The North Pacific right whale population was hunted commercially between 1835 and 1935, at which time the species received protection. Commercial whalers harvested over 15 O00 North Pacific right whales during this period, so reducing the population that today there are an estimated 100-200 right whales in the North Pacific. The American Pacific Whaling Company operated in the Gulf of Alaska and eastem Bering Sea during 1917-39. We report the distribution, sexes, and lengths of 20 right whales recorded in the Company logbooks and ledgers. These records identify that right whale catches were widely distributed on the whaling grounds and tended to decrease over the May-October whaling season. Of the 17 whales for which sex and length data were documented, 1 1 were females. Their average length exceeded that of males. Lengths of the whales indicated that 41% of the catch were sexually mature; two females canied fetuses. Although the sample size is small, these results suggest that the North Pacific right whale population was inhabiting its historic summering grounds after the period of heavy exploitation in the 1800s, reproducing as late as 1926, and supporting a subadult cohort at least until the species was protected. Key words: right whale, North Pacific Ocean, Alaska, distribution RÉSUMÉ. La population de baleines noires dans le nord du Pacifique fut sujète à la chasse commerciale entre 1835 et 1935, date à laquelle elle fut prot6gée. Les baleiniers commerciaux tuhrent plus de 15 O00 baleines noires durant cette période, réduisant leurs nombres à un tel point qu'il n'existe aujourd'hui qu'entre 100 et 200 baleines noires dans le nord du Pacifique. La American Pacific Whaling Company poursuivit ses opérations dans le golfe de l'Alaska et le mer de Béring de 1917 à 1939. Le présent article signale la distribution, le sexe et la longueur de 20 baleines noires inscrites dans les grands livres et les journaux de bord de la compagnie. Les dossiers indiquent que les prises de baleines noires étaient distribuées sur une vaste région dans les eaux de chasse àla baleine et semblaient diminuer progressivement durant la saison de chasse àla baleine qui durait de mai àoctobre. Des 17 baleines dont le sexe et la longueur étaient documentés, 11 &aient des femelles. Leur longueur moyenne excédait celle des mâles. La longueur des baleines indiquait que 41% des prises avaient atteint la maturité sexuelle; deux femelles portaient des foetus. Bien que la taille de l'échantillonnage est restreint, ces résultats suggèrent que la population de baleines noires habitaità ce moment-là ses eaux estivales historiques après la période d'exploitation intensive des annees 1800, que le cycle de reproduction se r6p6tait au moins jusqu'en 1926 et qu'une suite de subadultes était assurée au moins jusqu'au passage des lois protectrices. Mots clés: baleine noire, nord de l'océan Pacifique, Alaska, distribution Traduit pour le journal par Maurice Guibord.

ABSTRACT. Increasing interactions of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) with human activity, combined with impacts of climate change, are of critical concern for the conservation of the species. Our study quantifies and describes initial reactions and behaviors of polar bears observed from an icebreaker during summer 1991 at two exploratory drilling sites (near sites drilled in 2015) located in the Chukchi Sea 175 km and 312 km west of Barrow, Alaska. Polar bear behavior was described using continuous sampling of six predetermined focal group behavior states (walking, running, swimming, resting, feeding or foraging, unknown) and six behavioral reaction events (no reaction, walking away, running away, approaching, vigilance [i.e., watching], unknown). Forty-six bears in 34 groups were monitored from the Robert LeMeur (an Arctic Class 3 icebreaker) for periods of five minutes to 16.1 hours. Significantly more bear groups reacted to icebreaker presence (79%) than not (21%), but no relationship was found between their reactions and distance to or activity of the icebreaker. Reactions were generally brief; vigilance was the most commonly observed reaction, followed by walking or running away for short (< 5 minutes) periods and distances (< 500 m). Eleven percent of bear groups approached the vessel. No significant difference was found between reactions when cubs were present and those when cubs were absent. Despite the limited sample sizes, these findings are relevant to assessing potential impacts of resource development and shipping activities on polar bears, especially given the sparsity of such information in the face of growing human activity in the Arctic offshore areas. Overall, climate change is leading to longer and more extensive open-water seasons in the Arctic and therefore to increasing marine traffic-more vessels (including icebreakers) for a longer time each year over a wider area.

Chair's Introductions8:25 Invited Papers 8:3O 4aAB1. Behavioral and hearing responses of pinnipeds to rocket launch noise and sonic boom. Brent S. Stewart (Hubbs-Sea World Res. Inst., 1700 South Shores Rd., San Diego, CA 92109) Loud launch noise and sonic booms from some military space vehicle launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base impact pinnipeds on the mainland and at San Miguel Island, California, and may cause stampedes, temporary threshold shift or, less likely, permanent hearing damage. Maximum fast A-weighted (MFXA) sound levels approximately 4.8 miles downrange during the launch of three Titan IV rockets were 93.2, 92.7, and 93.0 dB; average sound exposure levels were between 98.9 and 101 dB. Harbor seals fled into the water in response but many returned to land within several hours. A sonic boom was recorded at San Miguel Island during one launch. Its peak fiat sound-pressure level was 129.5 dB and maximum fast A-weighted sound level was 86.2 dB; virtually all of the energy was below 500 Hz. Pinniped behavioral responses were mild and brief. Predicted overpressures for focused sonic booms from the Titan IV rocket are substantially greater (>• 150 dB). Noninvasive hearing tests using ABR and OAE techniques are being used to determine if pinnipeds suffer temporary threshold shifts or permanent hearing damage from exposure to those sonic booms. 8:45 1828