Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)

pp. 23–34

Technical Report (not peer reviewed)

An outline of the IWC-Paciﬁc Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research(IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey
Koji Matsuoka*
Institute of Cetacean Research, 4–5 Toyomi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104–0055, Japan*Contact e-mail: matsuoka@cetacean.jp

ABSTRACTThis paper outlines the objec�ves, research area and general methodology of the Interna�onal Whaling Commission-Paciﬁc Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research Program (IWC-POWER). It also provides the main resultsof the 2019 survey conducted under this research program. The IWC-POWER is designed and implemented by
the IWC Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee (SC) in special partnership with the Government of Japan. The long-term objec�ve of the IWC-POWER is to ʻprovide informa�on to allow determina�on of the status of popula�ons (and thus
stock structure is inherently important) of large whales that are found in the North Paciﬁc waters and provide
the necessary scien�ﬁc background for appropriate conserva�on and management ac�onsʼ. To fulﬁll this objec�ve, the IWC-POWER originally iden�ﬁed short and medium-term ac�vi�es and priori�es. The IWC-POWER
is close to successfully comple�ng its ﬁrst-phase (2010–2021) related to the short-term priori�es, and the IWC
SC will start organizing the second phase (from 2022 onward). It has also updated the medium-term priori�es
for this second phase. The 2019 survey was conducted successfully between 3 July and 25 September 2019
in the Gulf of Alaska, within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone by the Japanese R/V Yushin Maru No. 2. Blue(17 schools/19 individuals), ﬁn (266/458), sei (9/20), common minke (5/5), humpback (173/402), gray (6/15),
sperm (20/20), Bairdʼs beaked (2/37), Cuvierʼs beaked (3/5) and killer (53/264) whales were observed during
the survey. Photo-iden�ﬁca�on data were collected from 16 blue, 51 ﬁn, 30 humpback, 6 gray and 19 killer
whales. A total of 75 biopsy samples were collected from 12 blue, 45 ﬁn, 4 sei, 12 humpback and 2 gray whales.
A total of 229 sonobuoys were deployed, for a total of over 820 monitoring hours. The main species detectedby the acous�c survey included ﬁn, sperm, killer, blue, humpback, North Paciﬁc right and sei whales. A total of
42 objects of marine debris were also observed.

INTRODUCTION
The Interna�onal Whaling Commission-Paciﬁc Ocean
Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) programis an interna�onal research eﬀort in the North Paciﬁc coordinated by the IWC and designed by the IWC Scien�ﬁcCommi�ee (SC) in special partnership with the Government of Japan. Scien�sts from the Ins�tute of Cetacean
Research (ICR) par�cipate regularly in the IWC-POWER
program, both in designing and implemen�ng the surveys. The IWC-POWER in the North Paciﬁc follows the series of IWC Interna�onal Decade for Cetacean Research/
Southern Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IDCR/
SOWER) surveys that had been conducted in the Antarc�c since 1978.
The long-term objec�ve of the IWC-POWER is to ʻprovide informa�on to allow determina�on of the status of
popula�ons (and thus stock structure is inherently impor-tant) of large whales that are found in the North Paciﬁcwaters and provide the necessary scien�ﬁc backgroundfor appropriate conserva�on and management ac�onsʼ.
The ﬁrst survey of this program was conducted in 2010and subsequent surveys have taken place on an annual
basis.
The IWC SC is close to comple�ng the ﬁrst phase of the
IWC-POWER, which is related to the short-term priori�es, and now is preparing for the second phase related
to medium term priori�es, based on the results of theﬁrst phase.
The objec�ves of this document are: i) to present anoutline of the IWC-POWER program including its objec�ves, research area, and general methodology; and ii) topresent the results of the 2019 IWC-POWER survey basedon Matsuoka et al. (2020).

23

Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)

OUTLINE OF THE IWC-POWER
Objec�ves
The IWC-POWER has the following long-term objec�ve:
ʻProvide informa�on to allow determina�on of the status of popula�ons (and thus stock structure is inherently
important) of large whales that are found in North Paciﬁcwaters and provide the necessary scien�ﬁc backgroundfor appropriate conserva�on and management ac�ons.
The programme will primarily contribute informa�on onabundance and trends in abundance of popula�ons oflarge whales and try to iden�fy the causes of any trends
should these occur. The programme will learn from boththe successes and weaknesses of past na�onal and interna�onal programmes and cruises, including the IDCR/
SOWER programmeʼ. (IWC, 2011).
To a�ain this long-term objec�ve, the IWC-POWER hasu�lized short and medium-term ac�vi�es and priori�es.
The short-term priori�es involved the deﬁni�on and implementa�on of surveys in areas of the Central and Eastern North Paciﬁc (east of 170°E) (see sec�on on researcharea below). This region had not been surveyed since the�me of commercial whaling in the 1970ʼs (see Annex D
of IWC, 2012). A�er reviewing current knowledge of theregion, a list of medium-term priori�es by species forthe program was agreed to by the IWC SC (see Table 1 of
IWC, 2013). This list was updated recently in view of the
prepara�on of the second phase of IWC-POWER (see sec�on ʻWHAT NEXT?ʼ).
Research area for the short-term priori�es
The research area was comprised between north of 20°N
and south of the Bering Sea, and between 170°E and135°W, including the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of
the United States (U.S. EEZ) and Canada (Canadian EEZ).

Figure 1.

