26317 AFSC/NMML: Beluga whale Counts from Aerial Surveys in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1993-2022 Data Set Published / External 23107 Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program Project In Work 1993 The National Marine Mammal Laboratory conducted aerial surveys to monitor the abundance and distribution of beluga whales in Cook Inlet, Alaska. This database contains the counts of beluga whale groups made by the aerial observers during surveys from 1993-2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2022. Counts occurred concurrent with video collection during each pass near a beluga group. Aerial observer counts are used to calculate median counts for each beluga group to provide a daily index for the population prior to calculating the abundance estimate. Observer counts corrected for perception and availability bias are also used in abundance estimates when video is not available. Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 6774, 08-10-2015 16:24 The following FGDC sections are not currently supported in InPort, but were preserved and will be included in the FGDC export: - Taxonomy (FGDC:taxonomy) Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category biota Theme ISO 19115 Topic Category oceans Theme aerial Theme count Spatial Cook Inlet National Marine Mammal Laboratory Seattle WA United States Data Set Table (digital) The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose. NOAA denies liability if the data are misused. NA Airplane NA 26319 Count data Published / External In Work Beluga whale count data from 1994 to 2022 Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 6774, 08-10-2015 16:24 Data File Beluga whale count data from 1994 to 2022 1 Date Date No No Active Date of survey flight 201406050000 - 201406120000 2 Month Number No No Active Number of month 3 Day Number No No Active Number of day 4 Year Number No No Active Year 5 Group VARCHAR2 No No Active Group number identifier unknown 6 Pass VARCHAR2 No No Active numbered pass of the group for counting unknown 8 Count1 Number No No Active group count made by observer 1 unknown 9 Grade1 VARCHAR2 No No Active estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer1 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) unknown 10 Observer1 VARCHAR2 No No Active Observer1 identifier unknown 11 Count1Used VARCHAR2 No No Active yes or no if count was used in median unknown 12 Count2 Number No No Active group count made by observer 2 unknown 13 Grade2 VARCHAR2 No No Active estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer2 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) unknown 14 Observer 2 VARCHAR2 No No Active Observer2 identifier unknown 15 Count2Used VARCHAR2 No No Active yes or no if count was used in median unknown 16 Count3 Number No No Active Group count made by observer 3. Some years we had three observers counting on a pass - those were usually visitors, observers in training, or if we were not shooting video on a pass. unknown 17 Grade3 VARCHAR2 No No Active estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer3 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) unknown 18 Observer3 VARCHAR2 No No Active Observer3 identifier. V denotes visitor. unknown 19 Count3Used VARCHAR2 No No Active Yes or no if count was used in median unknown 20 ReasonNotUsed VARCHAR2 No No Active reason count was not used unknown 21 Location VARCHAR2 No No Active Location identifier of group unknown 22 OffsideWhales# Number No No Active Number of whales see off non-counting side of plane unknown 23 Offside Whales Comment VARCHAR2 No No Active comments about offside whales unknown 24 GeneralComment VARCHAR2 No No Active General comments about group or counts unknown 25 SubGroup VARCHAR2 No No Active yes or no if group is a subgroup unknown 26 SubGroupComment VARCHAR2 No No Active comment about subgroup unknown Author 1993 2022 Person Waite, Janice janice.waite@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way, NE Seattle WA 98115-6349 206-526-6554 Data Steward 1993 Person Shelden, Kim kim.shelden@noaa.gov Distributor 2015-08-10 Organization NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information NCEI ncei.info@noaa.gov https://ror.org/04r0wrp59 https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. Online Resource Originator 2015-08-10 Organization Alaska Fisheries Science Center AFSC afsc.webmaster@noaa.gov https://ror.org/01h7fye62 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA (206) 526-4000 (206) 526-4004 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center AKFSC Home Page Online Resource 0700-1700 Pacific Time Point of Contact 2015-08-10 Person Angliss, Robyn robyn.angliss@noaa.gov 7600 Sand Point Way, NE Seattle WA 98115-6349 206-526-4032 206-526-6615 Ground Condition -154 -149 61.5 59 Cook Inlet, Alaska Range 1993 2022 Unclassified