Vessel Surveys for Abundance and Distribution of Marine Mammals and Seabirds
Implementing Organization
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; US Department of the Interior
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$2,368,770
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustees (NRDA)
Funding Program
Natural Resource Damage Assessment NRDA
Details
Project Category
Science
Project Actions
Monitoring and Observations
Targeted Resources
Other
Project Description
This Monitoring and Adaptive Management Activity will conduct vessel-based surveys during two consecutive summers to collect information on the distribution, density, and abundance of oceanic cetacean stocks and seabirds in the Gulf of Mexico. Surveys will use established methods and build on past surveys conducted by the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS). The collected survey data will be incorporated into existing spatial density models to update seasonally and spatially explicit density maps of marine mammals. The broad-scale information on the distribution and abundance of seabirds in the Gulf of Mexico will also inform seasonally and spatially explicit density estimates for a suite of injured seabird species. Products will include these updated maps, density models, and abundance estimates, as well as a summary report containing recommendations for using this information to inform restoration.
Contact
Melissa Carle(301) 427-8679
melissa.carle@noaa.gov
Project Website
None
For official trustee information regarding the Deepwater Horizon NRDA, including information regarding the NRDA process and the status of projects, see https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/