A spatio-temporal gap analysis of cetacean survey effort in the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic
Abstract
In January 2015, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the 2017-2022
Draft Proposed Program for oil and gas leasing on the outer continental shelf, which
includes a large area of the Atlantic. The release of this proposal was preceded by
a final Environmental Impact Statement in February 2014 and a July 2014 Record of
Decision to consider permit applications for seismic surveys in the Mid- and South
Atlantic planning areas. The renewed interest in oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic
and steady pace of recent decision making is significant because the Atlantic has
been off limits to oil and gas since 1982 and there is substantial concern within
the scientific community about their environmental impacts. In particular, cetaceans
depend on sound for all aspects of their lives, from communication to navigation,
and some species are known to be vulnerable to the effects of seismic surveys. Thirty-four
species of cetaceans are found within the planning areas alone, six of which are endangered.
To protect cetaceans from negative impacts of seismic exploration and to make the
best management decisions possible, we need to know where they are and when they’re
there. The objectives of my project, therefore, were to identify gaps in space and
time of cetacean survey effort and to inform BOEM of the needs for additional survey
effort. I conducted a geospatial analysis on a cetacean survey effort tracklines data
set, which includes 40 surveys from aerial and shipboard platforms from 1992 to 2014.
Results revealed that effort has not been consistent through the years. Overall, as
distance from shore increases, less survey effort occurs, and the fall season has
both the fewest surveys and least total linear effort. Based on the results, I make
two primary recommendations: (1) Future surveys should be conducted during the fall
in all areas; and (2) Pelagic areas, especially outside of the Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ), should be a priority for future survey effort. Understanding spatial and
temporal trends in cetacean use of the Mid- and South Atlantic planning areas is critical
to making informed management decisions regarding seismic exploration.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9679Citation
Rickard, Meghan (2015). A spatio-temporal gap analysis of cetacean survey effort in the U.S. Mid- and South
Atlantic. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9679.Collections
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