Data is available at NCEI: http://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0133936 There are no legal restrictions on access to the data. They reside in public domain and can be freely distributed. User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/AFSC as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these data is suggested. https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0133936 2015-08-10 Organization NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://ror.org/04r0wrp59 Cook Inlet beluga whale aerial count data. csv (comma-separated values) CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/22918 Aerial Surveys, Distribution, Abundance, and Trend of Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2018 Online Resource The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted aerial surveys to estimate abundance of the beluga population in Cook Inlet, Alaska, each June, July, or both from 1993 to 2012, after which biennial surveys began in 2014. The current document presents survey results and subsequent analyses yielding an abundance estimate and population trend based on data collected during June 2018. https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/45364 Distribution of Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2021 and June 2022 Online Resource AFSC Processed Report 2022-04 After each survey day, data were quality controlled by checking all hand entered information from that day including weather, sightings, species, group sizes, observer position, and comment data for errors. No 0 No No Unknown NCEI-MD Unknown IT Security and Contingency Plan for the system establishes procedures and applies to the functions, operations, and resources necessary to recover and restore data as hosted in the Western Regional Support Center in Seattle, Washington, following a disruption. 1 NA 26319 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:26317 Janice Waite 2015-08-10T16:23:35 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:19 2018-11-27 Alaska Fisheries Science Center AFSC 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA https://www.afsc.noaa.gov 0700-1700 Pacific Time 1001 Public No No 2018-11-27 1 Year 2019-11-27 Kingdom Animalia Genus Delphinapterus Species leucas Beluga whale 1993 Beluga whale count data from 1993 AFSC Date Date of the survey flight AFSC 199306020000 199306050000 Group Group number (note that multiple passes were not counted separately) AFSC 1 9 Count1 Final group estimate count made by Observer 1 AFSC 0 120 Observer1 observer 1 AFSC unknown Count1Used yes or no if count was used in median calculation AFSC unknown Count2 Final group estimate count made by Observer 2 AFSC 0 120 Observer2 observer 2 AFSC unknown Count2Used Final group estimate count made by Observer 1 AFSC unknown Location location of group AFSC unknown ReasonNotUsed reason why group count was not used in median calculation AFSC unknown OffsideWhales# number of whales offside of counting side AFSC unknown Offside Whales Comment comment regarding whales found offside of the plane AFSC unknown GeneralComment General comment about group or count AFSC unknown SubGroup Yes or no if group is a subgroup of whale AFSC unknown SubGroupComment Comment about subgroup of whales AFSC unknown Count data Beluga whale count data from 1994 to present AFSC Date Date of survey flight AFSC 201406050000 201406120000 Flight Flight number of season AFSC 6 15 Group Group number identifier AFSC unknown Pass numbered pass of the group for counting AFSC unknown Count1 group count made by observer 1 AFSC unknown Grade1 estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer1 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) AFSC unknown Observer1 Observer1 identifier AFSC unknown Count1Used yes or no if count was used in median AFSC unknown Count2 group count made by observer 2 AFSC unknown Grade2 estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer2 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) AFSC unknown Observer 2 Observer2 identifier AFSC unknown Count2Used yes or no if count was used in median AFSC unknown Count3 group count made by observer 3 AFSC unknown Grade3 estimated visibility quality of pass made by Observer3 (A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Fair, D= Poor, F = Very Poor) AFSC unknown Observer3 Observer3 identifier AFSC unknown Count3Used Yes or no if count was used in median AFSC unknown ReasonNotUsed reason count was not used AFSC unknown Location Location identifier of group AFSC unknown OffsideWhales# Number of whales see off non-counting side of plane AFSC unknown Offside Whales Comment comments about offside whales AFSC unknown GeneralComment General comments about group or counts AFSC unknown SubGroup yes or no if group is a subgroup AFSC unknown SubGroupComment comment about subgroup AFSC unknown