Bowhead Whale Abundance. Version 1.0

This dataset is comprised of data from ice-based visual census studies to estimate the abundance of the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas (BCBS) stock of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). These counts take place off Point Barrow, Alaska, in the spring, as the whales migrate from the Bering to the Beaufort Sea. They were conducted annually from 1978 to 1988 and again in 1993 and 2001. Adverse environmental conditions led to counts inadequate to support abundance estimates in 1979 and 1984. The data provide an estimate of the number of whales that passed within the 4km visual range of the observation perch from which the whales are counted. This dataset is part of the Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS) Project.