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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from NOAA vessels in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2017-07-21 to 2019-09-25 (NCEI Accession 0247206)

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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 seabird vessel surveys aboard NOAA vessels of opportunity in the pelagic waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Surveys were initiated in April 2017, with the last vessel survey being completed in September 2019. This dataset includes seabird visual observation data, with corresponding locations (latitude, longitude) and behavior and/or demographic data (e.g., age, sex). In total, ~41,700km and ~2,300hr of observation effort during 293 days-at-sea were conducted on 20 pelagic cruises in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Using standard, transect-based methodology 9,347 marine avifauna detections representing 44,029 individuals of 44 seabird species were amassed. Of those detections, 37,817 birds were identified to species (85.9%). Seabird observations accounted for 87.4% of all avifauna detections, 86.3% of all individual birds, and 39.3% of all birds identified to species. Detections classified as non-marine avifauna accounted for 12.6% of all avifauna detections, 13.7% of all individual birds, and 63.6% of all avifauna species that were identified. There were 1,345 detections of 6,980 birds classified as non-marine avifauna representing 77 bird species. This dataset also includes observations of marine mammals, sea turtles, and other marine species observed during surveys.
  • Cite as: Gleason, Jeff; Wilson, Randy; Jodice, Pat; Satgé, Yvan; Michael, Pamela; Hixson, Kathy; Haney, Chris J.; Sussman, Allison; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from NOAA vessels in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2017-07-21 to 2019-09-25 (NCEI Accession 0247206). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/afrq-h385. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0247206
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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 2017-04-28 to 2019-09-25
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -97.207
East: -81.26
South: 23.822
North: 30.338
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
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
      Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download.
  • Parent ID (indicates this dataset is related to other data):
    • 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 seasonal distribution and abundance 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. Seabird vessel surveys were conducted aboard NOAA Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) in the pelagic waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Surveys were initiated in April 2017, with the last vessel survey being completed in September 2019. In total, ~41,700km and ~2,300hr of observation effort 293 days-at-sea were conducted on 20 pelagic cruises in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Using standard, transect-based methodology 9,347 marine avifauna detections representing 44,029 individuals of 44 seabird species were amassed. Of those detections, 37,817 birds were identified to species (85.9%). All seabird observations accounted for 87.4% of all avifauna detections, 86.3% of all individual birds, and 39.3% of all birds identified to species. Detections classified as non-marine avifauna accounted for 12.6% of all avifauna detections, 13.7% of all individual birds, and 63.6% of all avifauna species that were identified. There were 1,345 detections of 6,980 birds classified as non-marine avifauna representing 77 bird species. This dataset includes seabird visual observation data, with corresponding locations (latitude, longitude) and behavior and/or demographic data (e.g., age, sex, etc.).

Submission Package ID: GL852K
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.
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: Gleason, Jeff; Wilson, Randy; Jodice, Pat; Satgé, Yvan; Michael, Pamela; Hixson, Kathy; Haney, Chris J.; Sussman, Allison; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from NOAA vessels in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2017-07-21 to 2019-09-25 (NCEI Accession 0247206). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/afrq-h385. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Collaborators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Points of Contact
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Related Funding Agency: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
  • Related Funding Agency: US DOI; Fish and Wildlife Service
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords Provider Keywords Species Common Name
  • American coot
  • American kestrel
  • American redstart
  • Atlantic spotted dolphin
  • Audubon's shearwater
  • Baltimore oriole
  • Band-rumped storm-petrel
  • Bank swallow
  • Barn swallow
  • Black tern
  • Black-bellied plover
  • Black-billed cuckoo
  • Black-capped petrel
  • Black-crowned night-heron
