemetry/Biologging Instruments: From New Sensor Development to Tag Attachment
Melinda Holland, CEO, Wildlife Computers & Robin Baird, Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective - Saildrones in the Bering Sea: Using Unmanned Surface Vehicles to Examine Relationships between Northern Fur Seals and their Prey
Jeremy Sterling/Carey Kuhn, Fisheries Biologists, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center - New Discoveries from Passive Acoustic Monitoring and Future Applications and Directions for its Use
Catherine Berchok, Research Zoologist, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center - Environmental DNA (eDNA): Advances and Applications to Conservation and Management of Cetaceans
C. Scott Baker, Professor and Associate Director of the Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
Day 1 Session Summaries
5:00-5:30 PM: Public comments, end of day recap, action items
Steller sea lions range along the North Pacific Rim from northern Japan to California (NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Laboratory)
Daryl Boness, Chairman, MMC
Day 2: Wednesday May 30
8:30-9:15 AM: Salmon Runs, Southern Resdient Killer Whales (SRKW), and Pinnipeds
Dennis Heinemann, Senior Advisor for Fisheries Policy & Ecology, MMC & Michael Gosliner, General Counsel, MMC
- Salmon Recovery and SRKW Status
Mike Ford, Director of Conservation Biology Division, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center - Pinnipeds and Salmon and Steelhead Marine Survial in Puget Sound
Erik Neatherlin, Science Director of the Fish Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
9:15-10:00 AM: Conservation Concerns Related to Recovering Pinniped Populations – Part 1
Jason Baker, Research Marine Biologist, NMFS Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center
- Addressing Direct Predation – Bonneville Dam
Robert Anderson, Acting Portland Branch Leader, NMFS West Coast Regional Office - Addressing Direct Predation – Willamette Falls
Bryan Wright, Acting Marine Mammal Program Leader, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife - Addressing Direct Predation – Pending Columbia River Legislation
Michael Gosliner, General Counsel, MMC
Morning Break
10:30 AM-12:00 PM: Conservation Concerns Related to Recovering Pinniped Populations – Part 2
Jason Baker, Research Marine Biologist, NMFS Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center
- Panel Discussion
Panelists in Addition to Presenters:
- Nate Pamplin, Policy Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Sharon Young, Marine Issues Field Director, Humane Society of the United States
- Guy Norman, Member, Northwest Power & Conservation Council
Lunch Break
1:30-3:00 PM: SRKW: Science – Status, Stressors, and Trends
Killer Whales – National Marine Mammal Laboratory
Robin Baird, Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective
- Introduction
Robin Baird, Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective - Population History, Status, Trends, Demography, Vital Rates, and Viability Analyses
Eric Ward, Biological Statistician, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center - Impacts of Prey Availability, Vessels, and Contaminants on Southern Resident Killer Whale Vital Rates
Rob Williams, Co-Founder, Oceans Initiative - Condition and Health: Connections to Ecology, Feeding, Social Behavior and Human Impacts
Dawn Noren, Research Fishery Biologist, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center - Panel Discussion
Panelists in Addition to Presenters
- Mike Ford, Director of Conservation Biology Division, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center
- Ken Balcomb, Founder and Senior Scientist, Center for Whale Research
- Gina Ylitalo, Environmental Chemistry Program Manager, NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center
- Sheila Thornton, Research Scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Jason Wood, Operations Manager & Senior Research Scientist, Sea Mammal Research Unit Consulting
- Joe Gaydos, Science Director, SeaDoc Society
Afternoon Break
3:30-5:00 PM: SRKW: Management- Existing and Planned Actions/Measures
Randy Wells, Senior Conservation Scientist, Chicago Zoological Society
- Introduction
Randy Wells, Senior Conservation Scientist, Chicago Zoological Society - Federal/Bilateral Actions Targeted at Reducing the Impact of Reduced Prey Availability
Elizabeth Babcock, Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Coordinator, NMFS West Coast Regional Office & Penny Becker, Policy Lead, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - State Actions Targeted at Reducing the Impact of Reduced Prey Availability
Penny Becker, Policy Lead, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - https://www.mmc.gov/wp-content/uploads/3.-Barre-NOAA-SRKW-recovery-implementation-2018-MMC.pdfOngoing and Emerging Federal/Local/Bilateral Management Actions and Policy Initiatives
Lynne Barre, Seattle Branch Leader, NMFS West Coast Regional Office - Panel Discussion
Panelists in Addition to Presenters
- Kendra Smith, Environmental Resources Manager, San Juan County Office
- Deborah Giles, Scientific Advisor and Coordinator, Orca Salmon Alliance