24

The research areas covered by IWC-POWER in
2010–2019 (EEZs are shown by blue do�ed line).
The yellow indicates the most recently surveyed
area.

Figure 1 shows a map of the survey areas covered since
2010.
Survey season and research vessels
To collect consistent seasonal sigh�ng data, the annual
surveys were conducted in the middle of summer, during July to September (e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2011). The
following research vessels were engaged in the annual
survey:Kaiko Maru (860.25 GT) in 2010;
Yushin Maru No. 3 (742 GT) from 2011–2016; andYushin Maru No. 2 (747 GT) from 2017–2019.
These vessels were prepared with specialized equipment and personnel for visual survey of cetaceans.
Sigh�ng survey procedure
Survey time
Research eﬀort began 60 minutes a�er sunrise and ended
60 minutes before sunset, with a maximum of 12-hour research day (maximum 06:00–19:00, including 30 minutes
for meal �me for lunch and supper, when surveying in IO
mode; see below).
Number of primary observers
Sigh�ng eﬀort was conducted by the boatswain and topmen from the TOP barrel and by two primary observers(the helmsman and captain) and at least four secondaryobservers (oﬃcer-on-watch, three researchers, and thechief engineer) from the upper bridge. Sigh�ng ac�vi�esaboard the ship were classiﬁed into two principal types:
On-eﬀort and Oﬀ-eﬀort. On-eﬀort ac�vi�es were �mes
when full search eﬀort was executed and condi�ons (suchas weather and sea state) were within acceptable parameters to conduct research. Oﬀ-eﬀort ac�vi�es were all ac�vi�es that were not On-eﬀort when no primary observers were in the TOP barrel (e.g., during dri�ing, Top Down
(TD) or transi�ng along the trackline due to bad weather
condi�ons). All sigh�ngs recorded during On-eﬀort wereclassiﬁed as Primary sigh�ngs. All other sigh�ngs wereconsidered as Secondary sigh�ngs.
Survey modes
Passing with abeam closing mode (NSP): Two topmen
were on eﬀort from the TOP barrel at all �mes. There wasopen communica�on between the upper bridge and thebarrel. The observers on the upper bridge communicatedwith the topmen only to clarify sigh�ng informa�on. The
upper bridge observers did not distract the topmen fromtheir normal search procedure unless they were directed
to do so by the cruise leader (IWC, 2020a).

An outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey

Independent Observer Mode (IO): This is also in effect Passing Mode. Two topmen were observing fromthe TOP barrel and two from the IO barrel at all �mes.
Communica�ons were essen�ally one-way, with topmen
from the TOP and IO pla�orms repor�ng informa�on to
the upper bridge in isola�on from each other to ensurethat no sigh�ng informa�on was exchanged between
the TOP and IO barrel observers. The observers on theupper bridge would communicate with the topmen only
to clarify sigh�ng informa�on and would not direct thetopmen to disrupt their normal search procedure unlessdirected to do so by the cruise leader. Immediately a�er
a sigh�ng was detected from the barrel, the topman
relayed informa�on to observers on the upper bridge.
A�er the sigh�ng informa�on was relayed to the upper
bridge observers, the topman responsible for the sigh�ng
con�nued his normal searching pa�ern. Observers on theupper bridge located the sigh�ng made by the topman
and decided whether it would be possible to conﬁrm species and conduct a school size count before the sighted
whale(s) passed abeam of the vessel. The topmen gave
no further informa�on to the upper bridge unless thewhale school resurfaced within their normal searchingarea. A designated researcher on the upper bridge recorded the species and es�mated number of whales inthe school when the sigh�ng passed abeam of the vessel.
This was done in consulta�on with other upper bridge
observers/researchers (Anon, 2019a).

of the shape of the blow, surfacing and other behaviouralpa�erns were suﬃcient to iden�fy whales. This judgement was made only by the cruise leader or other designated researcher. Iden�ﬁca�on of species was recordedas ʻprobableʼ where mul�ple cues were insuﬃcient to beabsolutely conﬁdent of iden�ﬁca�on (recorded as ʻlikeʼ).
This usually occurred when blows and surfacing pa�erns
could be conﬁrmed, but the whaleʼs body could not beclearly seen. Details of recording procedures during sightings can be found in Anon (2019a).

Approach to the whale schools
During both NSP or IO modes, and at the abeam �me,the vessel altered the course to approach the whale(s),and the speed was increased to 15 knots to hasten theclosure. Vessel speed was decreased when the school
was close, usually within 0.2 to 0.4 n.miles from the ini�alsigh�ng posi�on. A�er the school was approached, thespecies, number of animals in the school, es�mated bodylength(s), number of calves present, and behaviour were
determined and recorded. Following this, other ac�vi�eswould normally be conducted (�me allowing and at thediscre�on of the cruise leader), such as photography fornatural marking (Photo-ID) studies and biopsy sampling.
All sigh�ngs detected during these ac�vi�es were classiﬁed as secondary sigh�ngs (Anon, 2019a).

Es�mated Distance and angle experiments
This experiment has been conducted every year since2010. The experiment is designed to calibrate and iden�fy any biases in individual observersʼ es�ma�on of angle
and distance. The experiment should be conducted during weather and sea condi�ons representa�ve of the condi�ons encountered during the survey. In 2015, a major
improvement was made increasing the number of target
buoys to improve accuracy of the observerʼs es�mates(IWC, 2020b).

