DUML vessel-based photo-id and biopsy surveys for proposed JAX USWTR site 2012-2015

Original provider:
Duke University Marine Laboratory

Dataset credits:
Duke University Marine Laboratory

Abstract:
The United States (US) Navy proposed constructing an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) along the US Atlantic coast. In 2008, the US Navy chose the area off of Jacksonville, FL (JAX OPAREA) to be the preferred site of the USWTR. The JAX USWTR site and, like that in Onslow Bay, is 25 nm (46 km) long and 20 nm (37 km) wide (approximately 1700 km2). The survey area straddles the continental shelf and Blake Plateau and includes neritic, shelf waters and pelagic, offshore waters. As part of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Monitoring Program, shipboard and aerial line transect surveys were implemented in 2009 to estimate density and document distribution and seasonal residency of marine mammals and sea turtles in the proposed USWTR (see "DUML vessel-based surveys for proposed JAX USWTR site 2009-2010" dataset). In January 2012, shipboard line-transect survey methods transitioned to biopsy and photo-identification sampling to address questions of residency and population structure in the area. Vessel 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 in this area.
Sightings within this dataset are from shipboard photo-ID and biopsy surveys conducted from 2012-2015.

Purpose:
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
(3) supplement the visual surveys with acoustic monitoring using a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP).

Supplemental information:
[2020-09-30] The following invalid species names were corrected according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Turtles: Testudines (173749) => Testudines (948936)

[2016-04-14] Sightings from Jul to Dec 2015 were appended. The following columns were added (these columns are blank for the sightings before Jul 2015):
end_time, end_lat, end_long, behav_state, totminest, totmaxest, mincalves, maxcalves, minyoy, maxyoy, totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, photo_notes, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades, acoustics
of which totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades are blank for the newly added sightings.

[2015-05-13] The 2014-2015 data were appended.
[2014-03-21] The 2013-14 data were appended. The following attributes were added since May 2013:
SIGHTNO, BEAUSCALE, DEPTH, WATERTEMP, BESTCALVES, BESTYOY, PHOTOS
[2013-03-19] Additional survey data for the JAX USWTR site are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the "DUML vessel-based surveys for proposed JAX USWTR site 2009-2010" dataset.