Project Objectives

Conduct visual line-transect surveys and passive acoustic monitoring for cetaceans, and other marine mammals, to determine species occurrence, and to estimate density within Navy’s testing range. Acoustic monitoring devices will be deployed during the vessel based survey, and long-term passive acoustic hydrophones will be monitored for year-round detection of rare and/or cryptic cetacean species.

Project Objectives

1) Conduct aerial surveys during four seasonal periods within the inland Puget Sound Survey Area to assess potential differences in seasonal distribution, numbers, and behavioral state patterns of marine mammals; 2) Collect data to estimate densities of marine mammals in the inland Puget Sound waters for species with sufficient sightings; 3) Estimate abundance for each marine mammal species seen an adequate number of times; 4) Document the distribution and habitat use of each species observed; 5) Document and describe behaviors seen without performing focal follows.

Project Objectives

Conduct systematic line transect survey for marine mammals for density estimates; conduct survey to determine ecotype identity of killer whales; analyze existing and newly collected data for seasonal occurrence, abundance, and density of cetacean

Project Objectives

Identify species of beaked whales, odontocetes, and baleen whales that occur in the surveyed areas; Monitor marine mammal and sea turtle presence, distribution, and diversity in offshore waters; Develop a better understanding of marine mammal distribution, movement patterns, habitat use, population structure, and abundance; Develop reference library of visually-validated acoustic recordings of marine mammals.