Species identiﬁcation
Species iden�ﬁca�on was based on agreed guidelines(IWC, 2020a). Posi�ve iden�ﬁca�on of species was basedon mul�ple cues and usually required clear observa�onof the whaleʼs body. Occasionally, repeated observa�ons

School size determination
Schools where the number of animals, or an accuratees�mated range of the number of animals was determined, were classiﬁed as conﬁrmed schools. Data fromthe conﬁrmed schools can be used to determine a meanschool size. Normally, schools believed to be conﬁrmed
for school size were approached to within 1 n.mile forlarge whales and to within 0.3 n.miles for common minke
whales. Allowing for context-speciﬁc diﬀerences (i.e.,environmental condi�ons and animal behaviour), every
eﬀort was made to be consistent with regard to the
maximum �me spent on iden�ﬁca�on of species andconﬁrma�on of numbers. Normally, if the sigh�ng wasthought to be common minke whales, no more than 20
minutes (a�er closure has been completed) was spenton conﬁrma�on. This reduces the poten�al for confusion
with other whale sigh�ngs in the vicinity (IWC, 2020a).

Photo-ID data collec�onThis experiment has been conducted since 2010. As
appropriate and decided by the cruise leader, research�me is allocated for photo-iden�ﬁca�on and/or video recording of large whales. The priority species were North
Paciﬁc right (highest priority), gray, blue and sei whales.
Medium-priority species included ﬁn, Brydeʼs, common
minke, sperm and killer whales. Generally, large whales
were approached within 15–20 m. Adults, juveniles, andfemales accompanied by calves were approached for25Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)

photo-iden�ﬁca�on. Photo-ID experiments involved aminimum of one photographer and a maximum of three
on the bow, with addi�onal photographers in the TOP
barrel and IO barrel or upper bridge (Anon, 2019a).
Biopsy samplingThis experiment has been conducted since 2010 to analyze stock structure and movement for each species. The
priority species for biopsy sampling were the same as forphoto-iden�ﬁca�on (see above). The Larsen samplingsystem was used to collect samples within approximately
5 to 30 m of the bow of the vessel (Larsen, 1998).
Acous�c monitoring
Passive acous�cs monitoring using sonobuoys wereintroduced to detect North Paciﬁc right whalesʼ calls in
the Bering Sea and a part of the Gulf of Alaska, and was
conducted successfully from 2017 to 2019. A sonobuoy isa free-ﬂoa�ng, expendable, short-term passive acous�clistening device that transmits signals in real �me via VHF
radio waves to a receiver on a vessel. Sonobuoys were
deployed approximately every 2–2.5 hours, or approximately every 20–25 n.miles, from 06:00 to 18:00 (ship�me) to obtain an evenly-sampled cross-survey census
of marine mammal vocaliza�ons. Sonobuoys were monitored in real-�me by the acous�cian, and presence ofspecies-speciﬁc call types was noted (Crance et al., 2017).

Marine debris observa�onThis observa�on has been conducted since 2010. Dataon ﬂoa�ng marine debris were observed and recorded.
Observa�on of marine debris was limited to the ﬁrst 15
minutes of each hour, as �me permi�ed (so as not tointerfere with marine mammal observa�ons). In addi�on,marine debris were photographed if items were par�cularly large and/or could poten�ally lead to large whale
entanglements. For all recorded marine debris items, observers recorded angle, distance and �me of ini�al sighting, IWC code and a descrip�on. Photographs of items
were archived and are available to interested scien�sts.
Data recording and format
Research data collected during the survey (weather, effort, sigh�ng and distance experiment data) were enteredby researchers using the ʻonboard data collec�ng systemʼ
developed by ICR (ICR, 2013). An English language version
is now available.

RESULTS OF THE 2019 IWC-POWER SURVEY
In this sec�on, the main results of the 2019 IWC POWER
survey are summarized, based on Matsuoka et al. (2020).
I�nerary
The survey was conducted between 3 July and 25 September, 2019 in the Gulf of Alaska, within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The i�nerary is shown in Table 1.

Table 1The 2019 survey i�nerary.

26

Date

Event

5-Jul
6-Jul
6-Jul
11-Jul11-Jul
14-Jul16-Jul17-Jul18-Jul12-Aug
14-Aug
8-Sep
12-Sep14-Sep16-Sep16-Sep26-Sep28-SepPre-cruise mee�ng at Shiogama, Japan
Vessel departed Shiogama
Started transit survey to Dutch Harbor (D.H.)
Vessel enter U.S. EEZ (14:53, 48°08.3ʹN, 177°53.3ʹE)
Passed the dateline at 48-57.0N (23:03)
Vessel arrived at D.H., Alaska, USA
Pre-cruise mee�ng at D.H.
Vessel le� D.H. and started transit survey to the start point of Western stratum
Vessel started surveying the Western stratum
Vessel ﬁnished surveying the Western stratum and moved to the star�ng point of the Eastern stratum
Vessel started the survey of Eastern stratum
Vessel completed the Eastern stratum and started transit survey back to Kodiak (via NPRW Cri�cal Habitat)
Vessel completed transit survey
Vessel arrived Kodiak, Alaska, USA
Post-cruise mee�ng
Vessel le� Kodiak and started the transit survey to Shiogama
Vessel completed the transit survey
Vessel arrived Shiogama, JapanAn outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey

IWC SC for this survey:
Koji Matsuoka (Japan)–Cruise Leader/Chief Scien�st,sigh�ng, photo-ID;
Jessica Crance (USA)–acous�cs, photo-ID;
James Gilpatrik (USA)–sigh�ng, photo-ID data management, marine debris;
Isamu Yoshimura (Japan)–sigh�ng data, marine debris
and biopsy sample managements.

