Proposal for mapping Whale Sightings in State of Hawaii

Introduction:

            In the State of Hawaii there are two National Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries that have been established to protect the delicate marine ecosystems that lay in the surrounding Hawaiian waters. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale is a sanctuary that lies on the northern shores of the islands of Kauai, Oahu, the Northwestern Shore of the Island of Hawaii, and in the waters between the Islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. As the name states this sanctuary was developed for the Humpback whales who migrate through the area during the winter seasons. But how often are these creatures seen within the sanctuary. This project intends to look where whale species are seen within the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands and what features might attract more whale sightings such as water depth, bottom type, and Oceanic Recreational Zone designations.

Objective:

          The Goal of the produced map would be to:

• Map the Location of Whale Sightings from The Beginning of October to the Beginning of December.
• Show the Depth of the Water where the Whales are sighted.
• Map the Boundaries of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary
• Map underwater Features such as Reefs, shipwrecks, and Recreation Zones.

Methodology:

            Data will compiled from several sources. Data layers will be for ocean depth, National Marine Refugee boundaries, Oceanic Recreation Zones, and any other data that does not involve whales will be compiled from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Website, and the ArcGIS databases. Data on the location of the whale sightings, the species of whale sighted will be taken from Pacific Whale.org (http://www.pacificwhale.org/content/whale-and-dolphin-sightings). The sightings will be put into a Microsoft Excel Table and then be converted into a data layer to be mapped in ArcGIS.

Data Sources: (Layers)

• Ocean Depth
• Shipwrecks
• Marine Sanctuary Boundaries
• Oceanic Recreation Zones
• Whale Sightings
• Ocean Basemap.