The public is invited to virtually attend the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary advisory council GoToWebinar in a couple of weeks.

Ocean users are asked to use caution when navigating shared waters.

Although weather conditions were not ideal for viewing whales at the majority of sites, folks were still able to spot some whales in addition to other species.

Design of the vessel is currently underway, and NOAA expects to award a contract for the construction of the ship by the end of the year.

Humpback whales are protected in Hawai‘i. Federal regulations prohibit approaching within 100 yards of whales when on the water and 1,000 feet when operating an aircraft.

Sanctuary Ocean Count and Great Whale Count volunteers gathered to observe humpback whales from Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, and Maui.

According to the HWF Facebook page, last year alone, HWF and volunteers removed over 55,000 pounds from remote and rocky shorelines on Hawai‘i Island (plus over 26,000 pounds from Maui).

After dissecting hundreds of larval fish, the researchers discovered that many fish species ingested plastic particles.

Water clarity and quality at Sand Island, Honolulu will be improved using a natural resource — oysters. 

This year's coral bleaching event has prompted state agencies to create a pledge to protect the delicate ocean ecosystem.