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The Dolphin Institute

dedicated to dolphins and whales through education, research, and conservation

Recent public presentations of our work:

  • Pack, A. A. (2024).  Invited Presentation on Humpback Whale Research at the Hilo Yacht Club “A Legacy of Studying Humpback Whales in Hawai’i and Alaska” (March 10, 2024).
  • Alvarez, P., Pack, A., Hart, P. & Lammers, M. (2023).  Oral Presentation. Discovering the importance of windward habitats for spinner dolphins off Hawai’i Island.  30th Annual Hawai’i Conservation Conference, Honolulu, HI (June 26-29).
  • Mobley, J. Deakos, M., Pack, A. & Bortolotto, G. (2023). Oral Presentation by A. Pack.  Aerial survey perspectives on humpback whale resiliency in Maui Nui following an unprecedented North Pacific marine warming event. 30th Annual Hawai’i Conservation Conference, Honolulu, HI (June 26-29).
  • Lyman, E., Lammers, M., Pack, A., Bradford, A. Kramer, D….Finn, R. (2023).  Oral Presentation.  Variability in collisions between vessels and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiian waters (1979-2022). 30th Annual Hawai’i Conservation Conference, Honolulu, HI (June 26-29).
  • Pack A., Atkinson, DeMaster, S. & Mashburn, K. (2022). Oral Presentation. Sexy Hump-back? Progesterone concentrations in female humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) predict their attractiveness in the Hawaiian breeding grounds.  24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Van Aswegen, M., Szabo, A., Currie, J., Stack, S., Pack, A., Cheeseman, T. Atkinson DeMaster, S., & Bejder, L. (2022) Oral Presentation. The ups and downs of humpback whale motherhood: quantifying the cost of maternal investment and calf growth on their Hawaiian breeding grounds and Southeast Alaskan foraging grounds. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • McElligott, M., Lammers, M. Zang, E., & Pack, A. (2022). Poster Presentation. Variation in Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) daytime habitat-use during restricted commercial boating activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Mobley, J. R., Deakos, M. Pack, A., & Bortolotto, G. (2022). Poster Presentation. Results of 2019-20 aerial surveys of the Maui Nui region, Hawaii: Are Hawaiian humpback whales on the decline?  24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Lyman, E., Lammers, M., Pack, A., Bradford, A., Schofield, Currie, J., Stack, S., Rossa, J. & Tom, A. (2022). Oral Presentation.  Variability in collisions between vessels and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiin waters (1979-2021). 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Lammers, M., Kittel, J., Zang, E., Zeh, J., Parks, S. E., Gough, W., Cade, D., Lyman, E. & Pack, A. (2022). Poster Presentation. The behavioral activity of humpback whales on their Hawaiian breeding grounds measuring through instrumented tags.  24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Kugler, A., Lammers, M., Zang, E., & Pack, A. (2022). Oral Presentation. Music to my ears: New insights into how humpback whale song chorusing can inform their ecology.  24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Cheeseman, T….Pack A….et al. (2022). Oral Presentation. A happy collaboration: Basin-scale, high-throughput, AI-assisted photo-ID matching for North Pacific humpback whales. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Shannon Atkinson DeMaster, Pack, A., Pearson, H., Melica, Valentina, Mashburn, K., Lammers, M., Moran, J., Teerlink, S., Bejder, L., Currie, J., Stack, S., Szabo, A., Cates, K., & van Aswegen, M. (2022). Oral Presentation. Seasonally stressed?  Varying metabolic biomarkers in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Alaska and Hawaii. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Alvarez, P., Pack, A., Lammers, M., & Hart, P. (2022). Poster Presentation. “Go east young dolphin!” Discovering windward coastal Hawaiian spinner dolphins habitat off the Big Island using combined passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) and visual techniques. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Palm Beach, FL (Aug 1-5, 2022).
  • Zeh, J. M., Lammers, M. O,., Pack, A. A. & Parks, S. E. (2022). Oral Presentation. Assessing intra-individual consistency in humpback whale song production using animal-borne acoustic recorders.  182nd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Denver, CO (May 24, 2022).
