DUML vessel-based photo-id and biopsy surveys in Onslow Bay CHPT OPAREA 2011-2015

Duke University Marine Laboratory

The United States (US) Navy proposed constructing an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) along the US Atlantic coast. One of the proposed sites within the Cherry Point (CHPT) OPAREA is an area of 1,713 km2 in Onslow Bay, 87 km from the coast of North Carolina. As part of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Monitoring Program, shipboard and aerial line transect surveys were implemented in 2007 to estimate density and document distribution and seasonal residency of marine mammals and sea turtles in the proposed USWTR (see "DUML vessel-based line transect surveys for proposed Onslow Bay USWTR site 2007-2010" dataset). Shipboard line-transect survey methods transitioned to biopsy and photo-identification sampling at the end of April 2011 to address questions of residency and population structure in the CHPT OPAREA. Survey effort was expended along the 200 m depth contour and occasionally around eddies and fronts generated by the Gulf Stream. We are focusing on residency and population structure with our shipboard surveys because we are:
(1) obtaining adequate data with which to estimate density from aerial line transect sampling;
(2) interested in addressing questions of residency as photo-identification data from Onslow suggest considerable residency in that area despite minimal sampling. Sightings within this dataset are from shipboard photo-ID and biopsy surveys conducted from 2011-2013.

The primary objectives of these surveys are to:
(1) document species occurrence and examine patterns of residency of marine mammals and turtles in the defined study area,
(2) determine relatedness among individuals, populations and species within the study area, and
(3) supplement the visual surveys with acoustic monitoring using a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP).

Additional survey data for the Onslow Bay USWTR site are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the DUML vessel-based line transect surveys for proposed Onslow Bay USWTR site 2007-2010 dataset.

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

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)
obs_date	Date of observation
sightno	Sighting number
obs_time	Time of the observation (local time zone)
location2	AFTT area location
location	Location
project	Project name
latitude	Latitude in decimal degrees
longitude	Longitude in decimal degrees
beauscale	Beaufort sea state
bottom_depth	Bottom depth im meters
watertemp	Water Temperature (degrees Celsius)
sp_obs	Species observed
sp_tsn	ITIS Taxonomic Serial Number added by OBIS-SEAMAP
obs_count	Number of animals observed
bestcalves	Best estimate of calves
bestyoy	Best estimate of young of year
photos	Number of photos
end_time	End time (local time zone)
end_lat	End latitude in decimal degrees
end_long	End longitude in decimal degrees
behav_state	Behavior state
totminest	Minimum total group size
totmaxest	Maximum total group size
mincalves	Minimum number of calves
maxcalves	Maximum number of calves
minyoy	Minimum number of young of the year
maxyoy	Maximum number of young of the year
totposid	Not used
totnoid	Not used
totfinbest	Not used
calfposid	Not used
calfnoid	Not used
calfinbest	Not used
yoyposid	Not used
comments	Comments
photo_notes	Notes for the photos
sighting_notes	Sighting notes
observations	Observations
photo_grades	Photo grades
acoustics	Flag to acoustic data
geom	Geometry field added by OBIS-SEAMAP