Listening in on Māui dolphins No Images? Click here Welcome to Māui Watch! Issue 9Spring 2017Listening in on Māui dolphinsEver feel like someone is listening in on your conversation? Thanks to some fancy technology, that is exactly what researchers have been doing to Māui dolphins. Found only off the west coast of the North Island from Maunganui Bluff to Whanganui, latest estimates put the Māui population between 57 and 75 adult individuals. Given the low number of Māui dolphins, conducting boat or aerial surveys outside of the core range (which is between Manukau Harbour and Raglan Harbour) can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Alternative survey methods may help us to detect the dolphins at the edges of their distribution, and further offshore. The purpose of the CPOD work we are undertaking is to fill in some priority information gaps around distribution in areas we have not effectively surveyed in the past. CPODs are acoustic recording devices designed specifically to record detections of the high frequency "clicks" that whales and dolphins use to hunt prey and navigate. Photo: DOC - Coastguard boat with CPOD buoy In December 2016, in a joint operation with DOC Whanganui and New Plymouth Offices and the Whanganui Coastguard Unit, a CPOD (one of four deployed in the Whanganui-Taranaki region) was anchored about one nautical mile offshore from the Whanganui River mouth. The device was left out for three months before being collected by Whanganui and Taranaki DOC staff in co-operation with the team from Wanganui Coastguard. DOC's Acting Senior Biodiversity Ranger Sara Treadgold volunteers with Wanganui Coastguard and provides an important link in the positive relationship between both organisations. "Even with some high winds the CPOD and its chain, anchors and buoy were still present when we turned up at the co-ordinates. What a relief that was!" said Sara. "Pulling up the first anchor was relatively easy with some strong muscle from DOC staff. However, the 2nd anchor got stuck and the Coastguard crew had to do some nifty manoeuvring to break it free! We did have a bit of a 'bugger' moment but got there in the end!" "Thanks to the Coastguard boat crew for keeping us safe with comms via the Wanganui Coastguard radio." This spring, DOC plans to re-deploy the CPODs around the Whanganui-Taranaki region. In June this year NIWA deployed nine CPODs in a line out to 12 nautical miles off the coast of Manukau. This is part of a collaborative project between DOC, MPI, the University of Auckland and NIWA to establish how far offshore Māui dolphins can be detected. Seven of the CPODs were also paired with a soundtrap which will record other vocalisations such as clicks and whistles from the dolphins to complement the CPOD data. These paired acoustic devices will stay in place for one year to enable scientists to detect any seasonal variations, but data will be retrieved every three months. All data from the CPODs and soundtraps will be analysed by scientists at the University of Auckland and will feed into a multi-threat risk assessment that will help inform the review of the Hector's and Māui Dolphin Threat Management Plan in 2018.
Photos: NIWA Have you seen me?ID: M007Recent sightingsIn February and April this year we received two possible Hector's dolphin sightings in the Bay of Plenty. DOC staff have responded by spreading the message throughout the local communities to keep an eye out for the dolphins and promptly report any future sightings. The Department of Conservation periodically receives sighting reports of Hector's/Māui dolphins in areas where they are not known to reside, such as the Bay of Plenty/Coromandel. In November 2015, there were 5 separate sightings of small groups of Hector's/Māui dolphins between Mount Maunganui and Whitianga. In December 2015, there was a sighting of 2 Hector's/Māui dolphins in the eastern Bay of Plenty, and again in April 2016. All of these sightings, including the two from this year, were validated and given a score of 3 (the description of the dolphin is consistent with Hector's/Māui dolphins but the location is not within the known current range of either species). Local staff are prepared to respond to future sightings by attempting to re-sight the dolphins and attempt to obtain a biopsy sample. Biopsy samples allow us to determine whether the dolphin is a Hector's or Māui and potentially which population they are from. Any information we can gain from sightings like these help improve our understanding of the habitat use and range of these dolphins. CLICK HERE TO Research update
In July this year a draft plan of the key meeting milestones in the lead up to the Hector's and Māui dolphin Threat Management Plan review was sent out to the Māui dolphin Research Advisory Group (MRAG). The first milestone meeting was the MRAG technical sub-group meeting held on 23 August in Auckland. Scientists from the University of Auckland, Auckland University of Technology, Massey University, Otago University, NIWA and officials from DOC and MPI came together for the day to discuss Māui dolphin research. The key discussion of the day focused on the multi-threat risk assessment project that will be undertaken by NIWA, and the data and inputs needed to ensure the best possible information goes into informing the risk assessment. The afternoon included a brainstorming session to identify priority research to feed into the 5-year research plan. A summary of the meeting can be found here.
