RESEARCH ARTICLE

Observations of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, a globally threatened species, in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (central Pacific)

Peter J. Auster, Brian R.C. Kennedy & Sara S. Kahanamoku

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, were observed and recorded in surface waters of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (PMNM) in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands during launch and recovery of remotely operated vehicle dives in 2025, 2016, and 2015. Video from a forward-looking camera facilitated an assessment of shark presence at dive sites. Observations of C. longimanus occurred at or shallower than 50 m and in the northwest region of the Monument during dives in Spring 2025. Only observations of single sharks at single dive sites occurred during the summer 2015 and late-winter early-spring 2016 cruises. In all cases observations were brief, with the highest MaxN values of 3. Associated species included small-sized forage fishes and other piscivores. These observations provide a foundation for addressing the non-random nature of the distribution of oceanic whitetip sharks in the PMNM, the largest U.S. Marine National Monument, and offer insights for future surveys that span the entirety of PMNM.

CITATION:

Auster, P.J., Kennedy, B.R.C. & Kahanamoku, S. (2026) Observations of Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Carcharhinus longimanus, a globally threatened species, in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (central Pacific). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation, 47, 41-50.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22881044

publication date: 21 September 2026