Figure 2.

Research area, transit and survey track lines withstart and end points for the 2019 IWC-POWER
cruise. D.H.: Dutch Harbor.

Figure 3.

Photography of the R/V Yushin Maru No. 2.

Table 2
Speciﬁca�ons of the R/V Yushin Maru No. 2.
Call sign
Length overall [m]Molded breadth [m]Gross tonnage (GT)Barrel height [m]IO barrel height [m]Upper bridge height [m]Bow height [m]Engine power [PS/kW]

JPPV
69.61
11.5
747
19.5
13.5
11.5
6.5
5303/3900

Research area
The research area was the northern Gulf of Alaska, between 170°W and 135°W, and comprised the U.S. EEZ(Figure 2).
Research vessel and scien�ﬁc personnel
The R/V Yushin Maru No. 2 was used for this survey. The
vessel is shown in Figure 3 and its speciﬁca�ons in Table
2.
Four interna�onal researchers were nominated by the

Searching eﬀort
A total of 1,030.7 n.miles (NSP: 534.0 n.miles, IO: 496.7 n.
miles) and 1,088.1 n.miles (NSP: 557.4 n.miles, IO:
530.7 n.miles) were surveyed in the western and eastern
strata, respec�vely. A total of 420.0 n.miles was surveyed
during transit surveys (e.g., transit from Dutch Harbor tothe most western point and transit between the end andstart points around Kodiak Island). The eﬀort (�me anddistance) spent on sigh�ng and several experiments areshown in Table 3.
Sigh�ng summary
In the research area, blue (17 schools/19 individuals), ﬁn(266/458), sei (9/20), common minke (5/5), humpback(173/402), gray (6/15), sperm (20/20), Bairdʼs beaked(2/37), Cuvierʼs beaked (3/5) and killer (53/264) whales
were sighted. Several dolphin species were also sighted(Table 4).
Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus)
A total of 6 schools (15 individuals) were sighted in theWestern stratum, south of Kodiak Island (5 to 10 n.miles
oﬀ Dangerous Cape, south of Ugak Island, water depth
between 60 m and 80 m) (Figure 4a, b). Several graywhales were feeding (mud trails were seen). No motherand calf pairs were seen. Sea temperatures ranged from
12.9°C to 15.7°C.
Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Blue whales were widely distributed in the oﬀshore partof the Western and Eastern strata near EEZ border (Figure
5a, b). A total of 17 schools (19 individuals, including two
mother and calf pairs) were sighted (Table 4). All blue
whales were sighted in deep water of depths over 1,000 m.
Sea surface temperatures of the sigh�ng posi�ons were
between 10.9°C and 15.6°C.
Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
Fin whales were the most frequently encounteredbaleen whale species in the research area, and they
were widely distributed throughout both the Westernand Eastern strata. Several high-density ﬁn whale areas
were observed, around Kodiak Island as well as the eastern part of the Eastern stratum (Figure 6). A total of 266
27Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)
Table 3
Summary of the searching eﬀort (�me and distance) and experimental �me (hours) by each survey with the area code conductedduring 2019 survey. Dutch Harbor (D.H.), High Sea (H.S.), Research Area (R.A.).

Area

Area
Code

Shiogama to D.H. 1
H.S.
Shiogama to D.H. 11
D.H. to R.A

Leg
No.

Start

End

Start

Date

Date

End

Time

Time

1 6 Jul.

11 Jul.

—

14:53

6:00

1 11 Jul.

13 Jul.

U.S. EEZ

—

18:00

78

841 18-Jul.

18-Jul.

U.S. EEZ—

12:00

Western stratum 76

14:53
7:20

101 18-Jul.

26-Jul.

U.S. EEZ 114 12:00

13:13

Detour Shumagin 80
844 26-Jul.
IslandU.S. EEZ — 13:13

8:13

Western stratum 76

8-Aug.

116 27-Jul.

U.S. EEZ 126 8:13

27-Jul.

80

846 8-Aug.

8-Aug.

U.S. EEZ—

10:22

NPRW Cri�cal
Habitat80

847 8-Aug.

9-Aug.

U.S. EEZ—

10:38

Detour Kodiak
Island80

846 9-Aug.

10 Aug.

U.S. EEZ—

8:59

Western stratum 76

10:22
10:38

128 10 Aug. 12 Aug.

U.S. EEZ 134 8:59
W. to E. Stratum
Eastern stratum

849 12 Aug. 14 Aug.

U.S. EEZ—

77

201 14 Aug. 8-Sep.

U.S. EEZ 224 7:42
R.A to Kodiak
NPRW Cri�cal
Habitat
R.A to Kodiak

854 8-Sep.

10-Sep.

—

13:22

79

855 10-Sep. 12-Sep.

U.S. EEZ—

79

854 12-Sep. 13-Sep.
—

12

2 18-Sep. 22-Sep.

U.S. EEZ—

Kodiak to
Shiogama

22 23-Sep. 26-Sep.

H.S.

—

Total

28

Dist.
(n.m.)

TimeDist.
(n.m.)

