CRUISE REPORT FOR THE APRIL 2009
GULF OF ALASKA LINE-TRANSECT SURVEY (GOALS) IN THE NAVY TRAINING EXERCISE AREA
In partial fulfillment of Contract N00244-09-P-0960 from Naval Postgraduate
School
Brenda
K. Rone1, Annie B. Douglas2, Phil Clapham1,
Anthony Martinez3, Laura J. Morse1, and John Calambokidis2
(1) National Marine Mammal Laboratory, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
(2)
Cascadia Research
Collective, 218 ½ W Fourth Ave., Olympia, WA 98506
(3)
NOAA Fisheries
Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149
May
2009
Little is known about the occurrence of
cetaceans found in offshore waters in the Gulf of Alaska (GoA); however, whaling
records and a few recent surveys have shown this area to be important habitat.
The United States Navy maintains a maritime training area in the central GoA,
east of Kodiak Island, and has requested additional information on marine mammal
presence and use of this area. To determine the occurrence and distribution of
marine mammals in and around the Navy training area, a line-transect visual and
acoustic survey was conducted 10-20 April 2009 from the NOAA R/V Oscar Dyson.
The primary survey area encompassed nearshore, shelf and offshore pelagic waters
of the central GoA. Survey lines were designed to provide equal coverage of the
nearshore and offshore habitat.
During
this project, the visual survey covered a total of 432 nautical miles (800 km)
on-effort while transit and fog effort legs accounted for 312 nautical miles
(578 km). There were a total of 96
sightings (453 individuals) of 11 confirmed marine mammal species; these
included fin, humpback, gray, and minke whales as well as killer whales,
Dall’s and harbor porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Steller sea
lions, harbor seals and sea otters. Additionally,
there were 36 sightings (46 individuals) of unidentified large whales, dolphins
and pinnipeds. Acoustically, operations were conducted 24-hours/day surveying a
total of 1900 nautical miles (3519 km) and recording 49 acoustic detections of
sperm whales and killer whales. At
least nineteen killer whales and four fin whales
were photographed for photo-identification purposes.
Despite a number of logistical and time limitations, the survey achieved its primary objectives and provided new information on marine mammal occurrence and abundance in the region. Sightings should be adequate to allow density and abundance estimates of several species. Photographic identification of killer whales will provide important data on the identity of these whales, since several eco-types of killer whales have been documented in Alaskan waters. Overall the cruise provided valuable new data, and with additional analyses of the visual and acoustic data, promises to achieve the objectives of the cruise.
The report may be cited as follows:
Rone, B., A. Douglas, P. Clapham,
A. Martinez, L. Morse and J. Calambokidis. 2009. Cruise Report for the April
2009 gulf of Alaska Line-Transect Survey (GOALS) in the Navy Training Excise
Area. Report issued by National Marine Mammal Laboratory and Cascadia Research.
Naval Postgraduate School Tech Report # NPS-OC-09-007.
Link to full PDF of report available through Naval Postgraduate School