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About Us

Mission

The Hawai‘i Marine Mammal Consortium is composed of marine mammal scientists from institutions around the country who share an interest in marine mammal research and conservation in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands.
We have a strong commitment to increase and promote knowledge and education about marine mammals and the marine environment to help island communities value, understand and protect Hawai‘i’s marine life.
A fundamental tenet of this consortium is that it is larger than any of its individual members, that it will outlive all of us and that it is founded on a vision of collaboration and excellence.

Main Goals of the HMMC

• To conduct and coordinate research on wild populations of whales, dolphins and seals in the public interest
• To link HMMC scientists with Hawai‘i educators and community members by serving as an educational resource and by providing internship opportunities for high school, college and university students
• To cultivate and maintain broad multi-disciplinary ties with oceanographers, geologists, climatologists and other scientists to address large-scale issues affecting marine mammals and their habitat
• To build a permanent underwater acoustic observatory as a research tool and as a means to raise public awareness of marine mammal dependence on a healthy underwater acoustic environment
• To work with existing agencies and organizations to help coordinate efforts for rescuing, rehabilitating or necropsying stranded marine mammals
• To promote awareness of the importance of a healthy marine ecosystem

 

Board

  • Christine Gabriele, M. S., President
  • Adam S. Frankel, Ph.D., Vice President
  • Susan Rickards, M. S., Treasurer
  • Suzanne Yin, M. S., Secretary
 

Scientific Advisors

  • Whitlow Au, Ph.D.
  • Christopher Clark, Ph.D.
  • Ania Driscoll-Lind, M. S.
  • Joseph R. Mobley Jr, Ph.D.
  • Paul Nachtigall, Ph.D.
  • Jan Östman-Lind, Ph.D.
  • Jon Stern, Ph.D. (deceased 2017)
  • Peter Tyack, Ph.D.
 

Partners

Volunteers and Assistants
Michael A. Hoffhines (emeritus)
Kim New
Holly Sargeant-Green
Noa Rickards
Mele Rickards
Marilyn Wright
Desray Reeb
Margaret A. Barker
Billy Rickards
Anette Henry

Collaborators
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (HIHWNMS)
Ed Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Disentanglement Network (HIDN, HIHWNMS)
National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML)
Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC)
Colleen Bryan, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Robin Baird, Cascadia Research Collective
Jan Straley, University of Alaska, Southeast
C. Scott Baker and Debbie Steele, Oregon State University
Ben Saldua, Pu’ukoholā Heiau National Historical Site
Marie C. Hill, Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center and PIPIN
Joseph R. Mobley, jr., University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Charles H. Greene, Cornell University
Kate Stafford, University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory

 

Sponsors and Contributors

  • Stacks Image 409
    SAS provided a copy of their excellent JMP software
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    Honda provided a substantial discount on our trusty outboard
  • Stacks Image 424
    Young Brothers provided equipment to conduct our Shark Research in Pelekane Bay
  • Stacks Image 426
    Amazon donates 0.5% of your purchases to HMMC
  • Stacks Image 428
    Computer Recycling Center donated two macs to HMMC
  • Stacks Image 436
    Joe Workman provided several software tools to HMMC
  • Stacks Image 498
    Techsoup has provided software at discounted prices