TimeTime

0:00:00

0

26:35:14

322.32

26:35:14

322.32

0:00:00

0:00:00

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0:00:00

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

2:43:00

20:02:43

228.61

19:35:18

224.71

39:38:01453.32

10:08:11

0:00:00

1:19:2215.3

0:00:00

0

1:19:2215.3

0:00:00

0:00:00

21:16:38

243.97

17:25:52

199.16

38:42:30

443.13

14:14:47

0:00:00

1:01:1611.64

0:00:00

0

1:01:1611.64

0:00:00

0:00:00

9:24:46106.280:00:00

0

9:24:46106.280:36:39

0:00:00

7:02:3280.2

0:00:00

0

7:02:3280.2

0:33:50

0:00:00

5:23:1161.45

6:22:33

72.78

11:45:44

134.23

2:23:12

0:00:00

8:57:11100.980:00:00

0

8:57:11100.98

1:45:04

0:00:00

49:00:30

557.35

46:33:50

530.73

95:34:20 1,088.08

25:33:44

7:06:35

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0:00:00

9:21:39105.56

0:00:00

0

9:21:39105.56

0:00:00

0:00:00

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0:00:00

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0

0:00:00

0:00:00

0:00:00

0

9:23:32

115.03

9:23:32

18:00

Kodiak to
Shiogama

7:55

Time

18:00

U.S. EEZ

18:00

Dist.
(n.m.)

10:01

79

13:22

Time

7:42

U.S. EEZ

10:01

NSP+IO

13:31

81

13:31

IO

Es�mated angle
and distancetraining/
experiment

8:52

Detour Kodiak
Island8:52

NSP

Photo-ID,
Biopsy16:25
115.03

0:00:00

0:00:00

6:00

12:00

6-Jul.

26-Sep. 132:49:48 1,511.30 125:56:19 1,464.70 258:46:07 2,976.10

55:15:27

9:49:35

6:00

12:00

An outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey
Table 4
Number of sigh�ngs for all species observed in the research area (Original trackline and transit tracklines) by eﬀort mode. NSP:
Normal Passing with abeam closing Mode; IO: Independent Observer Mode (IO), OE: Top down (TD) and dri�ing (DR). Numbers of
Individuals includes the number of calves.
SpeciesBlue whale
Fin whale
Like ﬁn
Sei whale
Like seiCommon minke whale
Humpback whale
Like humpback
Gray whale
Sperm whale
Bairdʼs beaked whale
Cuvierʼs beaked whale
Ziphiidae
Killer whale
Paciﬁc white-sided dolphin
Habour porpoise
Dalli type Dallʼs porpoise
Unid. type Dallʼs porpoise
Unid. small cetacean

NSP

IO

OE

Total

Sch.

Ind.

Calf

Sch.

Ind.

Calf

Sch.

Ind.

Calf

Sch.

Ind.

Calf

5
145
6
3
0
3
116
1
6
8
2
1
2
36
0
1
50
3
1

6
260
11
4
0
3
234
1
15
8
37
1
4
156
0
1
277
13
3

1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
9
0
0
1
0
0

9
112
13
6
1
2
49
6
0
12
0
2
3
17
0
0
34
1
0

10
186
17
16
2
2
132
14
0
12
0
4
3
108
0
0
196
4
0

1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
0
5
0
0

3
9
1
0
0
0
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0

3
12
2
0
0
0
36
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
32
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0

17
266
20
9
1
5
173
7
6
20
2
3
5
53
1
1
86
4
1

19
458
30
20
2
5
402
15
15
20
37
5
7
264
4
1
505
17
3

2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
14
0
0
10
0
0

schools (458 individuals) of ﬁn whales were observedin the research area. No mother and calf pairs were observed. A total of 20 schools and 30 individuals of “Likeﬁn” were recorded; these looked like ﬁn whale blows but
could not be conﬁrmed (Table 4). Most ﬁn whales weresighted in deep water of depths over 1,000 m (Figure 6).
Sea temperatures ranged from 9.9°C to 16.7°C.
Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
A total of 9 schools (20 individuals) of sei whales wereobserved (Table 4). Observed mean school size was 2.22.
Although sei whales were the third most frequently
encountered baleen whale species through the surveys,
almost all sei whale sigh�ngs were in the southern partof the Western stratum. There was a notable lack of sei
whales in the Eastern stratum (Figure 7). This is similar
to results seen during a previous POWER survey in 2012,
where no sei whales were sighted in the U.S. EEZ (Eastern
Stratum of current survey). Sea surface temperatures
ranged from 11.2°C to 13.0°C, which was lower than therange for ﬁn whales.
Common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)
Common minke whales were the rarest baleen whale
species in the research area, and were only sighted very
close to shore (Figure 8). A total of 5 schools (5 indi-viduals, all solitary schools) were observed (Table 4). Sea
temperature at sigh�ng loca�ons ranged from 10.8°C
to 16.9°C. Because of the diﬃculty in seeing their blow
and small body, observa�ons of this species were morediﬃcult than in Antarc�c waters. Common minke whaleblows are very small and are diﬃcult to spot in rough sea
surface condi�ons (e.g., wind speed over 12 knots). During this survey, sea states averaged 4–5 on the Beaufort
scale, which is assumed to be too rough for sigh�ng common minke whales.
Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Humpback whales were the second most frequently
encountered baleen whale species in the research area,
primarily in the Western stratum. High-density areasof this species were observed in waters north-east andsouth-east of Kodiak Island, and along the most eastern
trackline along the con�nental shelf (near 135°W). There
was a lack of sigh�ngs between 150°W and 138°W in the
Eastern stratum (Figure 9). A total of 173 schools (402individuals) were observed in the research area. There
were no mother and calf pairs. In some cases, red colored
fecal ma�er was observed indica�ng that the whales
were feeding on krill. Sea temperatures ranged from
10.0°C to 15.7°C.
29Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)

Figure 4a.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (white circles) of gray whales during the 2019
IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 5a.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (blue circles) of blue whales during the 2019
IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 4b.

