Deepwater Horizon MC252 response data from the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) containing turtle and marine mammal observations National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) collected via aerial surveys 2010-01-01 to 2015-07-27 in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NCEI Accession 0163821)

This Archival Information Package (AIP) contains Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) GIS layers that represent helicopter flights surveys (observations) of marine mammal and turtles close to the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill during April 28th and August 25th. These helicopter flights, based in Houma, LA, were executed to document the presence of marine mammals and sea turtles close to the site and within the oil slick itself. These surveys were designed on an adaptive basis to track the oil slick and support planning for mitigation efforts. The helicopter flights focused on the deep water areas near the incident site and in regions directly affected by oil. The helicopter carried 2-3 trained observers and flew at an altitude of 600 feet at speeds less than 100 knots. The trackline of the survey was designed on an adaptive basis to respond to changes in the location of the oil slick near the incident site. Data were recorded on the location, numbers, and identification of each marine mammal and turtle sighted. The flight track of the helicopter was recorded on a GPS to document the search area. All animals were documented with still photographs and video to the greatest extent that conditions allowed. Video was also recorded when possible to document behavior. The helicopter observations were converted into spreadsheets and GIS data for mapping purposes. The GPS track was downloaded and converted into GIS data. The photo observations were georeferenced, time/date-stamped, and logged into a NOAA photo database. These data were collected during the response to the Mississippi Canyon 252 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and used as part of the Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan (PDARP).

本档案信息包（Archival Information Package, AIP）包含环境响应管理应用（Environmental Response Management Application, ERMA）的地理信息系统（GIS）图层，其展示了2010年4月28日至8月25日期间，在深水地平线（Deepwater Horizon）石油泄漏事故现场附近开展的直升机飞行勘测（观测）所获取的海洋哺乳动物与海龟相关数据。本次以路易斯安那州霍马市为基地的直升机飞行任务，旨在记录事故现场附近乃至浮油内部的海洋哺乳动物与海龟分布情况。该勘测任务采用自适应设计，以追踪浮油动向并为减缓措施的规划提供支持。直升机飞行重点覆盖事故现场附近的深水区域以及受浮油直接影响的海域。每架直升机搭载2至3名经过专业培训的观测人员，飞行高度为600英尺，航速低于100节。勘测航线采用自适应设计，以响应事故现场附近浮油位置的动态变化。观测数据记录了每一处被发现的海洋哺乳动物与海龟的位置、数量及物种识别信息。直升机的飞行轨迹通过全球定位系统（GPS）记录，以界定本次搜索范围。在现场条件允许的前提下，所有观测到的动物均会拍摄静态照片与视频，必要时也会录制视频以记录其行为特征。本次直升机观测数据被整理为电子表格与GIS数据，用于绘图制图。GPS轨迹被导出并转换为GIS数据。照片观测结果经过地理配准、加盖时间日期戳后，录入美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）照片数据库。本数据集采集自墨西哥湾北部密西西比峡谷252区块的深水地平线石油泄漏事故响应工作，并被纳入项目性损害评估与恢复计划（Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan, PDARP）。