  • Black-throated blue warbler
  • Black-throated green warbler
  • Blackpoll warbler
  • Blue-winged teal
  • Blue-winged warbler
  • Boat (fishing)
  • Bobolink
  • Bonaparte's gull
  • Bottlenose dolphin
  • Bridled tern
  • Brown booby
  • Brown noddy
  • Brown pelican
  • Brown-headed cowbird
  • Bryde's whale
  • Cape May warbler
  • Caspian tern
  • Cattle egret
  • Chimney swift
  • Chipping sparrow
  • Chuck-will's-widow
  • Cliff swallow
  • Clymene dolphin
  • Common loon
  • Common nighthawk
  • Common tern
  • Common yellowthroat
  • Cory's shearwater
  • Cuvier's Beaked whale
  • Double-crested cormorant
  • Eastern kingbird
  • Eastern wood-pewee
  • Eurasian Collared-dove
  • False killer whale
  • Fea's petrel
  • Forster's tern
  • Gray catbird
  • Great black-backed gull
  • Great blue heron
  • Great egret
  • Great shearwater
  • Greater scaup
  • Green heron
  • Green turtle
  • Gull-billed tern
  • Hammerhead shark
  • Herring gull
  • Hooded warbler
  • Indigo bunting
  • Kemp's ridley turtle
  • Laughing gull
  • Leach's storm-petrel
  • Least sandpiper
  • Least tern
  • Leatherback turtle
  • Lesser yellowlegs
  • Little blue heron
  • Loggerhead turtle
  • Long-tailed jaeger
  • Louisiana waterthrush
  • Magnificent frigatebird
  • Magnolia warbler
  • Mahi mahi
  • Manx shearwater
  • Masked booby
  • Merlin
  • Mola mola
  • Mourning dove
  • Nashville warbler
  • Neotropic cormorant
  • Northern gannet
  • Northern rough-winged swallow
  • Northern waterthrush
  • Oceanic front
  • Oil slick
  • Orchard oriole
  • Osprey
  • Ovenbird
  • Palm warbler
  • Pantropical spotted dolphin
  • Parasitic jaeger
  • Peregrine falcon
  • Pomarine jaeger
  • Prothonotary warbler
  • Purple martin
  • Red phalarope
  • Red-billed tropicbird
  • Red-footed booby
  • Red-necked phalarope
  • Red-throated loon
  • Ring-billed gull
  • Risso's dolphin
  • Rock pigeon
  • Roseate tern
  • Rough-toothed dolphin
  • Royal tern
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird
  • Ruddy turnstone
  • Sanderling
  • Sandwich tern
  • Sargassum
  • Scarlet tanager
  • Semipalmated sandpiper
  • Short-eared owl
  • Short-finned pilot whale
  • Snowy egret
  • Sooty tern
  • Sooty/Bridled tern
  • South Polar skua
  • Sperm whale
  • Spinner dolphin
  • Spotted sandpiper
  • Striped dolphin
  • Tree swallow
  • Trichodesmium
  • Tricolored heron
  • Tropical kingbird
  • Veery
  • West Indian manatee
  • Western sandpiper
  • Whimbrel
  • White ibis
  • White-crowned pigeon
  • White-rumped sandpiper
  • White-tailed tropicbird
  • White-winged dove
  • Wilson's storm-petrel
  • Wilson's warbler
  • Yellow warbler
  • Yellow-billed cuckoo
  • Yellow-breasted chat
  • Yellow-crowned night-heron
  • Yellow-headed blackbird
  • Yellow-rumped warbler
Provider Keywords Species Scientific Name
  • Actitis macularius
  • Anous stolidus
  • Antrostomus carolinensis
  • Archilochus colubris
  • Ardea herodias
  • Arenaria interpres
  • Asio flammeus
  • Aythya marila
  • Balaenoptera edeni
  • Bulbulcus ibia
  • Butorides virescens
  • Calidris alba
  • Calidris fuscicollis
  • Calidris mauri
  • Calidris minutilla
  • Calidris pusilla
  • Calomectris diomedea
  • Cardellina pusilla
  • Caretta caretta
  • Catharus fuscescens
  • Chaetura pelagica
  • Chelonia mydas
  • Chlidonias niger
  • Chordeiles minor
  • Chroicocephalus philadelphia
  • Coccyzus americanus
  • Coccyzus erythropthalmus
  • Columba livia
  • Contopus virens
  • Coryphaena hippurus
  • Dermochelys coriacea
  • Dolichonyx oryzivorus
  • Dumetella carolinensis
  • Egretta alba
  • Egretta caerulea
  • Egretta thula
  • Egretta tircolor
  • Eudocimus albus
  • Falco columbarius
  • Falco peregrinus
  • Falco sparverius
  • Fregata magnificens
  • Fulica americana
  • Gavia immer
  • Gavia stellata
  • Gelochelidon nilotica
  • Geothlypis trichas
  • Globicephala macrorhynchus
  • Grampus griseus
  • Hirundo rustica
  • Hydroprogne caspia
  • Icteria virens
  • Icterus galbula
  • Icterus spurius
  • Larus argentatus
  • Larus delawarensis
  • Larus marinus
  • Leiothlypis ruficapilla
  • Lepidochelys kempii
  • Leucophaeus atricilla
  • Mola mola
  • Molothrus ater
  • Morus bassanus
  • Numenius phaeopus
  • Nyctanassa violacea
  • Nycticorax nycticorax
  • Oceanites oceanicus
  • Oceanodroma castro
  • Oceanodroma leucorboa
  • Onchyoprion anaethetus
  • Onchyoprion fuscatus
  • Pandion haliaetus
  • Parkesia motacilla
  • Parkesia noveboracensis
  • Passerina cyanea
  • Patagioenas leucocephala
  • Pelecanus occidentalis
  • Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
  • Phaethon aethereus
  • Phaethon lepturus
  • Phalacrocorax auritus
  • Phalacrocorax brasilianus
  • Phalaropus fulicarius
  • Phalaropus lobatus
  • Physeter macrocephalus
  • Piranga olivacea
  • Pluvialis squatarola
  • Progne subis
  • Protonotaria citrea
  • Pseudorca crassidens
  • Pterodrama hasitata
  • Pterodroma feae
  • Puffinus gravis
  • Puffinus lherminieri
  • Puffinus puffinus
  • Riparia riparia
  • Seiurus aurocapilla
  • Setophaga caerulescens
  • Setophaga citrina
  • Setophaga coronata
  • Setophaga magnolia
  • Setophaga palmarum
  • Setophaga petechia
  • Setophaga ruticilla
