Distribution and Abundance of Belugas, Delphinapterus leucas , and Narwhals, Monodon monoceros , in the Canadian High Arctic

Opportunistic reconnaissance aerial surveys of Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Peel Sound, and Prince Regent Inlet were conducted between 1974 and 1982 to determine the distribution and abundance of belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, and narwhals, Monodon monoceros. In 1981, two stratified strip-transe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Main Authors: Smith, T. G., Hammsll, M. O., Burrage, D. J., Sleno, G. A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1985
Subjects:
Aquatic Science
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Arctic
Lancaster Sound
Barrow Strait
Peel Sound
Prince Regent Inlet
Beluga*
Delphinapterus leucas
Monodon monoceros
narwhal*
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f85-087
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f85-087
Description
Summary:Opportunistic reconnaissance aerial surveys of Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Peel Sound, and Prince Regent Inlet were conducted between 1974 and 1982 to determine the distribution and abundance of belugas, Delphinapterus leucas, and narwhals, Monodon monoceros. In 1981, two stratified strip-transect surveys were flown. From these we estimate that a total of 6300 – 18 600 belugas and approximately 13 200 –18 000 narwhals summer in Lancaster Sound and adjoining waterways. Improvement in the precision of these estimates would require a substantial increase in survey coverage and may not be justified considering the significant increase in costs. Our review of the results of surveys conducted since 1975 in the same study area, of which most of the information is not yet available in the scientific literature, shows much duplication of effort, little increase in information, and a lack of confidence limits for the estimated numbers.

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