Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from USFWS aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0247205)

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As part of the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted low-level (61m above sea level) seabird aerial surveys of Gulf of Mexico coastal waters out to 50nm offshore from the USA-Mexico border to Key West, FL (including the Dry Tortugas) from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12. Using a double-observer protocol, three observers collected data along 3 parallel 10nm transects spaced 1nm apart for 30nm transect/sampling hexagon units. Over 3 years, four survey events were completed representing greater than 36,000km of effort. Aerial survey crews recorded 13,581 avifauna detections representing 71,698 individuals. Observers identified 23 marine bird species (n = 52 all bird species identified) in total. Non-avifauna observations (e.g., marine mammals, sea turtles) totaled 3,160 individuals representing 2063 detections.

Dataset Citation

Cite as: Wilson, Randy; Gleason, Jeff; Lyons, Jim; Silverman, Emily; Sussman, Allison; Zipkin, Elise; Davis, Kayla; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from USFWS aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0247205). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/vyg0-tv44. Accessed [date].

Dataset Identifiers

ISO 19115-2 Metadata

gov.noaa.nodc:0247205

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Distributor	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov

Time Period	2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates	West: -97.37671 East: -80.90023 South: 24.5908 North: 30.40749
Spatial Coverage Map

General Documentation

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Descriptive Information
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Associated Resources

Cetacean, sea turtle, and seabird visual observations using line-transect survey methods from ships and aircraft during the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GOMMAPPS) surveys from 2017 to 2020
- NCEI Collection
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EPA 40km Hexagons for Conterminous United States
- EPA 40km Hexagons for Conterminous United States (download)
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gov.noaa.nodc:GOMMAPPS

Publication Dates	publication: 2022-04-20
Data Presentation Form	Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status	Complete - production of the data has been completed Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency	As needed
Supplemental Information	Despite the importance of the Gulf of Mexico for marine species, there is limited information available to quantify species-use in the region. To bridge this gap, the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS), was developed as a federal partnership between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Additionally, the seabird survey program worked in partnership with Michigan State University, Clemson University, and Terra Mar Applied Sciences LLC. For seabirds, a combination of ship-based and aerial surveys were employed (USFWS Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibious Aircraft). Low-level (61m above sea level) aerial surveys covering the coastal waters out to 50nm offshore were conducted from the USA-Mexico border to Key West, FL (including the Dry Tortugas) from February 2018 to February 2020. 180 40-km2 hexagonal survey units from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (US EPA EMAP; White 1992) were randomly selected by generalized random tessellation stratified sampling (GRTS). For each hexagon, a random flight direction was selected, thus defining two additional, adjacent hexagons and creating a three-hexagon sampling unit. Using a double-observer protocol, three observers collected data along 3 parallel 10nm transects spaced 1nm apart for 30nm of transects/sample unit. Observers surveyed the same sampling units (or a subset of these due to weather constraints) in each survey event (a survey event is a single survey season, e.g., winter 2018). Over 3 years (2018-2020) four survey events were completed; 600 hexagons were surveyed in total representing 1,800 transect segments and >36,000km of effort. Aerial survey crews recorded 13,581 avifauna detections representing 71,698 individuals. Observers identified 23 marine bird species (n = 52 all bird species identified) in total. Non-avifauna observations (e.g., marine mammals, sea turtles) totaled 3,160 individuals representing 2063 detections. Submission Package ID: ARYMDB
Purpose	Improved information is needed on living marine resource abundance, distribution, habitat use, and behavior in the Gulf of Mexico to properly mitigate and monitor for potential impacts of human activities, including offshore energy development. Understanding of cumulative impacts on protected species in the Gulf of Mexico from both natural and anthropogenic forcing is required to inform NEPA assessments, consultations and rulemaking related to Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), as well as other statutes that govern bureau activities. The results of this study will provide important information to inform both Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) regulatory needs, as well as other agencies and stakeholders involved in effective management and conservation of protected species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This dataset includes seabird visual observation data (with corresponding latitude and longitude locations), survey design spatial files (hexagons and transects), and the aerial survey Data Management Plan. This dataset also includes opportunistic non-seabird sightings such as marine mammals and sea turtles.
Use Limitations	accessLevel: Public Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.

