Abstract
AbstractRecent marine mammal recovery and growth of human populations in coastal areas has led to increased human harassment of protected pinniped populations. Yet, current monitoring approaches lack the necessary resolution to describe this emerging issue. We therefore propose a new classification scheme for monitoring of marine mammal–human interaction (HI), which defines categories based on the type of human behavior and associated risks to the animal. Among harbor, harp, and gray seal strandings (N = 3,525) from 2007 to 2019 in Maine, United States, evidence of HI was reported in 14.72% of strandings, with the majority (75.34%) of these cases involving harassment. The number of HI reports increased over time, particularly in the southern region of the state, and an analysis of geographic hotspots further identifies emerging areas of concern. Variation in the rate and type of HI among species, age classes, and seasons reflect differences in pinniped life history. The most commonly observed types of harassment included human approach, physical contact, and displacement. By breaking down harassment, we aim to inform ongoing mitigation efforts and contribute to our understanding of the impact of HI on marine mammal health, as well as offer a transferable methodological approach to monitoring human–wildlife interaction.
Highlights
The United States (US), like most countries that border oceans worldwide, has a long history of exploiting its coastal ecosystems, including species that today are valued primarily for their non-consumptive use
York County had the highest number of stranding reports (1,490) and Waldo had the lowest number of reports (50) from 2007 to 2019 (Figure 2)
In Maine, reports of human interaction (HI) cases have continued to increase in recent years, primarily attributed to harassment
Summary
The United States (US), like most countries that border oceans worldwide, has a long history of exploiting its coastal ecosystems, including species that today are valued primarily for their non-consumptive use. For example, were decimated across the country in the 19th century first as a result of hunting for their meat, oils, and furs, and later when targeted by state and local-government financed bounties (Cammen et al 2019). This exploitation continued in some locations until 1972, when the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was passed in response to growing concern over the conservation status of many marine mammal species. “Takes” are defined under the MMPA as the harassment, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal (MMPA)
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