5:00-5:30 PM: Public comments, end of day recap, action items
Daryl Boness, Chairman, MMC
A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear. Image taken under NOAA MMHSRP permit #932-1905 (NOAA)
Day 3: Thursday May 31
8:30 AM-11:15 AM: West Coast Large Whale Entanglements
Randall Reeves, Chair of Committee of Scientific Advisors, MMC
- Introduction
Randall Reeves, Chair of Committee of Scientific Advisors, MMC - Increase in Entanglements: species, fisheries/gear, and spatial/temporal patterns
Dan Lawson, Fisheries Biologist, NMFS West Coast Regional Office - Potential Impacts: Stocks, populations impacts, and science gaps
Karen Martien, Operations Research Analyst, NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center - Mitigation Efforts: Federal, State, and Fisheries Prevention/Mitigation Efforts
Kelly Sayce, Facilitator of California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group, Strategic Earth Consulting; Geoff Shester, California Campaign Director, Oceana; and Dick Ogg, Fisherman, California Dungeness Crab Fishery - Mitigation of North Atlantic Large Whale Entanglements – What Has Worked and What Hasn’t
Tim Werner, Senior Scientist and Director, Bycatch Program, New England Aquarium
Morning Break
- Panel Discussion
Panelists in Addition to Presenters
- Sheila Garber, Purchasing and Sales, Englund Marine & Industrial Supply
- Daniel Ayers, Coastal Shellfish Manager, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
11:15-12:00 PM: Southeast Alaska Harbor Porpoises
Patty Rosel, Research Geneticist, NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center
- Introduction
Patty Rosel, Research Geneticist, NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center - Harbor Porpoise Abundance and Trends
Alex Zerbini, Contractor, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center - Bycatch of Harbor Porpoise in the Southeast Alaska Gillnet Fishery: Bycatch Estimates and Implications for Management
Kristy Long, National Marine Mammal Take Reduction Program Coordinator, NMFS Office of Protected Resources, NOAA - Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) and Opportunistic Sampling to Address Data Gaps in Genetic Stock Structure
Kim Parsons, Contractor, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center
Lunch break
1:30-3:00 PM: Sea Otters – California, Washington, and Alaska
Frances Gulland, Commissioner, MMC
Sea otters on the Pacific coast, Shutterstock Photo.
- Overview of California, Washington, and Southeast Alaska Sea Otter Stocks: History, Trends, Population Structure/Demography, Threats, and Status Relative to Optimum Sustainable Population/Carrying Capacity
California – Tim Tinker, Nhydra Ecological Consulting; Adjunct Professor, UC Santa CruzWashington – Deanna Lynch, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service WashingtonSoutheast Alaska– Jim Bodkin, Research Biologist (retired, US Geological Survey, Alaska) - Ecological Interactions: Role of Sea Otters in Maintaining a Healthy Ecosystem (California and Southeast Alaska)
Jim Bodkin, Research Biologist (retired, US Geological Survey, Alaska) & Tim Tinker, Nhydra Ecological Consulting; Adjunct Professor, UC Santa Cruz - Fisheries Interactions: Impacts of Sea Otters on Fishery Resources (Focus on Southeast Alaska)
Lori Polasek, Marine Mammal Program Coordinator, Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Panel Discussion
Panelists in Addition to Presenters
- Lilian Carswell, Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Marine Conservation Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Patrick Lemons, Chief of Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Alaska
- Mike Miller, Chair, Sitka Marine Mammal Commission
- Grant Hilderbrand, Marine Ecology Office Chief, USGS Alaska Science Center
- Dan Ayres, Shellfish Biologist, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Public Comment Submitted by Michelle Bender on behalf of Friends of the Sea Otter
Afternoon Break
3:30-4:45 PM: Alaska Species of Concern – Science Gaps and Management Needs
Robert Suydam, Wildlife Biologist, North Slope Borough
-
MMC Meeting in Session
Chukchi Sea Polar Bears: Abundance Estimate from Mark-Recapture Study, Lessons from Aerial Survey/Thermal Imaging, Harvest Risk Assessment, and Stock Boundary Delineation
Eric Regehr, Research Biologist, University of Washington - Ringed seals: Unravelling Population Structure in Arctic Ringed Seals
Aimee Lang, Contractor, NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center - North Pacific Right Whales: Status Update, Including Recent Cruise Results, Saildrone Acoustics, Contemporary Distribution from Long-Term Acoustic Recorders, and Implications for Stock Assessment
Jessica Crance, Research Biologist, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center & Dana Wright, Contractor, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center - Cook Inlet Beluga Whales: Research Program Updates 1 and Research Program Updates 2
Paul Wade, Research Fisheries Biologist, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center & Manolo Castellote, Affiliate Scientist, NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center