  • Carvalho, J., Lammers, M., Indeck, K., Pack, A. & Castilho, R. (2021). Poster Presentation.  The social signaling behavior of humpback whales on the Hawaiian Islands breeding grounds investigated using acoustic tags.  The 181st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Hyatt Regency Seattle, Washington (Nov 29-Dec 3, 2021).
  • Pack, A. A. (2021).  Invited oral presentation.  Are the pressures of humpback whale motherhood in Hawaiian waters reflected in stress-related steroid hormone concentrations?  The National Marine Sanctuaries Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Research Symposium, Webinar hosted in Maui, Hawai’i (October 18-19, 2021).
  • Lammers, M. O., Kittel, J., Zang, E., Zeh, J., Parks, S., Gough, W. T., Cade, D. Lyman, E. & Pack, A. A. (October, 2021).  The behavioral activity of humpback whales on their Hawaiian breeding grounds measured through instrumented tags.  Oral Presentation. The 7th International Bio-logging Science Symposium. Honolulu, HI (Oct 18-21, 2021).
  • Pack, A. A. & Darling, J. (December 3, 2020).  SPLASH 2: Hawaii Summary (Origins, SPLASH, Post-SPLASH, Future).  Presentation on history and status of humpback whale research in the Hawaiian Islands.  International Zoom Workshop on SPLASH (Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of North Pacific Humpback Whales) 2. (December 1-3).
  • Pack, A. A. (November 23, 2020).  Sizes, Strategies and Steroid Hormones: Insights into the Humpback Whale Mating System of 25 years of Field Research in Hawaiian Waters.   Invited Webinar Presenter.  Office of National Marine Sanctuaries NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. https://www.facebook.com/hawaiihumpbackwhale/videos/667183057286961/?vh=e&d=n
  • Pack, A. A. (November 18, 2020).  Invited Webinar Presenter. Interactive 90-minute Questions and Answers with virtual audience as featured researcher following airing of the PBS Film “Mystery of the Humpback Whale Song.” Office of National Marine Sanctuaries NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgEQ0TUjZh0
  • Pack, A. A. (November 17, 2020).  Invited Webinar Presenter. Representing UH Hilo in KUPU Event, University of Hawaii Natural Resources and Natural Sciences: 4-year Campuses: UH Manoa, Hilo, West Oahu.  Presented to State of Hawaii High School Teachers.  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/zFAks-_JOf47VcI7Xt0rWJrMXvpMuDoYCOFdjEwm50VPKjWpa4mmTpABzxJKxxxWrpFS3dMwSeOhKlRW.-uwInhm92TYtR0LL?startTime=1605668768000&_x_zm_rtaid=jFF_4MCSSUiGfPZs4oycsA.1606289902254.c71b1ea91f623a66343da5a7a497e5e9&_x_zm_rhtaid=460
  • Pack, A. A. (October 21, 2020). Invited Webinar Presenter.  Featured Researcher in selected screening of PBS Film “Mystery of the Humpback Whale” for New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival.
  • Pack, A. A. (February 4, 2020).  Part of a trio of presentations by Jens Currie, Chief Scientist at Pacific Whale Foundation, Lars Bejder, Director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at HIMB, UH Manoa, and Adam Pack, Pack Marine Mammal Laboratory at UH Hilo on factors contributing to declining humpback whale sightings in Hawaii and Alaska.  Maui Ocean Center, Maalaea, Hawaii.
  • Pack A., Cates, K., Atkinson, S., Gabriele, C., Straley, J., Yin, S. & Lammers, M. (December, 2019).  First comparisons of testosterone levels in male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of different behavioral roles and body sizes in the breeding grounds.  Oral presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain (9 Dec – 12 Dec).
  • Chen, J., Pack, A. & Au, W. W. L. (December, 2019).  Non-song calls produced by a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaii. Poster presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain (9 Dec – 12 Dec).
  • McElligott, M., Lammers, M., Pack, A. (December, 2019).  Long-term variability in spinner dolphin acoustic activity measured at two resting bays off Oahu, Hawaii.  Poster presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain (9 Dec – 12 Dec).
