NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_PC1805_MMSightsCues_20211130.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

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) date-time during data recording.

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:

Description of where on each observationLocation (Flying bridge or Bridge wing) the observer was positioned in relation to the platform, when the animal was first detected.

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).

Scientific Name Of Animal Observed

Common/vernacular name of animal observed

The number of reticles below the horizon using big eye binoculars (reticle 0 indicates the sighting is at the horizon) or the distance in meters if naked-eye between the animal (or center of group of animals) and the vessel when the cue was first seen by the observer.

The unit of measurement of the sighting distance: reticles (big eye binoculars) or meters (naked eye).

Horizontal angle in degrees between the trackline and the line to the animal or group of animals when first sighted, even if a reliable species identification has not yet been made. The trackline is defined as the line of travel that the platform is actually doing, which may not necessarily be the proposed line that was in the original design. Assuming the platform is traveling forwards, the line of travel on the trackline, which is the front of the platform (e.g. bow of ship or front of plane) is at zero degrees bearing. During SEFSC vessel surveys, the observers scan the water from 10 degrees on the opposite side to 90 degrees and bearings are recorded from 0 to 90 on the left or right. See also MBGVLTS: bearingToAnimals

Side of the bearingToAnimals in relation to the trackline (left or right) from the platform.

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)

If 1st seen using Big eye binoculars or Naked eye (i.e. unaided eye without binoculars).

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).

The latitude of the sightingCue at the moment of data recording.

The latitude of the sightingCue at the moment of data recording

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).

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.

The names of, references to, or descriptions of the methods or protocols used during an Event. Public URL to survey and/or cruise reports if available.