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Bowhead whale aerial abundance survey conducted by Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory from 2011-04-19 to 2011-06-11 (NCEI Accession 0133937)

Aerial photographic surveys for bowhead whales were conducted near Point Barrow, Alaska, from 19 April to 6 June in 2011. Approximately 4,594 photographs containing 6,801 bowhead whale images were obtained (not accounting for resightings). The 2011 field season was very successful: we flew 36 out of 49 available days and conducted 49 flights in that time; we were grounded due to weather on 13 days. The longest period of time that we were grounded due to weather (low ceilings/fog) was three days. This occurred after the migration had slowed down, during a time when few whales passed the ice perches according to the ice-based visual survey. The 2011 migration was steady with several peaks (30 April, 4-5 May, 12 May), and then the migration rate slowed down considerably after 14 May. The photographs taken in 2011 are a significant contribution to the bowhead whale photographic catalogue. They will be used to calculate a population estimate that may be used for comparison with the 2011 ice-based estimate and will provide better precision in estimates of bowhead whale life-history parameters.

About this Dataset

Updated: 2024-02-22
Metadata Last Updated: 2025-11-19T15:43:32.126Z
Date Created: N/A
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Dataset Owner: N/A

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Title Bowhead whale aerial abundance survey conducted by Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory from 2011-04-19 to 2011-06-11 (NCEI Accession 0133937)
Description Aerial photographic surveys for bowhead whales were conducted near Point Barrow, Alaska, from 19 April to 6 June in 2011. Approximately 4,594 photographs containing 6,801 bowhead whale images were obtained (not accounting for resightings). The 2011 field season was very successful: we flew 36 out of 49 available days and conducted 49 flights in that time; we were grounded due to weather on 13 days. The longest period of time that we were grounded due to weather (low ceilings/fog) was three days. This occurred after the migration had slowed down, during a time when few whales passed the ice perches according to the ice-based visual survey. The 2011 migration was steady with several peaks (30 April, 4-5 May, 12 May), and then the migration rate slowed down considerably after 14 May. The photographs taken in 2011 are a significant contribution to the bowhead whale photographic catalogue. They will be used to calculate a population estimate that may be used for comparison with the 2011 ice-based estimate and will provide better precision in estimates of bowhead whale life-history parameters.
Modified 2025-11-19T15:43:32.126Z
Publisher Name N/A
Contact N/A
Keywords 0133937 , ANIMALS - GROUP - NUMBER IN GROUP , ANIMALS - INDIVIDUAL , ANIMALS - INDIVIDUAL - BEHAVIOR , ANIMALS - INDIVIDUAL - COUNTS , biological data , cetacean , ICE , ICE - COVERAGE , ICE - TYPE , LATITUDE , LONGITUDE , MARINE MAMMALS , species abundance , SPECIES IDENTIFICATION , SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - LIFE STAGE , VERTEBRATES , WIND FORCE , binoculars , GPS , visual observation , biological , in situ , marine mammal observation , meteorological , survey , survey - biological , visual observation , AIRCRAFT , NMFS/AFSC Marine Mammal Laboratory , NMFS/AFSC Marine Mammal Laboratory , Arctic Ocean , Beaufort Sea , Chukchi Sea , oceanography , DOC/NOAA/NMFS/AFSC/MML > Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce , EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION , EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES , EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CETACEANS , EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MARINE MAMMALS , EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE , EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE > ICE EXTENT , EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE > ICE TYPES , BINOCULAR > BINOCULAR , GPS RECEIVERS > GPS RECEIVERS , VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS , OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN , OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > BEAUFORT SEA , OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > CHUKCHI SEA , 5T50YA , environment , oceans , climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere , biota
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