Three gray whales observed during the 2019
IWC-POWER survey.

Figure 5b.

Two blue whales observed during the 2019 IWC
POWER survey.

Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
Sperm whales were widely distributed throughout theWestern and Eastern strata where the water depth wasover 1,000 m (Figure 10). A total of 20 schools (20 individuals) were sighted (Table 4). All schools observed were
solitary individuals (probably large male). Sperm whales
were recorded in waters with SST ranging from 10.9°C to
16.7°C.
Bairdʼs beaked whale (Berardius bairdii)
A total of 2 schools (37 individuals) were sighted(Table 4). Both Bairdʼs beaked whale schools were sighted
along the most eastern trackline in the Eastern stratum
along the con�nental slope oﬀ Prince of Wales Island(water depths over 1,000 m). Sea temperatures ranged
from 13.9°C to 14.4°C.
Killer whale (Orcinus Orca)
Killer whales were mainly sighted in the Western stratum (Figure 11). A total of 50 schools (248 individuals,
including 13 calves) were sighted (Table 4). They weresighted in waters with SST ranging from 10.9°C to 16.2°C.
30

Iden�ﬁca�on of duplicated sigh�ngs
A total of 154 resigh�ngs (duplicates) was made during
IO Mode. Of these, for ﬁn whales, there were 60 ʻDeﬁnite
duplicates,ʼ 1 ʻprobable duplicateʼ and 13 ʻNot duplicates.ʼ
For sei whales, there were 12 ʻDeﬁnite duplicatesʼ and 4
ʻNot duplicates.ʼ For humpback whales, there were 34
ʻDeﬁnite duplicatesʼ and 8 ʻNot duplicates.ʼ
Photo-ID photographs
Photo-iden�ﬁed species included: blue (15 schools/16
individuals), ﬁn (64/51), humpback (25/30), gray (2/6)
and killer (8/19) whales (Table 5). Bairdʼs beaked whales(20 individuals) and Dallʼs (24) porpoises were also photographed. Images collected during the cruise were uploaded to the IWC/ICR master photographic database in
Adobe Lightroom (LR) (Anon, 2019b). Preliminary coding
was completed for all cetacean images (7,762), including
the alloca�on of species name, sigh�ng number, school
size and biopsy eﬀort.

An outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey

Figure 6.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (red circles) of ﬁn whales during the 2019
IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 9.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (black circles) of humpback whales during the2019 IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 7.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (yellow circles) of sei whales during the 2019
IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 10.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (red triangles) of sperm whales during the2019 IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 8.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (pink circles) of common minke whales during
the 2019 IWC-POWER cruise.

Figure 11.

The searching eﬀort (thin line) and sigh�ng posi�ons (black cross) of killer whales during the 2019
IWC-POWER cruise.

Biopsy sampling
Biopsy samples were collected from 75 individual whales:
12 blue, 45 ﬁn, 4 sei, 12 humpback, 2 gray whales(Table 6). Every biopsy encounter was documented photographically. All biopsy samples were catalogued andstored in cryo-vials frozen at a temperature of −30°C
on the vessel. These samples will be used for moleculargene�cs analyses. Figure 12 shows an event of biopsy
sampling.

31

Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)
Table 5
Summary of the number of Photo-IDʼd individuals by each species.
Blue

Fin

Humpback

Gray

Killer

Total

Western Stratum
Eastern Stratum

9
7

16
35

20
10

6
0

5
14

56
66

Sub-total (US-EEZ)

16

51

30

6

19

122

Sub-total (High Sea)

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

16

51

30

6

19

122

Table 6
Summary of the number of biopsy samples collected by each species.
Blue*

Fin

Sei

Humpback

Gray

Total

Western Stratum
Eastern Stratum

6
6

12
33

4
0

10
2

2
0

34
41

Sub-total (U.S. EEZ)

12

45

4

12

2

75

Sub-total (High Sea)

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total

12

45

4

12

2

75

Blue* Including one mother and calf pair.

corded ʻon eﬀortʼ (i.e., during the ﬁrst 15 minutes of eachhour) and 1 item was recorded during ʻoﬀ eﬀort.ʼ

WHAT NEXT?
The following tasks are iden�ﬁed for the immediate
future of IWC-POWER.

Figure 12. Biopsy sampling for sei whale during the IWC-POWER
survey.

