CalCOFI marine mammal surveys 2004-2008 - off effort

Original provider:
Annie Douglas, Cascadia Research Collective

Dataset credits:
Annie Douglas, Cascadia Research

Abstract:
From July 2004 to April 2008 dedicated visual observers following consistent line-transect methods (Buckland et al., 1993; Kinzey et al., 2003) observed from the CalCOFI platforms on quarterly cruises. Observers used handheld 7X50 reticle Fujinon binoculars to sight, identify, and make school size estimates of cetaceans and pinnipeds encountered along the transect lines between CalCOFI water sampling stations. The southern water sampling stations are set along six, parallel lines running southwest to northeast, with lines increasing in length from north to south (470 – 700 km) and stations occurring every 37 km in coastal and continental shelf waters and every 74 km offshore. Three research vessels were used for the sixteen surveys, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Roger Revelle (2 surveys) and New Horizon (8 surveys) and, NOAA David Starr Jordan (6 surveys), vessel height varied from 8.1-13.2m and survey speed varied from 10 to 12 knots.