Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey - Right side - May 2014 through December 2014

Sue Barco

doi:10.15468/nb7zxp

Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey - Right side - May 2014 through December 2014

Citation

Barco, S. 2015. Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey - Right side - May 2014 through December 2014. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1231) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/nb7zxp accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-16.

Description

Original provider: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Foundation and University of North Carolina Wilmington Dataset credits: Virginia Aquarium Foundation - Sarah D. Mallette, Gwen G. Lockhart, Susan G. Barco University of North Carolina Wilmington - William A. McLellan, Ryan J. McAlarney Erin W. Cummings and D. Ann Pabst Abstract: The data provided were collected as part of the Documenting Whale Migration off Virginia's Coast for Use in Marine Spatial Planning project - funded by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Grant Section 309 No. NA13NOS4190135. Aerial surveys were conducted under NOAA Scientific Permits No. 948-1692-00 and 16473, held by UNCW. Purpose: On November 1, 2013, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced Dominion Virginia Power was the provisional winner of the commercial lease area offshore of Virginia (VA WEA). Development of off shore wind energy poses potential threats to marine mammals, including direct effects (i.e. vessel interactions, collision and entanglement with structures, displacement, avoidance, or injury due to noise from construction or operations) and indirect threats (i.e. effects on prey species, increased risk of fishery and vessel interaction through displacement out of the WEA) (BOEM 2012). This information is important to mitigate the potentially harmful impacts from ocean development, shipping, and other anthropogenic activities. To address these existing data gaps, we have collected marine mammal and sea turtle sighting data from aerial surveys conducted off the coast of Virginia from May 2014 to December 2014. Supplemental information: The original survey data are separated into two datasets, collected from left-side and right-side observers to address variance in environmental and sighting conditions. This dataset is from the right side sightings data. The left side sightings data are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey - Left side - May 2014 through December 2014 dataset. Both on- and off-effort sightings are included. The effort data layer, for this project is static transect lines. The plane track lines are available by request.

Purpose

On November 1, 2013, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced Dominion Virginia Power was the provisional winner of the commercial lease area offshore of Virginia (VA WEA). Development of off shore wind energy poses potential threats to marine mammals, including direct effects (i.e. vessel interactions, collision and entanglement with structures, displacement, avoidance, or injury due to noise from construction or operations) and indirect threats (i.e. effects on prey species, increased risk of fishery and vessel interaction through displacement out of the WEA) (BOEM 2012). This information is important to mitigate the potentially harmful impacts from ocean development, shipping, and other anthropogenic activities. To address these existing data gaps, we have collected marine mammal and sea turtle sighting data from aerial surveys conducted off the coast of Virginia from May 2014 to December 2014.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Caretta caretta
common name: Loggerhead Sea Turtle rank: species
Chondrichthyes
common name: cartilaginous fishes rank: class
Delphinus delphis
common name: Short-beaked Common Dolphin rank: species
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Manta birostris
common name: Atlantic manta rank: species
Mola mola
common name: ocean sunfish rank: species
Rhinoptera bonasus
common name: cownose ray rank: species
Sargassum
rank: genus
Stenella frontalis
common name: Atlantic Spotted Dolphin rank: species
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Cheloniidae
common name: Sea Turtles rank: family

Geographic Coverages

North Atlantic

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Sue Barco
originator
position: Primary contact
Virginia Marine Science Museum
email: ocrab@erols.com

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

Sue Barco
owner
position: Primary contact
Virginia Marine Science Museum
email: ocrab@erols.com

Sue Barco
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Virginia Marine Science Museum
email: ocrab@erols.com