Dataset Citation	Cite as: Wilson, Randy; Gleason, Jeff; Lyons, Jim; Silverman, Emily; Sussman, Allison; Zipkin, Elise; Davis, Kayla; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from USFWS aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0247205). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/vyg0-tv44. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors	Wilson, Randy Gleason, Jeff Lyons, Jim Silverman, Emily Sussman, Allison US Geological Survey Zipkin, Elise Davis, Kayla Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Principal Investigators	Randy Wilson US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Collaborators	Jeff Gleason US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Contributors	US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) US DOI; US Geological Survey (USGS)
Resource Providers	Allison Sussman US DOI; US Geological Survey (USGS) US DOI; US Geological Survey (USGS)
Points of Contact	Allison Sussman US DOI; US Geological Survey (USGS)
Publishers	NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Acknowledgments	Related Funding Agency: US DOI; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Related Funding Agency: US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service

Theme keywords	NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS BIRDS dolphins MARINE MAMMALS sea turtles species abundance SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS biological in situ marine mammal observation survey - biological visual estimate visual observation WMO_CategoryCode oceanography Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > BIRDS EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MARINE MAMMALS EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MARINE MAMMALS > DOLPHINS EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > REPTILES > TURTLES > SEA TURTLES Provider Keywords Species Common Name American White Pelican Black Scoter Black Skimmer Black Tern Black-bellied Whisting-Duck Bonaparte's Gull Bottlenose Dolphin Brown Boody Brown Noddy Brown Pelican Bufflehead Canvasback Caspian Tern Cattle Egret Common Loon Cory's Shearwater Dabbling Duck sp Double-crested Cormorant Duck sp Forage Fish Gadwall Great Black-backed Gull Great Blue Heron Great Egret Grebe sp Green Heron Green Sea Turtle Gull sp Hammerhead Shark Hawksbill Sea Turtle Heron/Egret sp Herring Gull Hooded Merganser Jaeger sp Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Laughing Gull Least Tern Leatherback Sea Turtle Lesser Black-backed Gull Lesser Scaup Little Blue Heron Loggerhead Sea Turtle Loon sp Magnificient Frigatebird Manta Ray Masked Booby Mottled Duck Northern Gannet Northern Pintail Northern Shoveler Osprey Petrel/Shearwater sp Phalarope sp Red-breasted Merganser Redhead Ring-necked Duck Roseate Spoonbill Roseate Tern Royal Tern Sargassum Scaup sp Scoter sp Sea/Diving Duck sp Snowy Egret Sooty Tern Sooty/Bridled Tern sp Sperm Whale Storm-Petrel sp Sulid sp Surf Scoter Teal sp Tern sp Trichodesmium Tricolored Heron Turkey Vulture Vulture sp West Indian Manatee Whale Shark White Ibis White-winged Scoter Wilson's Storm-Petrel Wood Stork Provider Keywords Species Scientific Name Anas acuta Anas clypeata Anas fulvigula Anas strepera Anous stolidus Ardea herodias Aythya affinis Aythya americana Aythya collaris Aythya valisineria Bucephala albeola Bulbulcus ibia Butorides virescens Calomectris diomedea Caretta caretta Cathartes aura Chelonia mydas Chlidonias niger Chroicocephalus philadelphia Dendrocygna autumnalis Dermochelys coriacea Egretta alba Egretta caerulea Egretta thula Egretta tircolor Eretmochelys imbricata Eudocimus albus Fregata magnificens Gavia immer Hydroprogne caspia Larus argentatus Larus fuscus Larus marinus Lepidochelys kempii Leucophaeus atricilla Lophodytes cucullatus Manta sp Melanitta americana Melanitta fusca Melanitta perspicillata Mergus serrator Morus bassanus Mycteria americana Oceanites oceanicus Onchyoprion fuscatus Pandion haliaetus Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus occidentalis Phalacrocorax auritus Physeter microcephalus Platalea ajaja Rhincodon typus Rhyncops niger Sphyrnidae sp Sterna dougallii Sternula antillarum Sula dactylatra Sula leucogaster Thalasseus maximus Trichechus manatus Tursiops truncatus
Data Center keywords	NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service US DOI; US Geological Survey NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS US DOI; US Geological Survey Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords DOI/USFWS > U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior DOI/USGS > U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior
Platform keywords	Provider Platform Names USFWS Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibious Aircraft
Instrument keywords	NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS line transect sampling visual estimate visual observation Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords Line Transect Sampling VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS
Place keywords	NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Coastal Waters of Alabama Coastal Waters of Florida Coastal Waters of Louisiana Coastal Waters of Mississippi Coastal Waters of Texas Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Gulf of Mexico North Atlantic Ocean Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO
Project keywords	NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GOMMAPPS) Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords GOMMAPPS > Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species Provider Project Names Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS)
Keywords	NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 0247205

Use Constraints	Cite as: Wilson, Randy; Gleason, Jeff; Lyons, Jim; Silverman, Emily; Sussman, Allison; Zipkin, Elise; Davis, Kayla; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from USFWS aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0247205). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/vyg0-tv44. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints	Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees	In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	2022-04-20T21:27:21Z - NCEI Accession 0247205 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets	NCEI Accession 0247205 v1.1 NCEI Accession 0247205 v1.1 (download) published 2022-04-20T21:27:21Z

Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps	Parameter or Variable: SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT (measured); Units: n/a; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: biota surveys; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Using the U.S. EPA Environmental Monitoring & Assessment Program’s 40-square kilometer hexagon sampling grid (White 1992) and a generalized random tessellation stratified sampling technique, a random sample of 180 hexagons were selected to survey. Flight direction for each hexagon was also randomly selected, and included two additional, adjacent hexagons. Across each group of three hexagons, three parallel transects were established as the sampling unit. Two aircrafts (US Fish & Wildlife Service Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibious Aircrafts) were used to conduct aerial transect surveys from Brownsville, TX to Key West, FL out to 50 nautical miles from the shoreline. All surveys were conducted at an altitude of 61m and flown at approximately 110 knots. The surveys consisted of a double observer protocol with three observers collecting data in each aircraft: the pilot-biologist and two biologists who rotated their seat position daily. In-flight observers recorded all detections (species identification to the lowest taxonomic level and number of individuals counted) from the observable portion of the plane up to 200m out, on either side of the aircraft, for a 400m strip transect. Seabird species observed:; Data Quality Method: Observations and location information were collected simultaneously using onboard laptops installed with the Hodges RECORD program (Hodges, unpublished software) and the survey system installed in each aircraft to obtain GPS information. Each day, each observer downloaded two ASCII files from the on-board computers to a thumb drive. If the non-pilot observers rotated seats midday, they would download two files from each computer/seat they made observations from on that day. Using the Hodges TRANSCRIBE program (Hodges, unpublished software), observers then transcribed their recorded data nightly into two .txt files: observations and track. The Hodges TRANSCRIBE program automatically formatted the observation data, inputting the corresponding header information (e.g., observation date, survey hexagon and transect, latitude, longitude, species, count, etc.). The track file recorded the flight path of the plane. Observers then sent the two (or four if they rotated seats) .txt files (observations and tracks) to the GoMMAPPS seabird Data Specialist. Data files were checked for errors, imported into R Studio (R Core Team 2020), and QA/QC'd. Clean data were combined into one single .csv file for all aerial surveys within the study period and prepared for archive..

Lineage information for: dataset

Processing Steps

Parameter or Variable: SPECIES IDENTIFICATION - COUNT (measured); Units: n/a; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: biota surveys; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Using the U.S. EPA Environmental Monitoring & Assessment Program’s 40-square kilometer hexagon sampling grid (White 1992) and a generalized random tessellation stratified sampling technique, a random sample of 180 hexagons were selected to survey. Flight direction for each hexagon was also randomly selected, and included two additional, adjacent hexagons. Across each group of three hexagons, three parallel transects were established as the sampling unit. Two aircrafts (US Fish & Wildlife Service Quest Kodiak 100 Amphibious Aircrafts) were used to conduct aerial transect surveys from Brownsville, TX to Key West, FL out to 50 nautical miles from the shoreline. All surveys were conducted at an altitude of 61m and flown at approximately 110 knots. The surveys consisted of a double observer protocol with three observers collecting data in each aircraft: the pilot-biologist and two biologists who rotated their seat position daily. In-flight observers recorded all detections (species identification to the lowest taxonomic level and number of individuals counted) from the observable portion of the plane up to 200m out, on either side of the aircraft, for a 400m strip transect. Seabird species observed:; Data Quality Method: Observations and location information were collected simultaneously using onboard laptops installed with the Hodges RECORD program (Hodges, unpublished software) and the survey system installed in each aircraft to obtain GPS information. Each day, each observer downloaded two ASCII files from the on-board computers to a thumb drive. If the non-pilot observers rotated seats midday, they would download two files from each computer/seat they made observations from on that day. Using the Hodges TRANSCRIBE program (Hodges, unpublished software), observers then transcribed their recorded data nightly into two .txt files: observations and track. The Hodges TRANSCRIBE program automatically formatted the observation data, inputting the corresponding header information (e.g., observation date, survey hexagon and transect, latitude, longitude, species, count, etc.). The track file recorded the flight path of the plane. Observers then sent the two (or four if they rotated seats) .txt files (observations and tracks) to the GoMMAPPS seabird Data Specialist. Data files were checked for errors, imported into R Studio (R Core Team 2020), and QA/QC'd. Clean data were combined into one single .csv file for all aerial surveys within the study period and prepared for archive..

Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument	line transect sampling visual estimate visual observation

Last Modified: 2024-06-10T13:21:59Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov

Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from USFWS aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2018-01-31 to 2020-02-12 (NCEI Accession 0247205)

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