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SEFSC Metadata Library > Marine Mammal and Turtle Division > Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Pr... > Cetacean and sea turtle visual observations usi... >

NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Fa_T2_MMSightsAndCues_20211117.csv

Entity (ENT)  |  Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:66293  |  Updated: March 4, 2026  |  Published / External 
Summary
Item Identification
Physical Location
Entity Info
Data Attributes
Support Roles
Distribution Info
Catalog Details

Summary

Abstract

Marine mammal (cetacean) cue (when recorded) and sighting data with calculated perpendicular distances (sightingDistanceInMeters) for the aft team (T2).

Please note that cues to marine mammal sightings are not necessarily recorded for all sightings.

Purpose

Main goal of this file is to provide platform location at time of cue and sighting recording, and perpendicular distance of the sighting in relation to the platform based on vertical angle and observation height.

Description

Marine mammal (cetacean) sighting cues with calculated perpendicular distances for the aft team (T2):

Entity Information

Entity Type
Data Table

Data Attribute / Type Description
surveyEventID
Character 		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
eventID
numeric 		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
sightingNumber
numeric 		The unique identifier for the Sighting (for marine mammal sighting).
sightingCue
character 		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).
scientificName
Character 		The full scientific name or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.
vernacularName
Character 		The common or vernacular name for the species or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.
eventDateCue
date 		Local date-time during cue data recording.
platformLatitudeCue
Numeric 		The latitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.
platformLongitudeCue
Numeric 		The longitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.
eventDateSight
Character 		Local date-time during sighting data recording.
platformLatitude
Numeric 		Latitude Value (Location) of the platform at time of sighting
platformLongitude
Numeric 		Platform Location Longitude at the time of sighting
onEffort
character 		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).
observationLocation
character 		Description of where on the vessel the observer was located when the animal was first detected. For vessel survey:
verticalangle
Numeric 		Angle from the plane to the sighting measured with a digital inclinometer.
verticalIncrement
character 		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.
recordedBy
Numeric 		Numeric code for each observer
observationHeight
numeric 		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).
sightingDistanceInMeters
Numeric 		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)
eventDateTimeZone
Numeric 		Number of hours from Greenwich mean time
typeVLTS
character 		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.
platformVLTS
character 		One-character string to flag survey platform type for visual line transect surveys.
geodeticDatum
character 		The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimal Latitude and decimal Longitude as based.
higherInstitutionCode
Character 		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.
permitNumber
character 		The federal permit number which gives permission for the data collection. (This value is the same for every record in this file)
platformAttributes
character 		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.
relatedProjectProgram
character 		Official project and/or program under which the survey was conducted (e.g. AMAPPS, GoMMAPPS). If applicable.

Data Access & Downloads

Child Items

No Child Items for this record.

Contact Information

Distributor
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
ROR: 04r0wrp59
ncei.info@noaa.gov
NCEI Contact Information

Item Identification

Title: NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Fa_T2_MMSightsAndCues_20211117.csv
Status: Completed
Publication Date: 2021-10
Abstract:

Marine mammal (cetacean) cue (when recorded) and sighting data with calculated perpendicular distances (sightingDistanceInMeters) for the aft team (T2).

Please note that cues to marine mammal sightings are not necessarily recorded for all sightings.

Purpose:

Main goal of this file is to provide platform location at time of cue and sighting recording, and perpendicular distance of the sighting in relation to the platform based on vertical angle and observation height.

Physical Location

Organization: National Centers for Environmental Information - Silver Spring, Maryland
City: Silver Spring
State/Province: MD
Location Description:

ncei ARCHIVE

Entity Information

Entity Type: Data Table
Description:

Marine mammal (cetacean) sighting cues with calculated perpendicular distances for the aft team (T2):

Data Attributes

Attribute Summary

Rubric Score Primary Key? Name Type Description
100
 surveyEventID Character 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
100
 eventID numeric 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
100
 sightingNumber numeric The unique identifier for the Sighting (for marine mammal sighting).
100
 sightingCue character 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).
100
 scientificName Character The full scientific name or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.
100
 vernacularName Character The common or vernacular name for the species or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.
100
 eventDateCue date Local date-time during cue data recording.
100
 platformLatitudeCue Numeric The latitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.
100
 platformLongitudeCue Numeric The longitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.
100
 eventDateSight Character Local date-time during sighting data recording.
100
 platformLatitude Numeric Latitude Value (Location) of the platform at time of sighting
100
 platformLongitude Numeric Platform Location Longitude at the time of sighting
100
 onEffort character 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).
100
 observationLocation character Description of where on the vessel the observer was located when the animal was first detected. For vessel survey:
100
 verticalangle Numeric Angle from the plane to the sighting measured with a digital inclinometer.
100
 verticalIncrement character 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.
100
 recordedBy Numeric Numeric code for each observer
100
 observationHeight numeric 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).
100
 sightingDistanceInMeters Numeric 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)
100
 eventDateTimeZone Numeric Number of hours from Greenwich mean time
100
 typeVLTS character 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.
100
 platformVLTS character One-character string to flag survey platform type for visual line transect surveys.
100
 geodeticDatum character The ellipsoid, geodetic datum, or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimal Latitude and decimal Longitude as based.
100
 higherInstitutionCode Character 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.
100
 permitNumber character The federal permit number which gives permission for the data collection. (This value is the same for every record in this file)
100
 platformAttributes character 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.
100
 relatedProjectProgram character Official project and/or program under which the survey was conducted (e.g. AMAPPS, GoMMAPPS). If applicable.

