Aerial survey observations of Pacific herring biomass, marine birds, and marine mammals in Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2008-2021

• Main Author: Jennifer Morella
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Research Workspace
• Subjects: EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CARNIVORES > SEALS/SEA LIONS/WALRUSES; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CETACEANS; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > BIRDS; EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > AQUATIC SCIENCES > FISHERIES; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH > RAY-FINNED FISHES > ANCHOVIES/HERRINGS; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION; EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS; biomass; marine mammals; seabirds; Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Pacific herring; aerial surveys; EVOS Herring Research and Monitoring; Exxon Valdez; oil spill; Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council; EVOSTC; Kayak Island; Prince William Sound; OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > GULF OF ALASKA; CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > ALASKA; Charadriiformes; Shore Birds, Gulls, Alcids, Plovers, Oystercatchers, huîtriers, alcidés, goélands, Auks; Phocoenidae; porpoises; Balaenoptera acutorostrata; Minke Whale, northern minke whale, Ballena menor, petit rorqual, Common Minke Whale; Eschrichtius robustus; Gray Whale, Ballena gris, grey whale; Orcinus orca; Killer Whale, orca, Orca común, épaulard; Enhydra lutris; Nutria marina, Sea Otter; Megaptera novaeangliae; Humpback Whale, Ballena jorobada, rorqual à bosse; Phoca vitulina; Foca común, phoque commun, Harbor Seal; Eumetopias jubatus; northern sea lion, steller sealion, Steller's sea lion, Steller Sea Lion; Clupea pallasii; Pacific herring, arenque del Pacífico; spring; Gulf of Alaska; Pacific; Jorobada; Kayak; Rorqual; Foca; Ballena jorobada; foca común; harbor seal; Humpback Whale; Killer Whale; minke whale; Orca; petit rorqual; phoque commun; Alaska; épaulard; Killer whale; walrus*
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/10.24431_rw1k43z_20230127T081040Z

Aerial surveys in Prince William Sound to document spring herring biomass have been conducted since the early 1970’s. This zip file contains geospatial files, xml files, and databases collected during aerial surveys to document Pacific herring biomass in the Prince William Sound Area, Alaska, 2008-2021. Because of interest in herring predators, additional effort has been placed on documenting numbers and locations of Steller sea lions, humpback whales, Orca whales, Dall porpoises, and marine bird aggregations associated with herring schools or spawn. Zip files containing geospatial files, xml files, and databases with marine mammal and marine bird sightings during aerial surveys are also included in this data package. Regular surveys are conducted mid-March to mid-May each year to coincide with spring Pacific herring spawning events. Two observers generally split the duties as follows: one observer collected data on the ESRI Arcpad application, and the second observer collected data on paper maps and photographed spawn, herring schools; and marine mammal or seabird observations. During a portion of 2020 surveys only one observer flew due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Measurements made during the survey include estimating the linear extent of milt, estimating the biomass of herring schools from surface area, estimating the number of individuals by species for marine mammals and birds, and the GPS survey routes made by the airplane.