Entanglement represents a significant threat to many marine animals, including large

whales. It has been estimated that hundreds of thousands of whales die annually

worldwide due to the threat. Ed Lyman, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National

Marine Sanctuary’s Natural Resource Specialist, helps coordinate a community-based

Network of responders in Hawaiʻi that is part of a broader national program overseen

and authorized by NOAA Fisheries and their Marine Mammal Health and Stranding

Response Program (permit no. 24359). This network of trained and experienced

responders not only try to free whales from life-threatening entanglements, but also

gather valuable information towards reducing the threat – the ultimate solution. Both –

the disentanglement response and the science, pose challenges and risks that in part

are mitigated by extending their scope and/or reach. Ed will give examples of how the

Network frees large whales, the evolution of that response in extending their reach (both

literally and figuratively), and examples of the tools and techniques that have increased

the scope (figurative reach) towards gaining more information. Both are important

towards mitigating the broad-based risk and impacts that entanglement threat poses.