Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

During September of 2007, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received reports of five blue whale carcasses between Santa Cruz Island and San Diego. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) designated the blue whale mortalities as an “Unusual Mortality Event” (Hogarth 2007). In response to that event, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS or sanctuary) has collaborated with the shipping industry, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and other key stakeholders to reduce the risk of ship strikes on endangered whales. For more than six years, the CINMS Advisory Council (SAC) has been the local forum for community and stakeholder conversations on shipping issues. The SAC formed the Marine Shipping Working Group (MSWG or working group) in 2014 to develop recommendations to address regional shipping-related concerns. The working group consisted of a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from the DoD, US Coast Guard (USCG), Channel Islands National Park, NMFS, Marine Exchange of Southern California (Mx SoCal), shipping industry, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD), and the tourism, research, and conservation communities. The charge of the working group was to develop a suite of management, education, outreach, and research recommendations that build on the sanctuary and SAC’s previous work, and address the following goals: 1. Reduce the risk of ship strikes on endangered whales 2. Decrease air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions 3. Improve navigational safety and promote efficient maritime shipping throughout the region 4. Manage ship traffic to minimize naval operation interruptions and reduce conflicts with other ocean users (e.g. fishing and whale watching concessionaires)