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MMS Central/Northern California Low-altitude birds and mammals

Entry ID: seamap41

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Summary

Abstract: Principal Investigator(s)/Affiliation: Thomas P. Dohl, Center for Marine Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz.Marine Mammal and Seabird Surveys Of Central And Northern California Studies: -- Central/Northern Calif - Low Aerial [Birds and Mammals] Study Code: CL Contract Number: 14-12-0001-29090

Purpose: To determine species composition, distribution, abundance, and seasonal variation for marine mammal and seabird populations, provide a description of habitat use, and identify areas of special biological importance to these populations in the central and northern California study area.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

DATA COLLECTION:
TIME ... PERIOD: February 1980 through June 1983
STUDY AREA: Shelf, slope, and offshore waters to a distance of 100 nm off the California coast from Point Conception to the California-Oregon boundary.

METHODOLOGY: Offshore transect surveys were flown twice-monthly at two different altitudes (200 ft and about 750-1,000 ft ASL) along approximately 40 east-west transect lines extending an average of 60 nm offshore. The transects sampled on a given survey were selected randomly from a set of 92 standard (predetermined) lines spaced at intervals of 5' of latitude. Standard transects provided systematic coverage of shelf, slope, and offshore waters in the study area. Sightings of seabirds, pinnipeds, and sea otters were recorded only on low-altitude surveys. Sightings of cetaceans and turtles were recorded on both low- and high-altitude surveys. Seabird sightings were recorded only on the shaded side of the aircraft within a strip transect of 50 m width. Marine mammal and turtle sightings were recorded within an unbounded corridor on both high- and low-altitude surveys, but only the shaded side of the aircraft was searched on the low-altitude surveys. Cross-legs connecting standard transects were searched only on high-altitude surveys. Offshore cross-legs were searched on both sides of the aircraft, while only the nearshore side was searched on cross-legs along the coast. Declination angle was measured and noted for each marine mammal/turtle sightings and later used to calculate a probability density function of frequency with right-angle sighting distance. Navigation was by Loran and VLF-Omega.

DATABASES PRODUCED: Three databases of sightings at sea were produced by these studies (data on numbers of seabirds and pinnipeds on land were also collected but are not addressed in the present study). These include 1) sightings of cetaceans and turtles recorded on 36 high-altitude aerial surveys, 2) sightings of cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea otters, and turtles recorded on 36 low-altitude aerial surveys, and 3) sightings of seabirds on 36 low-altitude aerial surveys. Each sighting database is accompanied by files providing the search effort on transect and environmental characteristics of the waters surveyed (e.g., sea surface temperature).

CURRENTNESS REFERENCE: ground condition

SPATIAL REFERENCE INFORMATION - GEODETIC MODEL
Horizontal Datum Name: D_WGS_1984
Ellipsoid Name: WGS_1984
Semi-major Axis: 6378137.000000
Denominator of Flattening Ratio: 298.257224

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Access data from the OBIS and OBIS-SEAMAP websites.

Multimedia Sample

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Caption: Birds and Mammals Survey

Geographic Coverage

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Spatial coordinates

N: 42.07

S: 34.03

E: -119.43

W: -126.48

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: Minerals Management Service

Dataset Title: MMS Central/Northern California Low-altitude birds and mammals

Dataset Series Name: OBIS-SEAMAP

Dataset Release Date: 2006-03-21 17:34:57-05

Dataset Release Place: http://seamap.env.duke.edu/

Dataset Publisher: OBIS-SEAMAP

Data Presentation Form: vector digital data

Online Resource: http://www.mms.gov/

Parent DIF

This data set description is a member of a collection. The collection is described in
OBIS-SEAMAP

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1980-02-25

Stop Date: 1983-01-29

Location Keywords

OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > ARCTIC

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > CALIFORNIA

Data Resolution

Latitude Resolution: 0.000167 Decimal degrees
Longitude Resolution: 0.000167 Decimal degrees
Horizontal Resolution Range: 1 meter - < 30 meters

Science Keywords

BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > BIRDS > DUCKS/GEESE/SWANS
BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > BIRDS > LOONS

ISO Topic Category

CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE

Platform

AIRCRAFT

Instrument

PSR > Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer

Project

EOSDIS > Earth Observing System Data Information System

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

SMEX04 > Soil Moisture Experiments in 2004

Ancillary Keywords

AMSR-E

Brightness Temperature

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

NSIDC_DAAC

Data Center

NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Center

Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org/daac/index.html
Dataset ID: NSIDC-0406

Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC DAAC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 (303) 492-6199 Fax: +1 (303) 492-2468 Email: nsidc at nsidc.org Contact Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA

National Snow and Ice Data Center

Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org

Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 (303) 492-6199 Fax: +1 (303) 492-2468 Email: nsidc at nsidc.org Contact Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: FTP

Distribution Size: 64 KB - 3.5 MB per file

Distribution Format: ASCII text

Personnel

THOMAS JACKSON

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Phone: 301-504-8511

Fax: 301-504-8931

Email: tjackson at hydrolab.arsusda.gov

Contact Address:

USDA ARS Hydrology Lab

104 Bldg. 007

BARC-West

City: Beltsville

Province or State: MD

Postal Code: 20705

Country: USA

Publications/References

Bindlish,R., T. J. Jackson, A. Gasiewski, B. Stankov, M. Klein, M. H. Cosh, I. Mladenova, C. Watts, E. Vivoni, V. Lakshmi, J. Bolten, and T. Keefer. 2008. Aircraft-based soil moisture retrievals under mixed vegetation and topographic conditions. Remote Sensing of Environment 112 (2008) 375Â390. Refer to the USDA SMEX04 Web site (http://hydrolab.arsusda.gov/smex04/) for in-depth information on the science mission and goal of the SMEX project.

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2009-06-12

Last DIF Revision Date: 2010-03-10

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