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An Evaluation of Marine Mammal Surveys to Support Washington State’s Marine Spatial Planning Process
Author(s): Kracker, L. and C. Menza
NCCOS Center: CCMA
Center Team: Biogeography
Publication Type: NOAA Technical Memoranda
Date of Publication: 2015
Reference Information:
Abstract: About This Document: The objective of this report is to identify and evaluate existing datasets related to the distribution of marine mammals along the Northwest coast of the United States which can support Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) by the State of Washington. In this report, we consider the degree to which existing datasets are able to represent species distributions and provide information needed by Washington to mitigate potential conflicts among ocean users and ensure adequate biological conservation. A review of pelagic, nearshore and shore-based surveys, as well as data collected via passive acoustic sensors and animal borne sensors, is provided. This document is organized by the scale at which the surveys are conducted, starting with broad-scale offshore cetacean surveys observed primarily from ships. Next, moderate scale surveys (e.g., Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and state waters) conducted from various platforms are described, followed by nearshore/onshore pinniped surveys. Lastly, brief reviews of passive acoustic surveys and animal borne sensor data available in the region are provided.
The focus of this report is on datasets collected in the last 10 years that contribute to our understanding of the current distribution of mammals commonly observed at sea. Information on research efforts and lead scientists, spatial and temporal aspects of the survey data, and the purpose of the data collection effort have been combined and evaluated. Intended outcomes of this report are to identify data gaps and general patterns of data availability that can support the development of maps to describe the relative distribution of marine mammal abundance needed by Washington. In a subsequent effort, we will use this report to develop statistical modeling techniques to determine the probabilities of relative occurrence and abundance for marine mammals in the region. Washington state is planning to use the new marine mammal models to identify important ecological areas and proactively plan for future uses of coastal and marine resources.
A methodology to guide the MSP process in the state of Washington is being crafted by the State Ocean Caucus (Hennessey, 2011), which includes multiple state agencies and is chaired by the Department of Ecology. The MSP process is intended to address increasing pressures on the resources, conflicts among uses, and proposed new uses by providing a non-regulatory framework for coordinating information and decisions (MSP Public Scoping Document: http://www.msp.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MSP_scoping_document.pdf). A key component of the process is analysis and allocation of the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives. To this end, Washington state has called for maps that, at a minimum, summarize available data on key ecological aspects of the marine ecosystem, including physical and biological characteristics, as we
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