TO18Wi_T2_MammalSightsAndCues_20211015.csv

Unique identifier to a survey (vessel or aircraft based) event. For vessel survey: composed of the vessel's acronym followed by a 2-digit survey year and a 2-digit consecutive mission-number on that vessel (a.k.a cruise code).

Cruise name / Cruise Number

Made up of a combination of

a two character Boat Abbreviation : GU = Gordon Gunther

a two digit year: 18 for 2018

a two digit cruise number: 01 for first cruise of the year

Unique numeric identifier for each survey effort point recorded at regular time intervals. For vessel surveys: approximately every 30 seconds. For aerial surveys: approximately every 10 seconds. This is the indexing number that allows each marine mammal sighting, non-mammal occurence and cue to be linked to the effort points. See also dwc:eventID

Local date-time during data recording.

The unique identifier for the Sighting (for marine mammal sighting).

Description of where on the vessel the observer was located when the animal was first detected. For vessel survey:

Numeric code for each observer

Effort status designating if observers were on effort (e.g. observers actively scanning for marine mammals through the big eye binoculars with the vessel steadily cruising on the trackline) or off effort (e.g. observers searching naked eyed, whenever the ship was maneuvering and turning onto a new trackline, if other operations were taking place, during bad weather and whenever observers were not actively searching for cetaceans through the big eyes) at the moment of data recording. Y=Yes (on effort), N=No (off effort). For vessel survey: #1=vessel's Flying Bridge, #2=vessel's Bridge Wing (a.k.a. bridge deck).

Angle from the plane to the sighting measured with a digital inclinometer.

Interval for the sighting based on markings on the belly port splitting the window into sections with numbers from 1 to 4 and letters to designate the left (L) or right (R) side in relation to the plane, with 1 being closest to the center of the window, i.e., closest to the trackline. Observers record the section of the window when the sighting is directly under the aircraft.

Radial distance calculated based on the distance reading (reticle or meters) and the observationHeight (Lerczak and Hobbs, 1998. Calculating sighting distances from angular readings during shipboard, aerial, and shore-based marine mammal surveys. Marine Mammal Science, Vol. 14(3):590-599)

Height in meters of each observationLocation (for vessel survey: flying bridge or bridge wing) from the water surface to the big eyes binoculars at an average's adult height. Measurement is specific to each platform (vessel).

Latitude Value (Location) of the platform at time of sighting

Platform Location Longitude at the time of sighting

Description of what was seen first of the group, that is, the cue associated with the first sighting of the animal (or group of animals). A behavioral code may be used (e.g. BL = blow).

Number of hours from Greenwich mean time

One-character string to flag only the initial sighting records which can be used in density and abundance estimation. Opportunistic and subsequent sighting records can be included in the dataset, but these are easily identified from this term for exclusion from abundance and density modeling. The fixed vocabulary terms are: F = first observation sighting on transect, O = opportunistic sighting, S = subsequent sighting either on or off transect, Null = for position-only records or non-VLTS datasets.

One-character string to flag survey platform type for visual line transect surveys.

The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimal Latitude and decimal Longitude as based.

Institution codes, in the form of abbreviated institution names, separated by semicolons, that define the hierarchy of institutions within which the data originator operates. Includes the originating institution as the lowest level (rightmost) code.

The federal permit number which gives permission for the data collection.

(This value is the same for every record in this file)

Model, name and/or other proper characteristics of the platform where the survey was conducted. For vessel: e.g. NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, NOAA Ship Pisces. For aerial survey: e.g. NOAA De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter.

Official project and/or program under which the survey was conducted (e.g. AMAPPS, GoMMAPPS). If applicable.

Marine Mammal Sighting and Cues Aft Team

NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Wi_VisualSightingData/