The purpose of the aerial surveys is to contribute to:
- Population monitoring via detection and identification of individual right whales including cow/calf pairs occurring in the Southeast United States.
- Monitoring trends in human-related serious injuries and mortality.
- Vessel-strike reduction.
We focused aerial surveys in areas where we expect the highest number of right whale detections.
Annual Reports
| North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Area Survey Results |
| 2016-2017 |
2015 - 2016 |
2014 - 2015 |
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| Georgia & South Carolina (SCGA) Aerial Surveys |
| 2012 - 2013 |
2011 - 2012 |
2010 - 2011 |
2009 - 2010 |
2008 - 2009 |
| 2007 - 2008 |
2006 - 2007 |
2005 - 2006 |
2004 - 2005 |
|
| Northern Early Warning System (NEWS) Aerial Surveys |
| 2012 - 2013 |
2011 - 2012 |
2010 - 2011 |
2009 - 2010 |
2008 - 2009 |
| 2007 - 2008 |
2006 - 2007 |
2005 - 2006 |
2004 - 2005 |
2003 - 2004 |
| 2002 - 2003 |
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| Central Early Warning System (CEWS) Aerial Surveys |
| 2012 - 2013 |
2011 - 2012 |
2010 - 2011 |
2009 - 2010 |
2008 - 2009 |
| 2007 - 2008 |
2006 - 2007 |
2005 - 2006 |
2004 - 2005 |
2003 - 2004 |
| 2002 - 2003 |
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| Southern Early Warning System (SEWS) Aerial Surveys |
| 2012 - 2013 |
2011 - 2012 |
2010 - 2011 |
2009 - 2010 |
2008 - 2009 |
| 2007 - 2008 |
2006 - 2007 |
2005 - 2006 |
2004 - 2005 |
2003 - 2004 |
| 2002 - 2003 |
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More Information
A right whale breaching. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Christin Khan
North Atlantic right whale mother and calf. Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #20556-01.
A map showing turtle effigy and turtle carcass drift track comparison. The reasoning behind using effigies was to develop a product that mimicked how a sea turtle carcass drifts in order to repeat the study in other locations without the use of actual sea turtle carcasses. Here you can see an effigy follows the same drift pattern as two sea turtle carcasses.
North Atlantic right whale mom and calf, Photo credit: Blue World Research Institute