Cetacean density predictions in Marine Offshore Species Assessments to Inform Clean energy (MOSAIC) project

Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University

This dataset provides seasonal, spatially explicit density predictions for cetaceans occurring on the continental shelf and slope off the coasts of Oregon and northern California, USA, from the coast to 3000m depth (“Northern California Current”). Predictions were generated by integrating models constructed from up to four complementary data types: dedicated regional-scale vessel- and helicopter-based visual surveys (2016-2024); large-scale ship-based visual surveys conducted by NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center across the California Current Ecosystem (1991-2018); satellite tag tracking data for blue, fin, and humpback whales (1998-2019); and passive acoustic monitoring from moored hydrophones (2022-2024). For all data types, models related cetacean occurrence to static and dynamic habitat covariates were used to generate seasonal predictions on a common 0.1° (~10 km2) grid. Individual model predictions for each data type were combined into ensemble density surfaces, with associated among-model uncertainty. The resulting seasonal (winter, spring, summer, fall) ensemble surfaces span predictions between 2016-2024 and represent an integrated, multi-platform depiction of each cetacean species’ distribution and density in the Northern California Current.

Seasonal cetacean density grids were developed as part of the Marine Offshore Species Assessments to Inform Clean energy (MOSAIC) project led by the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, with the goal of providing baseline data on the distribution and density of cetaceans and seabirds in Northern California and Oregon shelf and slope waters to inform the potential development of offshore wind energy. The resulting outputs can aid in informing responsible siting and permitting of offshore wind energy development and assessing overlap between cetaceans and anthropogenic uses of the marine environment.

This dataset represents the model outputs. No individual sightings are presented. The initial map shows the Baird's beaked whale spring density prediction. You can turn on/off the seasonal species predictions by going to Layers selection panel.

Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

The dataset has been updated over time as outlined below. Each entry includes the version number, release date, type of change, and a short description.

Overview

This section explains attributes included in the original dataset. The availability of the attributes depends on the share policy. When "Minimum attributes" is selected, only date/time, lat/lon, species identification and group size are available. Should you need other attributes described here, you are encouraged to contact the data provider. When "All attributes" is selected, all attributes are available in download.

Attributes described below represent those in the original dataset provided by the provider.
Only minimum required attributes are visible and downloadable online. Other attributes may be obtained upon provider's permission.

Attributes in dataset

Attribute (table column)	Description
oid	Unique ID number (generated by OBIS-SEAMAP)
row_id	Row ID
species	Species scientific name
common_name	Common name
longitude	Longitude in decimal degrees (centroid of the grid cell)
latitude	Latitude in decimal degrees (centroid of the grid cell)
season	Season
season_months	Months of the season (first letter of month)
pred	Density prediction (animals per km^2)
cv	CV
ensemble_inputs
sp_tsn	Taxonomic Serial Number added by OBIS-SEAMAP
obs_date	(arbitrary date entered for technical purpose)
obs_time	(empty)
obs_count	(arbitrary count entered for technical purpose)
geom	Geometry field added by OBIS-SEAMAP