Acous�c monitoring
A total of 229 sonobuoys were deployed for a total ofover 820 monitoring hours. Species detected included ﬁn(119 buoys, 56.1% detec�on), sperm (112, 52.8%), killer(76, 35.8%), blue (54, 25.5%), humpback (47, 22.2%),
North Paciﬁc right (10, 4.7%), and sei (4, 1.9%) whales.
Other species/events detected included Bairdʼs beaked
whales (3, 1.4%), Paciﬁc white-sided dolphins (3, 1.4%),
earthquakes (33, 15.6%), and unknown calls/signals (12,5.7%).
Marine debris observa�on
A total of 42 marine debris objects were observed including 9 single ﬁshing ﬂoats. A total of 41 items were re32

Comple�on of the short-term priori�es
To complete the short-term priori�es, the IWC SC reiterated the importance of comple�ng the Bering Sea survey
areas. However, given the diﬃcul�es previously experienced, it was important to consider a backup plan forthe 2020 cruise. If the Russian area cannot be coveredin 2020, then every eﬀort should be made to cover thisin 2021, given its importance to mee�ng the objec�vesof the IWC-POWER program (IWC, 2020c). Also, several
analy�cal tasks based on data collected in the ﬁrst phase
under the short-term priori�es were recommended.
Design of the next phase
The IWC SC agreed on revised priori�es for the mediumterm (Table 7). To develop a detailed plan for the second
phase of IWC-POWER, it is important to complete theanalyses of the data collected during the ﬁrst phase(short-term).
The IWC SC will hold a pre-mee�ng just before the2021 Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee Mee�ng in order to develop
a detailed proposal for a workshop to design the next

An outline of the IWC-Pacific Ocean Whale and Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER) including results of the 2019 survey
Table 7
Sugges�ons for updated medium-term priori�es based upon results from Phase 1 for IWC-POWER (*refers to likelihood of obtaining an abundance es�mate at least in some areas **refers to likelihood of obtaining biopsy and/or photo-ID data from encounteredschools) (IWC, 2020c).
Ini�al priority/feasibilityRa�onale/comments

Blue whale (High)
Medium direct*, highopportunis�c**•Deple�on level (i.e. highly depleted based on catch history)•Ini�al abundance es�mates from IWC-POWER (s�ll being ﬁnalised) suggest it remains heavily depleted.
•Results of analyses of exis�ng samples (27 IWC-POWER samples available) in conjunc�on with other samples (e.g. samples collectedunder Japanese na�onal programmes) important in addressing popula�on structure in context of idea/scope of occasional focussed
cruises, especially samples from the west (see (4) below).
•Poten�al for some blue whale focussed cruises in speciﬁc areas (including direc�onal acous�cs) should be considered (e.g. Gulf of Alaska)
as well as con�nuing opportunis�c studies.
•Con�nued collabora�on with exis�ng photo-id work e.g. US and Japanese na�onal programmes is important (42 individuals available
from IWC-POWER)–and Japan west exis�ng samples.
•Consider telemetry studies

Fin whale (High)High direct*, highopportunis�c**•Deple�on level (i.e. high based upon catch history)•Ini�al abundance es�mates from IWC-POWER (s�ll being ﬁnalised) suggest some recovery•Results of gene�c analyses important to contribute to future survey strategy and future Comprehensive Assessment (e.g. is there
evidence of more than one stock from the exis�ng 124 biopsy samples that cover waters from 170°E to 135°W?).
•Work in Russian Federa�on waters provided appropriate permits can be obtained is important•Co-ordina�on with na�onal programmes in Japan, Korea and USA needed including exis�ng samples

Right whale (High)
Medium direct*, highopportunis�c**•Deple�on level: (i.e. highly depleted based on catch history)•S�ll cri�cally low numbers in east (from US studies and IWC-POWER)•Feasibility of collec�ng biopsy and photo-ID data high if targeted and using acous�cs•Feasibility of obtaining abundance in east from line-transect low given such small numbers; may be much higher in west e.g. Sea of
Okhotsk and southeast of Kamchatka Peninsula where popula�on is at least 10X larger or more
•Although new area, considera�on should be given to a targeted survey in Sea of Okhotsk-high feasibility and priority to obtain good abundance, photo-id and biopsy data provided appropriate permits can be obtained from the Russian Federa�on.

Sei whale (Medium)
High direct*, highopportunis�c**•Deple�on level: (i.e. high based on catch history)•Ini�al abundance es�mates from IWC-POWER (s�ll being ﬁnalised) and Japan suggest some recovery•IWC-POWER has provided valuable informa�on for the ongoing Comprehensive Assessment (the 2020 backup cruise will provide biopsy
samples from a poorly covered area)•Results of that CA will help focus future IWC-POWER medium-term strategy and priority for this species-e.g. (a) possible focussed biopsy
sampling in postulated coastal stock areas and (b) frequency and scope dedicated abundance surveys in ʻpelagicʼ area to examine trends

Humpback whale (Medium)
High direct*, highopportunis�c**•Good informa�on already available from SPLASH and na�onal programmes suggests overall high abundance (gene�c and photo-ID markrecapture) hence medium priority•Con�nue to contribute to exis�ng gene�c and photo-ID databases.
•Ongoing Comprehensive Assessment will assess status and poten�al deple�on of [sub-] popula�ons.
•Abundance es�mates from IWC-POWER (s�ll being ﬁnalised) can provide interes�ng ʻsnapshotʼ es�mates to compare with mark-recapture es�mates by popula�on/feeding aggrega�on•The results of the CA will assist in developing medium-term strategy and priority for this species within IWC-POWER

