Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey- Right side - January 2014 through March 2016

Sue Barco; Gwen Lockhart; Gwen Lockhart

doi:10.15468/49gevf

Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey- Right side - January 2014 through March 2016

Citation

Mallette S.D., Lockhart G G., McAlarney R.J., Cummings E.W., Pabst D. A., McLellan W.A., Barco S.G. 2016. Offshore Energy Planning: Documenting Megafauna off Virginia’s Coast Using Aerial Surveys. VAQF Scientific Report. 2016-04. https://doi.org/10.15468/49gevf accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-13.

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 306 Environmental Enhancement Program Strategy Project of Special Merit.
NA14NOS4190141 Jan 2014 - March 2016 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 November 2012 to December 2016. Supplemental information: The sightings are split into the left and right sides. The sightings from the left side are available in http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1373 Opportunistic sightings (eventcode=10.0) are not included. Effort data (tracklines) are available upon request and permission from the provider.

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 November 2012 to December 2016.

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
Dermochelys coriacea
common name: Leatherback Sea Turtle 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
Osteichthyes
common name: bony fishes rank: superclass
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Cheloniidae
common name: Sea Turtles rank: family
Vertebrata
rank: subphylum

Geographic Coverages

Virginia

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

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

Gwen Lockhart
originator
position: Secondary contact
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic
email: gwendolyn.lockhart@navy.mil
homepage: https://www.navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us/

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

Gwen Lockhart
originator
position: Secondary contact
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic
email: gwendolyn.lockhart@navy.mil
homepage: https://www.navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us/

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