NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter Vessel Line-transect Survey 2023 (GU2301)

Original provider:
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)

Dataset credits:
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)

Abstract:
As part of the Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species
(AMAPPS), the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) conducted a
shipboard survey of the U.S. waters of the Western North Atlantic (WNA)
from approximately the 200m isobath out to the U.S. Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ). The survey was conducted between February 4 and April 27,
2023 onboard the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter, for a total of 44 days at sea
split into three survey legs. Multiple days were lost due to mechanical
problems with the ship (Jan 23 to Feb 2) and unfavorable weather
conditions (April 8 to 10). February 3 and April 28 were departure (start
survey) and arrival (end survey) days, respectively. The survey was
designed for a two-team independent visual observer approach with
distance sampling to estimate the detection probabilities for marine
mammal sightings. A sighting constituted a single or group of marine
mammals (whales and dolphins) seen at the same location and time. This
dataset includes marine mammal visual observation data and effort points
with surveying conditions that can be used in abundance and density
modeling per visual line-transect survey protocols. This dataset also
includes opportunistic marine mammal photographs and non-marine
mammal sightings such as sea turtles.