Virginia and Maryland Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Initiative Aerial Survey Sightings, May 2011 through July 2013

Sue Barco

doi:10.15468/t2maq3

Virginia and Maryland Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Initiative Aerial Survey Sightings, May 2011 through July 2013

Citation

Barco, S. 2014. Virginia and Maryland Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Initiative Aerial Survey Sightings, May 2011 through July 2013. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1201) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/t2maq3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-07-14.

Description

Original provider: Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Foundation Dataset credits: Virginia Aquarium Foundation - Susan G. Barco & Gwen G. Lockhart Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation - Robert A. DiGiovanni Jr. & Allison M. DePerte Abstract: The data provided were collected as part of the the Virginia and Maryland Sea Turtle Research & Conservation Initiative - funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service Species Recovery Grants program No. NA09NMF4720033. Purpose: Previous sea turtle abundance estimates reported in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay where developed using aerial surveys without correcting for seasonal differences and availability bias. More recent surveys yielded estimates of availability throughout the turtles' residency periods using radio transmitters and satellite telemetry. These estimates where significantly different then previous surveys and changed over time. This project was conducted in order to quantify turtles surfacing time for the purpose of calculating seasonal and annual differences in availability, conduct aerial surveys in a manner that will allow for the calculation of perception bias, and compare estimates generated during previous projects. Supplemental information: Aerial surveys were conducted along the coastal waters and bays of Virginia and Maryland. This project is broken into two survey periods. The survey platform was a De Havilland twin otter DHC‐6 modified for observational research. The aircraft was configured so as to have two forward observers and a data recorder on their own communication system and have a second team consisting of a belly observer and one additional observer (either port or starboard) along with a data recorder. The separation of the communications systems enables the two teams to function independently thereby functioning as two individual surveys. Groups of sea turles, marine mammals, and other marine mammals were recorded. This method was developed in order to calculate a perception bias using mark recapture techniques. This dataset is the filtered version – meaning all the duplicate sightings have been removed. All records are marked as observed by only team one, only team two, or by both. There is only one record for each sighting even if the animal was sighted by both teams. The raw dataset, with all sighting from both teams, is available by request from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Foundation.

Purpose

Previous sea turtle abundance estimates reported in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay where developed using aerial surveys without correcting for seasonal differences and availability bias. More recent surveys yielded estimates of availability throughout the turtles' residency periods using radio transmitters and satellite telemetry. These estimates where significantly different then previous surveys and changed over time. This project was conducted in order to quantify turtles surfacing time for the purpose of calculating seasonal and annual differences in availability, conduct aerial surveys in a manner that will allow for the calculation of perception bias, and compare estimates generated during previous projects.

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).

Balaenoptera borealis
common name: Sei Whale rank: species
Balaenoptera physalus
common name: Fin Whale rank: species
Caretta caretta
common name: Loggerhead Sea Turtle rank: species
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order
Elasmobranchii
common name: cartilaginous fishes rank: subclass
Cetorhinus maximus
common name: basking shark rank: species
Chelonia mydas
common name: Green Sea Turtle rank: species
Dermochelys coriacea
common name: Leatherback Sea Turtle rank: species
Lepidochelys kempii
common name: Kemp's Ridley rank: species
Manta birostris
common name: Atlantic manta rank: species
Mola mola
common name: ocean sunfish rank: species
Rhinoptera bonasus
common name: cownose ray rank: species
Sphyrna zygaena
common name: smooth hammerhead rank: species
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Cheloniidae
common name: Sea Turtles rank: family
Vertebrata
rank: subphylum

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