Marine Debris and Its Potential Effects on Whales in the Gulf of Maine

Marine Debris and Its Potential Effects on Whales in the Gulf of Maine
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Kennedy, Jennifer L. ; Schulte, Dianna W. ; Toepfer, Michael ; Bradt, Shane
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2
Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, 143 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 USA, [email protected]
2
University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
Abstract
Marine debris is pervasive in the ocean and on the
coastline. It is an eyesore, and can harm wildlife and
humans.
Yet, the impacts of marine debris on
cetaceans are not fully documented. Data collected on
litter at sea, along with whale sightings, can provide a
glimpse into what whales encounter on a daily basis.
From 2005-2011, Blue Ocean Society for Marine
Conservation staff, interns and volunteers recorded
14,032 pieces of litter from 1,816 whale watch trips to
the Jeffreys Ledge region of the Gulf of Maine.
Sightings of 8 well-known humpback (Megaptera
novaeangliae) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus)
were also recorded, and these data were mapped onto
a web site that provides an eye-opening presentation
that illustrates our impacts on the marine environment,
and the potential risk for whales to interact with marine
debris. This poster discusses the data and the web
site, along with accompanying educational materials
and field experiences that have been developed.
s
rey

Marine debris impacts wildlife and habitats, and can
cause problems for fishermen, boaters, divers and
beachgoers.
The effects of marine debris on cetaceans is not welldocumented. Marine debris has been documented

L
f
Jef
Introduction

e
g
ed
during necropsies, but not all cetaceans can be
necropsied.
Collecting and
mapping data on pelagic debris
provides a valid way to illustrate the extent of marine
debris and inspire environmental stewardship.
Methods



Data was collected aboard 4 whale watch vessels
departing from Rye and Hampton, NH and
Newburyport, MA from mid-May through mid-October,
2005-2011. Pelagic debris data (Figures 1 & 2) included
location, time, item, composition, and whether it was
sighted near a whale. Whale sightings data (Table 1)
included location, time, and individual ID (if possible).
Data was provided to UNH Cooperative Extension,
where it was passed through a quality control check,
used to create GIS files and projected to a coordinate
system to align with a bathymetric map of the Gulf of
Maine (Figure 4).
Video and PDF instructions for web site users were
created, along with a BOS web page and set of lesson
plans based on the web site.
Figure 4. Screen shot of web site, showing sightings of plastic bags ( ), balloons (
during the 2009 season.
Name
Figure 1. Pelagic debris data sheet.
Results
To better visualize whale and debris data, a web portal was
created.
 Pelagic litter items (Figure 2—balloons, bottles, plastic
bags, cans and wrappers) were mapped. These were
selected because they were found in high numbers and
are items that many people use regularly. Between
2005-2011, 14,032 pieces of debris were recorded on
1,816 whale watch trips. Of these, 8,127 items were
plotted on the GIS map.
 Sightings of eight frequently-seen humpback and fin
whales (Table 1) were plotted by individual and year. A
total of 613 whale sightings were plotted.
 A sample map is shown in Figure 4.
Acknowledgments
Education & Outreach
 An orientation video and PDF file were created.
 Feedback was solicited from users.
 A lesson plan and an accompanying slide show was
created and distributed to educators, and made
available online.
Applications
 The site has been used by teachers in conjunction with
a field experience (i.e., beach cleanup) and a student
for an educational project to teach about the potential
human impacts on whales.
Species
) and the humpback whale “Pinball” ( , and inset)
# of Sightings 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Trigger
Fin Whale
14
X
X
Comet
Fin Whale
30
X
X
X
Fjord
Fin Whale
57
X
X
X
Ladder
Fin Whale
89
X
X
X
Pinball
Humpback Whale
59
X
X
X
Satula
Humpback Whale
91
X
X
X
X
X
Owl
Humpback Whale
78
X
X
X
X
Flask
Humpback Whale
195
X
X
X
X
X
Can
453
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Table 1. Fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) whales plotted on map
at http://cegis.unh.edu/WhalesAndDebris/, showing name, species, # of sightings for all years and years
sighted.
Conclusions and Future Work
The more debris that is floating on the water, the greater potential
impact to the marine environment, either through direct effects such
as entanglement or ingestion, or indirect effects such as the release
of toxins. This site can be used as a tool to encourage positive
behavior change.
Future work will include:
 Incorporating all whale and debris sightings into the map.
Pelagic Debris Recorded , 2005-2011
Wrapper
714
Bag
2793
Bottle
1231
Balloon
2936
Figure 2. The number of cans, bottles,
plastic bags, balloons and plastic wrappers
recorded, 2005-2011.
 Refining the scale of the site to show the intersection of whales
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and debris in the same area, at the same time.
Improving map speed and the overall user interface
Integrating more information about each whale and debris
sighting (e.g., through a pop-up box)
Making the data accessible through a wider variety of methods,
i.e., mobile devices, directly in ArcGIS, and Google Earth, and
Seeking further input from educators to improve its usefulness.
This project was conducted under the Marine Debris to Energy Project, which was funded by a NOAA Community-based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grant and the NH Coastal Program with support from Waste Management and Wheelabrator Technologies.
Thanks to Atlantic Whale Watch, Granite State Whale Watch, Newburyport Whale Watch and Al Gauron Fishing & Whale Watching, and all the naturalists/research associates, interns and volunteers who collected data for this project.
www.blueoceansociety.org/MarineDebris
www.nhmarinedebris.org