BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) S-Tag cetacean sightings 2005

Deborah Epperson

doi:10.15468/qckvwu

BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) S-Tag cetacean sightings 2005

Citation

Epperson, D. 2013. BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) S-Tag cetacean sightings 2005. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/905) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/qckvwu accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-07-14.

Description

Original provider: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Dataset credits: Texas A&M University Oregon State University Scripps Institution of Oceanography Texas A&M University-Galveston University of Colorado University of Durham University of Saint Andrews University of South Florida Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Abstract: Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) was a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research project supported by the then Minerals Management Service (MMS; now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management - BOEM) under Cooperative Agreement 1435-01-02-CA-85186 for Cooperative Research on Sperm Whales and their Response to Seismic Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico through the Texas A&M Research Foundation. The objectives of SWSS were to
(1) establish baseline information on the biology and behavior of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico, (2) characterize sperm whale habitat use in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and (3) determine possible changes in behavior of sperm whales when subjected to manmade noise, particularly from seismic airgun arrays used for offshore oil and gas exploration and geological monitoring. Supplemental information: This dataset includes sperm whale visual tracking data and sightings of other cetaceans in 2005. Since the vessels often tracked the sighted sperm whales for further surveys, many sightings in this dataset represent the same animals. Cetacean sightings in 2002-2004 are found in BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) S-Tag cetacean sightings 2002-2004 Sperm whale visual trackings in 2002-2004 are found in BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) S-Tag sperm whale trackings 2002-2004 Effort data were filtered to eliminate early morning and night times where no visual efforts were conducted. The of-effort times was 2005: 07:00 – 20:00 CDT

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).

Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Stenella clymene
common name: Clymene Dolphin rank: species
Lagenodelphis hosei
common name: Fraser's Dolphin rank: species
Peponocephala electra
common name: Melon-headed Whale rank: species
Stenella attenuata
common name: Pantropical Spotted Dolphin rank: species
Grampus griseus
common name: Risso's Dolphin rank: species
Steno bredanensis
common name: Rough-toothed Dolphin rank: species
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order

Geographic Coverages

Gulf of Mexico

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Deborah Epperson
originator
position: Primary contact
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
email: Deborah.Epperson@bsee.gov

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

Deborah Epperson
owner
position: Primary contact
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
email: Deborah.Epperson@bsee.gov

Deborah Epperson
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
email: Deborah.Epperson@bsee.gov