Dear colleagues, My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the publication of a new article: Currie, J.J., Stack, S.H., McCordic, J.A., Roberts, J. Utilizing Occupancy Models and Platforms-of-Opportunity to Assess Area Use of Mother-Calf Humpback Whales, Open Journal of Marine Science, 2018, 8, 276-292. Abstract The Hawaiian Islands, and particularly the Maui 4-island region, are a critical breeding and calving habitat for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) belonging to the Hawaii distinct population segment. Our aims were to test the use of platforms-of-opportunity to determine trends in mother-calf pod use of the region and to present opportunistic platforms as an alternative method of long-term, cross-seasonal monitoring. Data were collected from whale watching vessels over a 4-year period and analyzed using occupancy models to determine the probability of habitat use of pods with calves and pods without calves within the study area. Detection probability was influenced by survey effort and month for all pod types with detection of adult only pods further influenced by year. Pods with a calf showed a preference for shallow (<100 meters) low latitude waters (< N20.7°), while pods without a calf preferred deeper waters (>75 meters). Results presented here align with previous work, both in Hawaii and in other breeding grounds, which show a distinct segregation of mothers with a calf from other age-classes of humpback whales. The need for long-term continuous monitoring of cetacean populations is crucial to ensure species conversation. Data collected aboard platforms-of-opportunity, as presented here, provides important insight on humpback whale spatial and temporal distribution, which is essential for species protection and management. The full article is available online at: https://www.scirp.org/Journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=83808 You can also email us to request a PDF copy: research@pacificwhale.org *Research Department* Pacific Whale Foundation 300 Ma'alaea Rd., Suite 211 Wailuku, HI 96793, USA Phone: +1 808-856-8338 Email: research@pacificwhale.org Website: www.pacificwhale.org -- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission and any accompanying attachments contain information belonging to the sender which may be confidential and legally privileged. This information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom this electronic mail transmission was sent as indicated above. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution, or action taken in reliance on the contents of the information contained in this transmission is strictly prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this transmission and all attachments. Thank you!