VACAPES Offshore Study Area Observations

The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program

The data in this dataset represent animal sightings and boat tracks during
offshore surveys beginning in April 2015 through December 2021 off the coast
of Virginia.
Seventy days of offshore surveys were completed between 04/12/2015 –
10/24/2021. Work was performed under HDR task orders TO 03, TO 54, TO 35,
TO18F4082, and TO20F4031 (IDIQ contract award N62470-15-D-8006, NAVFAC
LANT).

N/A

2024-10-31: Sightings in Mar ~ Dec 2023 were appended.
2023-11-07: Sightings in Jan ~ Oct 2022 were appended.

Survey tracklines (aggregated over time) are available online and included
in a downloadable zip file (shapefile format).

Additional references
href="https://www.navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us/files/2415/2649/4756
/Engelhaupt_et_al._2018_-_VACAPES_Offshore_Cetacean_Study_2017_-
_Final.pdf" target="_blank">Engelhaupt, A., J.M. Aschettino, and D.
Engelhaupt. 2018. VACAPES Outer Continental Shelf Cetacean Study,
Virginia Beach, Virginia: 2017 Annual Progress Report. Prepared for U.S.
Fleet Forces Command. Submitted to Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, under Contract No. N62470-15-8006,
Task Order 35, issued to HDR Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia. May 2018.

href="https://www.navymarinespeciesmonitoring.us/files/3815/0464/6883
/Engelhaupt_et_al._2017_-_VACAPES_Offshore_Cetacean_Study_2016_-
_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Engelhaupt, A., J.M. Aschettino, and D.
Engelhaupt. 2017. VACAPES Outer Continental Shelf Cetacean Study,
Virginia Beach, Virginia: 2016 Annual Progress Report. Prepared for U.S.
Fleet Forces Command. Submitted to Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, under Contract Nos. N62470-10-3011,
Task Orders 03 and 54, and N62470-15-8006, Task Order 35, issued to HDR
Inc., Virginia Beach, Virgina.

Overview

This section explains attributes included in the original dataset. OBIS-SEAMAP restricts the attributes available to the public to date/time, lat/lon and species names/counts only. Should you need other attributes described here, you are encouraged to contact the data provider.

Attributes described below represent those in the original dataset provided by the provider.
All attributes are included in the downloadable file (CSV or ESRI File Geodatabase) for "Complete Set of Dataset".

Attributes in dataset

Attribute (table column)	Description
oid	Unique ID number (generated by OBIS-SEAMAP)
bearingabs	definition not provided
behavior	Behavior
behaviorevent	Behavior event
countcalves	Number of calves
countjuveniles	Number of juvelines
counttotbest	Best estimate of number of animals
counttotmax	Maximum estimate of number of animals
counttotmin	Minimum estimate of number of animals
depthsounding	Depth as determined in situ via sounding in meters
distsight	The radial distance to the animal
headingplatmagnetic	Heading
headingplattrue	Heading
latanimal	Latitude of animals in decimal degrees
latplatform	Latitude of the platform in decimal degrees
longanimal	Longitude of animals in decimal degrees
longplatform	Longitude of the platform in decimal degrees
sightingnotes	Sighting notes
datetime	Date and time of the sighting at local time zone
surveyid	Survey ID
spcsnmsci	Scientific name
spcsnmcom	Common name
sp_tsn	Taxonomic Serial Number added by OBIS-SEAMAP
sightingnumber	Sighting Number
bearing	Bearing
datetimeutc	Date and time of the sighting at UTC
observationtype	Sighting, Re-sighting, or Focal point
birds	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
countfemales	Number of males (blank)
countmales	Number of females (blank in 2015-2018 data)
countvescargo	(blank)
countvesferries	(blank)
countvesfishing	(blank)
countvesmilitary	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
countvesmotoryachts	(blank)
countvessailing	(blank)
countvesother	(blank)
cue	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
groupid	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
headinganimal	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
ordnance	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
sightingmulti	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
sightingtimeend	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
vertangleorreticle	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
opticstype	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
platformelevation	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
distsighttype	(blank in 2015-2018 data)
geom	Geometry field added by OBIS-SEAMAP