436 



Fishery Bulletin 90(3), 1992 



Stock identity and management 



The summer and late-season surveys of 1986 and 

 previous years (Baker et al. 1985) demonstrated that 

 many whales remained to feed in southeastern Alaska 

 for much of the summer and into late fall. Intervals be- 

 tween first identification and last reidentification of 

 some individual whales indicated seasonal occupancies 

 of at least 6 months. Since no surveys were conducted 

 from 15 September to 29 November, it was not pos- 

 sible to document continuous residency of individual 

 whales in either of the primary study areas (i.e., Glacier 

 Bay or Frederick Sound). However, comparisons of in- 

 dividual identification photographs collected in the cen- 

 tral and western Gulf of Alaska, including Prince 

 William Sound, and along the coast of central Califor- 

 nia indicate that whales which summer in southeastern 

 Alaska seldom migrate to alternate feeding grounds 

 within seasons or across years (Baker et al. 1986, Perry 

 et al. 1990). These observations are strong evidence 

 that southeastern Alaska is the migratory terminus and 

 primary feeding ground for a distinct herd or seasonal 

 subpopulation of humpback whales. 



Comparisons of individual identification photographs 

 and analysis of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes demon- 

 strate that many members of the southeastern Alaska 

 feeding herd migrate to wintering grounds near the 

 islands of Hawaii (Darling and Jurasz 1983, Baker et 

 al. 1986, Perry et al. 1990, Baker et al. 1990). The 

 migratory connection between these primary seasonal 

 habitats provides a unique opportunity to study and 

 protect a population of humpback whales that spends 

 the majority of its time within U.S. coastal waters (Na- 

 tional Marine Fisheries Service 1991). 



Acknowledgments 



Surveys of humpback whales in southeastern Alaska 

 during 1986 were made possible by funding from the 

 U.S. Marine Mammal Commission (contract number 

 MM3309822-5) and the cooperation of personnel from 

 Glacier Bay National Park and the Auke Bay Labor- 

 atory, National Marine Fisheries Service. C.S. Baker 

 was supported by employment to Glacier Bay National 

 Park and Preserve during these surveys and by a 

 postdoctoral fellowship from the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion during the preparation of this manuscript. The 

 views and opinions expressed in this paper do not 

 necessarily reflect those of these agencies. Photographs 

 collected during 1979 and 1980 were made available 

 by the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Seattle, 

 courtesy of W.S. Lawton. Photographs collected dur- 

 ing 1981, 1982, and 1984 were made available courtesy 

 of L.M. Herman, University of Hawaii. We thank the 



following people for their assistance in the field: Gary 

 Vequist, Glacier Bay National Park; Ken Krieger, 

 George Snyder, and Bruce Wing, Auke Bay Labora- 

 tory, NMFS; Carol and Jim Greenough, and Chuck 

 Johnstone, Sitka, Alaska. The manuscript benefited 

 from a thorough review by S. Swartz, Marine Mam- 

 mal Commission, L. Jones and H. Braham, National 

 Marine Mammal Laboratory, and the comments of two 

 anonymous reviewers. 



Citations 



Anon3Tnous 



1984 Glacier Biy National Park and Preserve, Alaska; Pro- 

 tection of humpoack whales; Proposed rules. Federal Register 

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Baker, C.S. 



1984 Population characteristics and feeding behavior of hump- 

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 to NMFS Auke Bay Lab., Auke Bay, AK, 44 p. 



1985a The population structure and social organization of the 

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