SPERM WHALE (Physeter macrocephalus): Western North Atlantic Stock STOCK DEFINITION AND GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Kenney; North Atlantic; Physeter macrocephalus; Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.294.9880; http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/sars/ao1995whsp-wn.pdf

The sperm whale is reported during all four seasons along the continental shelf edge in the northeastern U.S. Atlantic coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (CeTAP 1982). These data as well as observations in the literature suggest that the distribution of the sperm whale continues well beyond the continental shelf edge, over the continental slope, and into mid-ocean regions (Fig. 1). Waring et al. (1993) suggest that this offshore distribution is more commonly associated with the Gulf Stream edge and other features. In the shoreward direction, Hain and Kenney (unpublished data) report an occurrence on the continental shelf from August through November inshore of the 100m depth contour south of New England and on the southern Scotian Shelf.