  • Setophaga striata
  • Setophaga tigrina
  • Setophaga virens
  • Spatula discors
  • Spizella passerina
  • Stelgidopteryx serripennis
  • Stenella attenuata
  • Stenella clymene
  • Stenella coeruleoalba
  • Stenella frontalis
  • Stenella longirostris
  • Steno bredanensis
  • Stercorarius longicaudus
  • Stercorarius maccormicki
  • Stercorarius parasiticus
  • Stercorarius pomarinus
  • Sterna dougallii
  • Sterna forsteri
  • Sterna hirundo
  • Sternula antillarum
  • Streptopelia decaocto
  • Sula dactylatra
  • Sula leucogaster
  • Sula sula
  • Tachycineta bicolor
  • Thalasseus maximus
  • Thalasseus sandvicensis
  • Trichechus manatus
  • Tringa flavipes
  • Tursiops truncatus
  • Tyrannus melancholicus
  • Tyrannus tyrannus
  • Vermivora cyanoptera
  • Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus
  • Zenaida asiatica
  • Zenaida macroura
  • Ziphius cavirostris
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Platform keywords NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes Provider Platform Names
  • R/V Gordon Gunter
  • R/V Oregon II
  • R/V Pisces
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords Provider Project Names
  • Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS)
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Gleason, Jeff; Wilson, Randy; Jodice, Pat; Satgé, Yvan; Michael, Pamela; Hixson, Kathy; Haney, Chris J.; Sussman, Allison; Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (2022). Seabird visual surveys using line-transect methods collected from NOAA vessels in the northern Gulf of Mexico for the Gulf of Mexico Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (GoMMAPPS) project from 2017-07-21 to 2019-09-25 (NCEI Accession 0247206). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/afrq-h385. 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
  • 2022-04-20T22:27:48Z - NCEI Accession 0247206 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
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: GoMMAPPS vessel-based seabird surveys (2 seabird observers/vessel/leg) were conducted cooperatively aboard NOAA vessel of opportunity conducting annual fisheries and plankton surveys, as well as aboard dedicated NOAA vessels conducting marine mammal surveys as part of GoMMAPPS. Surveys were conducted using standard, transect-based methodologies (Tasker et al. 1984) using protocols (Ballance and Force 2016) and associated software developed for vessel-based seabird surveys (Program SEEBIRD, Vers. 4.3.7). One observer used 10x binoculars to identify and count all birds detected on either side of the ship within a 300m strip transect (see Jodice et al. 2021 for more information). Bird species were also identified and counted out to approximately 500m irrespective of vessel side. Species-specific MaxEnt models were developed using a suite of environmental covariates and variables for 24 species of seabirds, including the proposed listed Black-capped Petrel (Pterodroma hasitata). For modeling, sightings had to meet a minimum vessel speed (≥11 km h-1) on transect and species were required to meet a threshold minimum number of detections (n = 20). Species Modeled: 1. Audubon’s Shearwater 2. Black-capped Petrel 3. Black Tern 4. Bonaparte’s Gull 5. Brown Booby 6. Brown Noddy 7. Brown Pelican 8. Bridled Tern 9. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel 10. Cory’s Shearwater 11. Common Loon 12. Common Tern 13. Great Shearwater 14. Herring Gull 15. Laughing Gull 16. Masked Booby 17. Magnificent Frigatebird 18. Northern Gannet 19. Parasitic Jaeger 20. Pomarine Jaeger 21. Royal Tern 22. Sandwich Tern 23. Sooty Tern 24. Wilson’s Storm-Petrel; Data Quality Method: Data were collected in real time from NOAA vessels and input directly into onboard laptops using Program SEEBIRD (Vers. 4.3.7). For each cruise, at the end of each day the primary observer would download the data output file (.txt) and make any edits or corrections based on the observer's field notebook, which was linked to a given record number. Data were then 'formatted' and resaved as an .xls file with vessel 2 letter ID and date. If flying fish were encountered, a second data file was downloaded at the end of each day. On the evening of the last survey date, within a cruise, all data were appended to a master file for all species (birds, sea turtles, marine mammals) and a separate summary file for flying fish. Post-survey QA/QC was done for both data files with standardized formatting. At the end of a given cruise, files were downloaded from the laptop hard drive and sent to Clemson University for further QA/QC and analyses/modeling. A single, final QA/QC.csv file for each survey/cruise was sent to the GoMMAPPS seabird Database Specialist. All survey files were then combined into a single .csv file for all vessel surveys within the study period and prepared for archive..
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • binoculars
  • camera
  • line transect sampling
  • visual estimate
  • visual observation
Platform
  • NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
  • NOAA Ship Oregon II
  • NOAA Ship Pisces
Last Modified: 2024-06-10T13:22:01Z
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