Marine mammal aerial surveys in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas 1979-2010

Original provider:National Marine Mammal Laboratory

Dataset credits:National Marine Mammal Laboratory

Abstract:The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), formerly the Minerals Management Service (MMS), and its precursor, the Bureau of Land Management, have funded aerial surveys in the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering Seas since 1979. In 2008, through an Inter-Agency Agreement between BOEMRE and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) (Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), NMML assumed full responsibility for these surveys. Consistent survey protocol has been in effect on surveys conducted since 1982.Aerial surveys in the western Beaufort Sea (south of 72 degrees N, 140-157 degrees W) have been conducted each year since 1979. MMS (now BOEMRE) personnel and contractors conducted the surveys from 1979-2007. From 2008-2010, the surveys were conducted by NMML. The goal of the project, also known as the Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP), was to document bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) during their fall migration through the western Beaufort Sea, although data were also collected for all other marine mammals that were sighted during the surveys. The surveys were typically conducted during the open water (i.e., ice-free) months of September and October, when offshore drilling and geophysical exploration are feasible and when the fall subsistence hunt for bowhead whales takes place near Kaktovik, Cross Island (village of Nuiqsut), and Barrow, Alaska. Additional surveys were conducted in the Beaufort Sea during spring and summer 1979-1986. The emphasis of fall surveys in the Beaufort Sea was to conduct broad-scale surveys to assess shifts in the migration pathway of bowhead whales, and to coordinate effort and manage data necessary to support seasonal offshore drilling and seismic exploration regulations. The selection of survey blocks to be flown on a given day was nonrandom, based primarily on criteria such as observed and predicted weather conditions over the study area and offshore oil industry activities. Otherwise, the project attempted to distribute effort fairly evenly east-to-west across the entire study area. Aerial coverage favored inshore survey blocks because bowheads were rarely sighted north of these blocks during surveys conducted from 1979-1986.Aerial surveys in the northeastern Chukchi Sea (68-73 degrees N, 157-169 degrees W) were conducted by MMS (now BOEMRE) contractors from 1982-1991. From 2008-2010, the surveys were conducted by NMML using similar methodology to the surveys conducted in previous years. The goal of the surveys, now known as the Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) marine mammal aerial survey project, was to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area (CSPA) during the open water (i.e., ice-free) months of June to October, when various species are undertaking seasonal migrations through the area. However, from 1979-1984, surveys were also conducted during spring.Aerial surveys in the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas (63-68 degrees N, east of the International Date Line) were conducted by MMS (now BOEMRE) contractors from 1979-1985. The goal of these surveys was to investigate the distribution, abundance, migration timing, habitat relationships and behavior of endangered whales during the spring migration. Surveys were conducted from April-July. This database contains aerial survey data from the surveys described above.

Purpose:The goals of the Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP) have changed minimally since the surveys commenced in 1979. Objectives of the surveys since the late 1980s were to 1) Define the annual fall migration of bowhead whales, significant inter-year differences, and long-term trends in the distance from shore and water depth at which whales migrate, 2) Monitor temporal and spatial trends in the distribution, relative abundance, habitat, and behaviors (especially feeding) of endangered whales in arctic waters, 3) Provide real-time data to MMS and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the general progress of the fall migration of bowhead whales across the Alaskan Beaufort Sea for use in protection of this endangered species, 4) Provide an objective wide area context for management interpretation of the overall fall migration of bowhead whales and site-specific study results, 5) Record and map beluga whale distribution and incidental sightings of other marine mammals, 6) Determine seasonal distribution of endangered whales in other planning areas of interest to BOEMRE.The goals of the Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) marine mammal aerial survey project commencing in 2008 were to 1) Provide data compatible with the MMS marine mammal database directly to MMS for inclusion in that database and for use in estimation of the distribution of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the CSPA from 3 surveys during June-November, 2) Document geographical areas of importance for specific behaviors including calving/pupping, feeding, hauling-out, and migrating, 3) Provide timely information on marine mammal observations and environmental conditions, including ice conditions, following each survey flight to organizations as directed by the COR (e.g., National Ice Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, MMS) for real-time management of activities in the region.The goals of the surveys conducted in the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas from 1979-1985 were to, 1) Determine seasonal distribution, migration routes, relative abundance, and habitat characteristics of endangered whales in or near existing proposed federal lease sales in the northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 2) Derive estimates and indicators of relative and/or absolute abundance of endangered whales in these areas, 3) Describe behavioral characteristics of endangered whales observed in these areas, 4) Deploy sonobuoys to detect sounds produced by whales, to be used as additional indices of whale presence in these areas, 5) Obtain distributional information on non-endangered marine mammal sightings incidental to other investigations, 6) Consult and coordinate field activities with other federal agencies, state or local government organizations, or other endangered species researchers to maximize productivity of this study and minimize conflict with other resource uses.

Supplemental information:Access and availability of data collected from the Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP) and Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) marine mammal aerial survey project are found online here.Information presented on this website is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. However, as a professional courtesy, and to prevent duplication of, or more efficient coordination with, any ongoing analyses, please email Dr Megan Ferguson (megan.ferguson@noaa.gov) if there is an intention to use these data in a scientific report, whether published or not. Credit should be given for use (including any summaries, maps, or images) of these data; please ask Dr Ferguson for the appropriate credits relative to the intended use. These data undergo periodic updates as new data become available or existing data are edited for accuracy and consistency. Therefore, we recommend citing the version number whenever these data are used. We also recommend that these data be acquired directly from the NMML server and not through other sources that might not have the most recent version.