NEFSC Harbor Porpoise 1991

Debi Palka

doi:10.15468/d47hg3

NEFSC Harbor Porpoise 1991

Citation

Palka, D. 2013. NEFSC Harbor Porpoise 1991. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/288) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/d47hg3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-11-03.

Description

Original provider: NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) Dataset credits: National Marine Fisheries Service Abstract: The ship survey was performed from 22 July 1991 to 30 August 1991 to estimate the abundance and spatial distribution of harbor porpoises. The study area, covering approximately 13,300 nm , was from Port Clyde, ME to 2 St. John, New Brunswick over to the Nova Scotian coast, up to Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Purpose: PRIMARY OBJECTIVES 1) Estimate the abundance of harbor porpoises in the Gulf of Maine - Bay of Fundy - Nova Scotia area. 2) Investigate if there are any spatial distribution patterns of the harbor porpoises, and if those patterns are correlated with water depth or harbor porpoise group size. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES 1) Estimate the abundance and spatial distribution of other cetaceans. 2) Determine if harbor porpoise avoid this ship, and if so, at what distance. 3) Determine if there is a spatial distribution pattern of mother-calf pairs of harbor porpoise. 4) Compare the abundance estimate and spatial distribution of harbor porpoise as seen this year with that seen in previous years. 5) Investigate if inland bays can be surveyed using a rigidhull inflatable boat as the observation platform in a line transect survey. 6) Determine if Buckland's sighting procedure (1991), which is a line transect survey using both a primary and marking team, is a feasible procedure to estimate the abundance of harbor porpoise in the Bay of Fundy area. Supplemental information: In addition to the sighting data, effort data was recorded every half hour or whenever conditions change. This dataset, therefore, should be used with the effort data.

Purpose

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES 1) Estimate the abundance of harbor porpoises in the Gulf of Maine - Bay of Fundy - Nova Scotia area. 2) Investigate if there are any spatial distribution patterns of the harbor porpoises, and if those patterns are correlated with water depth or harbor porpoise group size. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES 1) Estimate the abundance and spatial distribution of other cetaceans. 2) Determine if harbor porpoise avoid this ship, and if so, at what distance. 3) Determine if there is a spatial distribution pattern of mother-calf pairs of harbor porpoise. 4) Compare the abundance estimate and spatial distribution of harbor porpoise as seen this year with that seen in previous years. 5) Investigate if inland bays can be surveyed using a rigidhull inflatable boat as the observation platform in a line transect survey. 6) Determine if Buckland's sighting procedure (1991), which is a line transect survey using both a primary and marking team, is a feasible procedure to estimate the abundance of harbor porpoise in the Bay of Fundy area.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Lagenorhynchus acutus
common name: Atlantic White-sided Dolphin rank: species
Balaenoptera
common name: baleen whales rank: genus
Cetorhinus maximus
common name: basking shark rank: species
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Balaenoptera physalus
common name: Fin Whale rank: species
Halichoerus grypus
common name: Atlantic gray seal rank: species
Phocoena phocoena
common name: Harbor Porpoise rank: species
Phoca vitulina
common name: Harbor Seal rank: species
Megaptera novaeangliae
common name: Humpback Whale rank: species
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order
Dermochelys coriacea
common name: Leatherback Sea Turtle rank: species
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
common name: Minke Whale rank: species
Eubalaena glacialis
common name: North Atlantic Right Whale rank: species
Globicephala
common name: pilot whales rank: genus
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species

Geographic Coverages

North Atlantic Ocean

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Debi Palka
originator
position: Primary contact
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
email: dpalka@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: https://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: https://seamap.env.duke.edu

Debi Palka
owner
position: Primary contact
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
email: dpalka@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu

Debi Palka
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
email: dpalka@whsun1.wh.whoi.edu