Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Eastern Chukchi Sea, Eastern and Western Beaufort Sea, and Amundsen Gulf, 2019 Annual Report

This report describes field activities of the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project conducted during summer and fall (1 July–31 October) 2019, and data and analyses used to summarize field activities. Surveys were based in Utqiaġvik, and Deadhorse, Alaska, USA, and targeted the eastern Chukchi Sea and western Beaufort Sea, between 67°N and 72°N latitude, 140°W and 169°W longitude, referred to as the ASAMM study area. Field activities also included surveys conducted in August 2019 in the eastern Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf, between 67°N and 73°N latitude, 118°W and 140°W longitude, in support of the ASAMM Bowhead Abundance (ABA) project, to collect aerial survey data specific to estimating abundance of the Western Arctic (also known as the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas) bowhead whale population. Surveys in the ABA study area were based in Inuvik and Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada. Contract # M17PG00031