Our Research

The Ocean Mammal Institute (OMI) is dedicated to protecting marine mammals
and awakening people's minds and hearts to nature's interconnected harmony.

Our current research, being done under a permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) focuses on the impact of engine noise on Hawaii’s humpback whales, on the function of the humpback whale song and humpback whale social sounds. Our results on the effects of engine noise on the short and long term behavior of humpback whales so far show that whales’ swimming speed and amount of time underwater is affected by the noise level of boats that approach them.

Specific results of OMI's research are listed below.

• Short-Term Impact of Vessel Traffic on the Hawaiian Humpback Whale Paper
  Describes the effects that boats in general have on the behavior of the whales. 1990
  

• The Impact of Parasail Boats on the Hawaiian Humpback Whale Paper
  Describes the effects that parasail boats in particular have on Hawaii's humpback whales. 1991
  

• Five Year Vessel Impact Study
  Results of our five year experimental study of the effect of boat engine noise
  on the humpback whales' behavior in the Hawaiian Islands. 1995-2000 (First phase completed.)

• OMI's Research Presented at the Marine Mammal Conference in Vancouver, Canada, Nov-Dec 2001
  
  Abstract: Relationship of Social Vocalizations to Pod Size, Composition and Behavior in the Hawaiian Humpback Whale
  
  Research Paper: Singing Humpback Whales Associate with Mothers and Calves
  
  

Back to OMI Home Page