Cruise Report, NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter Cruise GU23-03, June- August 2023, Vessel Survey for Abundance and Distribution Summer Research Cruise

As part of the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds (VSAD) project, the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) conducted a shipboard survey of the oceanic waters (>100 m deep) of the Gulf of Mexico (GoMx) out to the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to collect data to help inform plans to support marine mammal and seabird population restoration efforts. These data are intended to support planning and evaluation of restoration activities associated with the DWH NRDA restoration effort along with supporting other management and conservation needs.

The survey was conducted between 21 June and 15 August 2023 onboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter along prescribed tracklines in a double sawtooth€ configuration A total of 7,480 km of survey effort were planned. Tracklines were spaced at 120 km and oriented perpendicular to bathymetry.

Southeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document MMTD-2024-02

This cruise report is used for documentation and timely communication of preliminary results immediately following the conclusion of the survey. Data, as presented here, are subject to change as further auditing and analysis occur.