Inter-agency agreements have been established between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Department of Interior (DOI) and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML), Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC). The intent of these agreements is to provide funding to conduct surveys of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and other marine mammals in the Alaskan Arctic.
ASAMM: The Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals project is a continuation of the Bowhead Whale Aerial Survey Project (BWASP) and Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) marine mammal aerial survey project. The goal of these studies is to document the distribution and relative abundance of bowhead, gray, right, and fin whales, belugas, and other marine mammals in areas of potential oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production activities in the Alaskan Beaufort and northeastern Chukchi Seas. Data from the ASAMM surveys will be used to relate variation in marine mammal distribution or abundance to other variables, such as physical oceanographic conditions, indices of potential prey density, and anthropogenic activities, if information on these variables is available.
- Describe the annual migration of bowhead whales across the Alaskan Arctic, significant inter-year differences, and long-term trends in the spatial distribution and timing (duration and start date) of the migration;
- Document relative abundance, spatial and temporal distribution, and behavior (including calving/pupping, feeding, hauling out) of marine mammals (cetaceans, ice seals, walruses, and polar bears) in the Alaskan Arctic;
- Provide near real-time data and maps to BOEM and NMFS on marine mammals in the Alaskan Arctic, with specific interest in endangered species, such as bowhead whales;
- Provide an objective wide-area context for understanding marine mammal ecology in the Alaskan Arctic, to help inform management decisions and interpret results of other small-scale studies
Specific objectives for the ASAMM project include:
CHAOZ: In 2010, the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) entered into a multi-year interagency agreement with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) to document the distribution and relative abundance of bowhead, humpback, right, fin, gray, and other whales in areas of potential seismic surveying, drilling, construction, and production activities and relate changes in those variables to oceanographic conditions, indices of potential prey availability, and anthropogenic activities.
Previous StudiesBOWFEST: The Bowhead Whale Feeding Ecology Study (BOWFEST) was a 5-year BOEM-funded study started in 2007 that focused on late summer oceanography and prey densities relative to whale distribution over continental shelf waters within 100 miles north and east of Point Barrow, Alaska. Increased understanding of bowhead behavior and distribution is needed to minimize potential impacts from petroleum development activities. More>
- CHAOZ Annual Report 2011
- CHAOZ Cruise Report 2011
- CHAOZ Cruise Summary 2011
- CHAOZ Annual Report 2010
- CHAOZ Cruise Report 2010
- Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Alaskan Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 2011
- Aerial Surveys of Endangered Whales in the Beaufort Sea, Fall 2010
- COMIDA Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals 2008-2010
- Aerial Surveys of Endangered Whales in the Beaufort Sea, Fall 2009
- Aerial Surveys of Endangered Whales in the Beaufort Sea, Fall 2006-2008
The daily reports provided on this site constitute preliminary field data and should not be cited without permission. The reports have undergone a review for technical accuracy prior to posting on this site. However, additional processing and review after the field season may identify further changes that need to be made. Additional information on data or report quality and dissemination is available in the AFSC Disclaimer Statement and on NOAA's Office of the Chief Information Officer & High Performance Computing and Communications web page
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| 2012 Aerial Surveys (Flights Begin in July) | ||||
| Survey | Date | Flight | Daily Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMIDA | 2012-07-06 | 203 | Flight203 Summary | |
| COMIDA | 2012-07-05 | 202 | Flight202 Summary | |
| COMIDA | 2012-07-03 | 0 | No Flight | |
| COMIDA | 2012-07-02 | 0 | No Flight | * Indicates updated daily report |
