Cetacean visual observations using line-transect survey methods onboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (GU) in the Gulf of Mexico, for the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribu...

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 U.S. oceanic waters of the Gulf of Mexico out to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) from 2023-06-22 to 2023-08-14. The survey was designed for a two-team independent visual observer approach with distance sampling to estimate the detection probabilities for marine mammal sightings. A sighting constituted a single or group of marine mammals (whales and dolphins) seen at the same location and time. This dataset includes marine mammal visual observation data and effort points with surveying conditions that can be used in abundance and density modeling per visual line-transect survey protocols. This dataset also includes opportunistic marine mammal photographs and biopsy samples, and non-marine mammal sightings (a.k.a. occurrences) such as sea turtles.

To conduct visual line-transect survey for abundance estimation, and distribution of cetaceans in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoMx).

This dataset was formatted under the Darwin Core standard (https://dwc.tdwg.org/) and approved Extended Measurement Or Facts (eMoF) extension (https://rs.gbif.org/extension/obis/extended_measurement_or_fact_2023-08-28.xml). It is provided as Comma Separated Values Files (.csv). It contains three files that are linked to each other via eventID. Dates on the file names indicate when the file was created (YYYYMMDD; Y=year, M=month, D=day.

It also contains photographs

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center was authorized to conduct marine mammal research activities during the cruise under Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Permit No. 21938-03. All marine mammal data, including photographs and biopsies, were collected under such permit. Biopsy samples were collected by trained and authorized personnel under the permit. If a photo displaying a marine mammal is used, please include the permit number in the captions and acknowledge NOAA Fisheries.

Seabird data are available through USFWS.

Cite as: Garrison, Lance; Rappucci, Gina; Litz, Jenny; Aichinger Dias, Laura; Sinclair, Carrie (2025). Cetacean visual observations using line-transect survey methods onboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (GU) in the Gulf of Mexico, for the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds project (VSAD survey GU2402) from 2024-06-03 to 2024-08-12 (NCEI Accession 0299731). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0299731

Documentation of Accession in InPort is a work in progress at this time.

The data in this accession were funded by the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds Project. This project is one of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NMFS; Southeast Fisheries Science Center

The data in this accession were funded by the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds Project. This project is one of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

This research was carried out [in part] under the auspices of the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), a Cooperative Institute of the University of Miami and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, cooperative agreement #NA20OAR4320472.

This dataset was formatted under the Darwin Core standard (https://dwc.tdwg.org/) and approved Extended Measurement Or Facts (eMoF) extension (https://rs.gbif.org/extension/obis/extended_measurement_or_fact_2023-08-28.xml). It is provided as Comma Separated Values Files (.csv). It contains three files that are linked to each other via eventID. Dates on the file names indicate when the file was created (YYYYMMDD; Y=year, M=month, D=day).

GU2303 NOAA SEFSC VSAD Additional Information

Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.

These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0).

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Cite as: Garrison, Lance; Rappucci, Gina; Litz, Jenny; Aichinger Dias, Laura; Sinclair, Carrie (2025). Cetacean visual observations using line-transect survey methods onboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (GU) in the Gulf of Mexico, for the Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds project (VSAD survey GU2402) from 2024-06-03 to 2024-08-12 (NCEI Accession 0299731). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/ztyd-n418. Accessed [date]

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A centralized data recorder located inside the ship’s chemistry laboratory communicated with both teams via discreet VHF channels to maintain independence of the teams. Observers used the bigeye binoculars to determine and relay the bearing and radial distance of sightings to the data recorder. The location of groups sighted close to the ship without bigeye binoculars were

estimated in degrees and meters. Marine mammal sightings were defined as systematic records of cetacean groups consisting of one or more individuals observed at the same location and time.