Abundance and distribution of eastern Bering Sea belugas from 2024 aerial line-transect surveys

In 2024, we conducted an aerial line-transect survey of the Eastern Bering Sea (EBS) stock of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Alaska, USA. In this survey, a team of observers scanned for marine mammals from bubble windows installed on an Aero Commander aircraft, which flew pre-planned transects. Observers recorded sightings of beluga groups, location of beluga sightings (including perpendicular distance from the aircraft), and environmental conditions thought to influence detection (e.g., turbidity, Beaufort Scale sea state).