  • Mobley, J.R., Deakos, M., Pack, A. (December, 2019).  Relative Abundance of Humpback Whales in Maui Nui–Preliminary Results of 2019-20 Aerial Surveys.   Poster presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain (9 Dec – 12 Dec).
  • Siddiqui, S., Pack, A., Stimpert, A. & Hart, P. (December, 2019).  Acoustic examination of non-song call production as a function of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) pod composition and subsurface behavior in Hawaii. Oral presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s World Marine Mammal Conference, Barcelona, Spain (9 Dec – 12 Dec).
  • Pack, A.A. (July 30, 2019).  In search of an advertising function of fitness in male humpback whale song. Invited presentation and Alaska premier of PBS film “Mystery of the Humpback Whale Song.”  Petersburg Library, Petersburg, AK.
  • Mobley, J., Deakos, M. & Pack, A. (February 16, 2019).  2019-20 Humpback Whale Survey Project.  Presentation for Whale Tails 2019, Ritz Carlton, Maui.
  • Pack, A. A. (October 12, 2018). The influences of body size and reproductive status on humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) behavioral role, social interaction, and habitat use in Hawaiian waters. Biology Department Fall Seminar Series, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. https://manoa.hawaii.edu/biology/node/740
  • Pack, A. A. (July 30, 2018). Choices female humpback whales make when with versus without calf in Hawaiian waters. Invited presentation. Petersburg Marine Mammal Center Science Lecture Series. Council Chambers, Petersburg, Alaska.
  • Pack, A. A. (April 27, 2018). Cognitive characteristics of bottlenose dolphins. Invited 2.5 hr presentation in PSY 429 – Marine Mammals in Hawaii: From Dolphin Language to Curious Humpbacks. University of Hawaii at Manoa.
  • Pack, A. A., Craig, A. S. & Waterman, J. O. (October, 2017). An unexpected journey: Diurnal movement into deeper waters by humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother-calf pairs observed off Northwest Maui, Hawaii. Poster presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Halifax, Nova Scotia (22 Oct-27 Oct).
  • Chen, J., Pack, A. A., Stimpert, A. & Au, W. W. L. (October, 2017). Vocalizations and behavior of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother-calf groups in the Hawaiian wintering grounds. Poster presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Halifax, Nova Scotia (22 Oct-27 Oct).
  • Lammers, M. O., Pack, A. A., Kugler, A. & Deakos, M. (October, 2017). Humpback whale song as a display of male fitness: Evidence from measurements of variability in song units in conjunction with singer body size. Oral presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Halifax, Nova Scotia (22 Oct-27 Oct).
  • Cates, K., Atkinson, S., Straley, J., Pack, A. A., & Gabriele, C. (October, 2017). Endocrine markers for understanding stress response and reproduction in male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Hawaiian and Alaskan waters. Oral presentation at the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Halifax, Nova Scotia (22 Oct-27 Oct).
  • Pack, A. A. (July, 2017). Invited Speaker – 2nd World Congress on Humpback Whales. A tribute to Louis M. Herman (3 July – 7 July).
  • Pack, A. A. (July, 2017). Invited Keynote Speaker – 2nd World Congress on Humpback Whales. Twenty years of sizing whales underwater: Insights into the behavioral ecology and mating system of humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds, Reunion Island (3 July – 7 July).
  • Lammers, M.O., Pack, A., Kuegler, A. and Deakos, M. (July 2017) “Humpback whale song as a display of male fitness: Evidence from measurements of variability in song units in conjunction with singer body size.” 4th International Symposium on Acoustic Communication by Animals, Omaha, Nebraska.
  • Pack, A. A. (April, 2017). Invited participant and presenter representing Hawaii. An overview of humpback whale research in Hawaiian waters and a summary of early attempts to estimate whale abundance International Whaling Commission workshop on a comprehensive assessment on North Pacific humpback whales. NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA (18 Apr-21 Apr).
  • Chen, J., Pack, A. A., Stimpert, A. K. & Au, W. W. L. (November, 2016). Acoustic characteristics of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf vocalizations in the Hawaiian wintering grounds. 172nd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and 5 th Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the Acoustical Society of Japan. Honolulu, Hawaii (28-Nov-2 Dec).