Whales and Ship Strikes in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Year 1

This grant will allow the Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association to expand Leslie Abramson's position to full time at the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.  Leslie will fill the role of Project Manager for the Whale/Vessel Interactions Project where she will coordinate and guide an interdisciplinary working group addressing the issue of whales and ship strikes.  This area off the coast of San Francisco provides breeding and feeding grounds for blue, gray and humpback whales and other marine mammals.  In recent years, there have been several incidents of whale deaths due to ship strikes.  The working group will develop an action plan with recommendations on research and monitoring, communication and outreach to stakeholders, industry best management practices, and new policies and regulations; will consult with and make formal recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard on altering shipping lanes in the Bay Area; will work towards a nationally coordinated approach to reduce impacts on whales from vessel traffic; and will present its work and findings nationally and internationally.  This project builds on Leslie's prior experience with other national marine sanctuaries, and as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in Washington, D.C. last year where she served as part of the U.S. delegation to the International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Morocco.