UNCW Right Whale Aerial Surveys 2008

William McLellan

doi:10.15468/w9ra9b

UNCW Right Whale Aerial Surveys 2008

Citation

McLellan, W. 2013. UNCW Right Whale Aerial Surveys 2008. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/464) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/w9ra9b accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-01-26.

Description

Original provider: University of North Carolina, Wilmington Dataset credits: William A. McLellan, University of North Carolina Wilmington Abstract: These surveys were designed to monitor North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) in the south Atlantic Bight and mid-Atlantic, from the North Carolina (NC)-South Carolina (SC) border, north across the Chesapeake Bay mouth, to the southern tip of Cape Charles, Virginia, United States. The contract period began in January 2008 with surveys flown from February to June 2008. A total of 14 North Atlantic right whales were observed during this aerial survey period, with 12 of the 14 whales sighted between the SC-NC border to Cape Hatteras, NC. Two of the 14 right whales observed were just north of Cape Hatteras, NC. In addition to right whales, two other endangered large whale species were observed. Two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in two separate sightings during early March, and 20 sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in 12 separate sightings were observed during these aerial surveys. Unidentified beaked whales (Family Ziphiidae), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and unidentified delphinids (Family Delphinidae) were also observed during the aerial survey period. An unconfirmed beaked whale was observed in early February, and a confirmed beaked whale (species ID is still being debated) was observed in mid-June, both offshore near Cape Hatteras, NC. The threatened loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta (1,455 individuals in 937 sightings), the endangered leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea (4 individuals in 4 sightings), and unidentified sea turtles (615 individuals in 187 sightings) were also observed in this study. Supplemental information: [UPDATE] Group size for a sighting (Row ID: 748, 04/11/08 12:29:00, Loggerhead) was corrected to 6.

Purpose

Not available

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
Cetorhinus maximus
common name: basking shark rank: species
Dermochelys coriacea
common name: Leatherback Sea Turtle rank: species
Delphinus delphis
common name: Short-beaked Common Dolphin rank: species
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Eubalaena glacialis
common name: North Atlantic Right Whale rank: species
Globicephala macrorhynchus
common name: Short-finned Pilot Whale rank: species
Manta birostris
common name: Atlantic manta rank: species
Mola mola
common name: ocean sunfish rank: species
Megaptera novaeangliae
common name: Humpback Whale rank: species
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Rhinoptera bonasus
common name: cownose ray rank: species
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
Hyperoodontidae
rank: family

Geographic Coverages

Oceans

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

William McLellan
originator
position: Primary contact
University of North Carolina Wilmington
email: mclellanw@uncw.edu

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

William McLellan
owner
position: Primary contact
University of North Carolina Wilmington
email: mclellanw@uncw.edu

William McLellan
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
University of North Carolina Wilmington
email: mclellanw@uncw.edu