Cetacean and sea turtle spatial density model outputs from visual observations using line-transect survey methods aboard NOAA vessel and aircraft platforms in the Gulf of Mexico from 2003-06-12 to 2019-07-31 (NCEI Accession 0256800)

Based on ship-based and aerial line-transect surveys conducted in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico between 2003 and 2019, the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) developed spatial density models (SDMs) for cetacean and sea turtle species for the entire Gulf of Mexico. SDMs were developed using a generalized additive modeling (GAM) framework to determine the relationship between species abundance and environmental variables (monthly averaged oceanographic conditions during 2015 - 2019). Models were extrapolated beyond the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to provide insight into potential high density areas throughout the Gulf of Mexico. However, extrapolations of this type should be interpreted with caution. This dataset includes 19 shapefiles for the SDMs for each cetacean and sea turtle species or species group.