Sperm whale (Medium)•Deple�on level: (unknown but possibly high given catch history)
Medium direct* and medium •Lack of good informa�on on popula�on structure and status at present although good distribu�onal data from IWC-POWER
opportunis�c**•Obtaining abundance es�mates from visual surveys can be problema�c due to long dive �mes and other issues•Combined acous�c (towed array)/visual surveys have been successful for sperm whales however feasibility in the context of IWC-POWER
depends on availability of equipment and prac�cality in light of other priori�es•Possibility of using towed acous�c arrays in some years should be considered
Gray whale (Medium)Low direct*, highopportunis�c**•There are ASW hunts but that primary data sources to evaluate those are from other visual, gene�c and photo-ID programmes (e.g. US,
Mexico, Sakhalin Island)–hence medium priority•Main IWC-POWER contribu�on is in obtaining biopsy/photo-ID in areas outside those programmes for comparison and informa�on on
popula�on structure•Sharing of data with other programmes should con�nue

Brydeʼs whale (Medium)
High direct*, highopportunis�c**•Suggest low priority for ﬁrst six or so years of next phase of POWER because:•Recently completed IR shows good popula�on status and apparently low level of threats•Removing from target species allows a great reduc�on in size of priority research area to north of 40°N
•If required, a targeted survey or surveys could be designed towards end of 10-year period (e.g. from 2027)

Common minke whale (Low) •Deple�on level (probably low east/central based upon catch history) and in west dealt with by na�onal programmes
Suggest only opportunis�c•However, if Okhotsk Sea is able to be covered for high priority species (e.g. right whales) then would provide valuable informa�on incl.
biopsy samples•If permission granted by Russian Federa�on then consider modifying present ʻacceptableʼ condi�ons as at the present high range they
are unsuitable for es�ma�ng abundance for this species

33

Technical Reports of the Ins�tute of Cetacean Research (2020)

phase of the IWC-POWER program. The emphasis will be
on par�cipa�on from all range states and the availabilityof analyses/data. The workshop should include considera�on of more methodologically focused cruises in designated years (e.g., use of towed acous�c arrays, telemetry
work, use of SeaGlider, etc.).
The ICR scien�sts will par�cipate ac�vely in the discussions regarding the second phase of IWC-POWER. This
research program has contributed and will con�nue tocontribute important informa�on relevant for the conserva�on and management of large whales in the North
Paciﬁc.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I thank all interna�onal researchers for their hard work
during the IWC-POWER cruises. Thanks also to the crewsof the respec�ve vessels that par�cipated in the annual
surveys for their eﬀort and assistance. I also thank scien�sts of the IWC-POWER Steering Group for planning anddesigning the cruises and for their technical support. My
gra�tude to the IWC and the Governments of Japan andthe USA for ﬁnancial support. Acknowledgement to Luis
A. Pastene (ICR) for his assistance in the prepara�on ofthis document.

REFERENCES
Anon. 2019a. 2019 IWC/POWER Cruise, Informa�on for
Researchers. 55 pp. [Available from the IWC Secretariat].
Anon. 2019b. IWCʼs IDCR/SOWER and POWER cruise
Photographic Database Manual. 21 pp. [Available from the
IWC Secretariat].
Crance, J.L., Berchok, C.L. and Kea�ng, J.L. 2017. Gunshot callproduc�on by the North Paciﬁc right whale, Eubalaena japonica, in the southeastern Bering Sea. Endang. Species Res.
34: 251–267.
Ins�tute of Cetacean Research. 2013. The Outline of the ICR

34

Accurate Informa�on System (ICRAS). 13 pp. [Available fromthe IWC Secretariat].
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2011. Report of theIntersessional Mee�ng on the North Paciﬁc Survey
Programme. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. (Suppl.) 12: 413–420.
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2012. Report of theWorkshop on Planning for an IWC Co-ordinated North Paciﬁc
Research Cruise Programme. J. Cetacean Res. Manage.
(Suppl.) 13: 369–391.
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2013. Report of theTechnical Advisory Group (TAG) Mee�ng on the Short andMedium Term Objec�ves and Plans for the IWC-POWER
Cruises. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. (Suppl.) 14: 341–355.
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2020a. Report of the
Planning Mee�ng for the 2019 IWC-POWER Cruise. J.
Cetacean Res. Manage. (Suppl.) 21: 333–345.
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2020b. Report of the 2018
Mee�ng of the IWC-POWER Technical Advisory Group (TAG).
J. Cetacean Res. Manage. (Suppl.) 21: 311–332.
Interna�onal Whaling Commission. 2020c. Report of theMee�ng of the IWC-POWER Technical Advisory Group (TAG),
January 2020, Tokyo, Japan. Paper SC/68B/Rep01 presented
to the IWC Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee, May 2020 (unpublished). 23
pp. [Available from the IWC Secretariat].
Larsen, F. 1998. Development of a biopsy system primarily foruse on large cetaceans. Paper SC/50/O15 presented to the
IWC Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee, May 1998 (unpublished). 7 pp.
[Available from the IWC Secretariat].
Matsuoka, K., Hakala, S., Kim, H.W., Aki, M. and Shinyasiki,Y. 2011. 2010 IWC/Japan Joint Cetacean Sigh�ng Survey
Cruise in the North Paciﬁc. Paper SC/63/O5 presented to the
IWC Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee, June 2011 (unpublished). 40 pp.
[Available from the IWC Secretariat].
Matsuoka, K., Crance, J., Gilpatrick, J., Yoshimura, I. and Ohkoshi,
C. 2020. Cruise report of the 2019 IWC-Paciﬁc Ocean Whaleand Ecosystem Research (IWC-POWER). Paper SC/68B/ASI/20
presented to the IWC Scien�ﬁc Commi�ee, May 2019 (unpublished). 57 pp. [Available from the IWC Secretariat].