Attribute Details

surveyEventID

CC ID: 1119359
Seq. Order: 10
Data Storage Type: Character
Max Length: 6
Min Length: 6
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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
Derivation:

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

eventID

CC ID: 1119340
Seq. Order: 20
Data Storage Type: numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

sightingNumber

CC ID: 1119358
Seq. Order: 50
Data Storage Type: numeric
Max Length: 4
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

sightingCue

CC ID: 1119356
Seq. Order: 60
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 20
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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).

scientificName

CC ID: 1119355
Seq. Order: 65
Data Storage Type: Character
Max Length: 50
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

The full scientific name or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.

vernacularName

CC ID: 1119361
Seq. Order: 70
Data Storage Type: Character
Max Length: 50
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

The common or vernacular name for the species or lowest level taxonomic rank that could be determined for the sighting.

eventDateCue

CC ID: 1119337
Seq. Order: 75
Data Storage Type: date
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Local date-time during cue data recording.
Null Value: NA
Null Value Meaning:

NA = Not applicable

platformLatitudeCue

CC ID: 1119349
Seq. Order: 80
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

The latitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.

platformLongitudeCue

CC ID: 1119351
Seq. Order: 90
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

The longitude of the platform at the moment of cue data recording.

eventDateSight

CC ID: 1119338
Seq. Order: 95
Data Storage Type: Character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Local date-time during sighting data recording.

platformLatitude

CC ID: 1119348
Seq. Order: 98
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Latitude Value (Location) of the platform at time of sighting
Unit of Measure: Degrees of Latitude

platformLongitude

CC ID: 1119350
Seq. Order: 102
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Platform Location Longitude at the time of sighting
Unit of Measure: Degrees Longitude

onEffort

CC ID: 1119345
Seq. Order: 105
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 1
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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).
Allowed Values: Y=Yes (on effort), N=No

observationLocation

CC ID: 1119344
Seq. Order: 110
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 1
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Description of where on the vessel the observer was located when the animal was first detected. For vessel survey:
Allowed Values: 1=vessel's Flying Bridge (FB), 2=vessel's Bridge Wing (BW) (a.k.a. bridge deck).

verticalangle

CC ID: 1119363
Seq. Order: 115
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

verticalIncrement

CC ID: 1119362
Seq. Order: 120
Data Storage Type: character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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.

recordedBy

CC ID: 1119353
Seq. Order: 130
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Max Length: 2
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Numeric code for each observer

observationHeight

CC ID: 1119343
Seq. Order: 170
Data Storage Type: numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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).
Unit of Measure: meters

sightingDistanceInMeters

CC ID: 1119357
Seq. Order: 180
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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)

eventDateTimeZone

CC ID: 1119339
Seq. Order: 200
Data Storage Type: Numeric
Max Length: 3
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

Number of hours from Greenwich mean time

typeVLTS

CC ID: 1119360
Seq. Order: 205
Data Storage Type: character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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.

platformVLTS

CC ID: 1119352
Seq. Order: 210
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 1
Min Length: 1
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

Allowed Values: A = aerial surveys B = boat-based surveys

geodeticDatum

CC ID: 1119341
Seq. Order: 220
Data Storage Type: character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

higherInstitutionCode

CC ID: 1119342
Seq. Order: 230
Data Storage Type: Character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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.

permitNumber

CC ID: 1119346
Seq. Order: 234
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 100
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

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

platformAttributes

CC ID: 1119347
Seq. Order: 240
Data Storage Type: character
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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.

relatedProjectProgram

CC ID: 1119354
Seq. Order: 250
Data Storage Type: character
Max Length: 100
Required: Yes
Primary Key: No
Status: Active
Description:

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

Support Roles

Distributor

CC ID: 1119364
Date Effective From: 2021
Date Effective To:
Contact (Organization): NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
Address:
ROR: https://ror.org/04r0wrp59
Email Address: ncei.info@noaa.gov
URL: NCEI Contact Information

Distribution Information

Distribution 1

CC ID: 1119365
Download URL: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0243468/1.1/data/0-data/TO18Fa_NCEI_DataPackage/NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Fa_VisualSightingData/NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Fa_T2_MMSightsAndCues_20211117.csv
Distributor: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) (2021 - Present)
File Name: NOAA_SEFSC_GoMMAPPS_TO18Fa_T2_MMSightsAndCues_20211117.csv
File Date/Time: 2021-12-02 21:56:00
File Type (Deprecated): csv (comma-separated values)
Distribution Format: CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text)
File Size: 122K
Compression: Uncompressed
Review Status: Chked Viruses Inapp Content

Catalog Details

Catalog Item ID: 66293
GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:66293
Metadata Record Created By: Lee M Weinberger
Metadata Record Created: 2021-12-29 03:42+0000
Metadata Record Last Modified By: SysAdmin InPortAdmin
Metadata Record Last Modified: 2026-03-04 19:17+0000
Metadata Record Published: 2022-09-23
Owner Org: SEFSC
Metadata Publication Status: Published Externally
Do Not Publish?: N
Metadata Last Review Date: 2022-01-03
Metadata Review Frequency: 1 Year
Metadata Next Review Date: 2023-01-03