Distribution and Abundance of Cetaceans in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Over two decades of cetacean sightings in the Gulf of Mexico are summarized in this report providing a comprehensive overview of species distribution in the northern Gulf. Data displayed in the maps were collected during ship and aerial-based line-transect and ad hoc surveys conducted in the northern Gulf by the SEFSC between 1992 and 2014. Summaries of published abundance and density estimates and new analysis of SEFSC data, which resulted in updated estimates for several cetacean species, including Bryde’s whales are also provided. This report was part of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process and submitted as supporting documentation for the Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (PDARP) in 2015. Grant no. NA15OAR4320064