Photo: Martin Stanley Team Māui - Hannah HendriksHannah Hendriks is a Marine Species Support Officer working in the Department's National Office in Wellington. She joined the Department four years ago after completing a Masters in Marine Conservation from Victoria University of Wellington. Hannah has a varied role, mostly supporting marine mammal work programmes around the country. She manages the national database for marine mammal sightings and incidents, is a national contact for New Zealand's marine mammal stranding response, and helps with marine mammal communications through brochures and posters etc., and the DOC website. Q: What past work have you completed on Māui dolphins, and what future work will you be doing on the dolphins? For the past four years I have collated and managed sightings and incident data for Māui dolphins and helped to improve the way we store it. I have also contributed to the creation of some of our awareness resources such as the Meet the Māui book, posters, and stickers. I ensure that these get distributed around the country to help inform people that we are interested in their sightings and let them know how they can help. I will be continuing to try to find ways that we can improve the marine mammal reporting experience for users of the New Zealand coastline and investigate ways to report our information back to the community. With the upcoming Hector's and Māui dolphin Threat Management Plan review I will be able to contribute the data we have collected from opportunistic sightings of Māui and Hector's dolphins, as well as the information we have learnt from stranded dolphins in order to inform any potential new protection measures. Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced or anticipate facing when attempting to raise Māui dolphin awareness, or further Māui dolphin conservation? It can be hard to engage with people who have not or may not ever see the species in question in the flesh. The nature of the marine environment means you can't always predict where they're going to be. It can be like finding a needle in a haystack. you can't have dolphins available in zoos for people to see like kiwi, so how do you get them to appreciate it? I think this can be said for marine ecosystems in general - out of sight, out of mind. It is a lot harder to comprehend and imagine something if you can't see it, and also to realise how we are affecting it. Another challenge is just trying to make people aware, so they know to report a sighting to us if they see it. What are the most effective channels? Within the Māui dolphin conservation space we have tried various approaches including signage and posters at popular spots, advocacy rangers at boat ramps, stickers, and social media campaigns. We are always looking for new innovative ways to get the message out. How do people know to report Māui sightings?The public can report sightings of Māui dolphins to either DOC or WWF via smart phone app, phone or online form. All sightings are forwarded to an external scientist, independent to both agencies, to undertake validation interviews of people who report sightings. The sightings are then categorised on a 5 point scale depending on the reliability of the sighting. The interviewer also asks people how they knew to report the sighting. DOC and WWF can use this information to focus our advocacy campaigns by getting an idea about what format of communication is most effective to raise awareness. We've seen that the largest majority of sightings were made after people had discussed what they'd seen with friends or family who then advised that they should report the sighting to DOC or WWF. We would very much like to know how these friends and family knew to encourage the sighting report! The next largest group of sightings were made after people turned to the internet to research what they'd seen after noting the unusual shape of the dolphin's dorsal fin. They then came across the DOC or WWF website which prompted the reporting of the sighting. Boat ramp and beach signs accounted for a significant number of reported sightings. Media attention, posters, stickers and other forms of advocacy make up most of the remainder of the sightings. All sightings are entered into the DOC Marine Mammal Database, which is made available online, and help to determine the distribution of Māui and Hector's dolphins. Your sighting could help inform the review of the Hector's and Māui dolphin Threat Management Plan in 2018.
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