Prey Fields and Habitats of Deep Diving Odontocetes: 3D Characterization and Modeling of Beaked and Sperm Whale Foraging Areas in the Tongue of the Ocean

• Main Authors: Nowacek, Douglas P., St. Laurent, Louis, Moretti, David J., Halpin, Patrick N.
• Other Authors: DUKE UNIV DURHAM NC NICHOLAS SCHOOL OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND EARTH SCIENCES
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Biology; Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; *DEEP DIVING; *TONGUE OF THE OCEAN; *WHALES; ORIENTATION(DIRECTION); COLD REGIONS; BACKSCATTERING; SAMPLING; DATA ACQUISITION; BEHAVIOR; RESPONSE(BIOLOGY); HABITATS; AQUATIC ANIMALS; DOLPHINS(MAMMALS); BAHAMA ISLANDS; CAPE HATTERAS; DOPPLER SONAR; HYDROGRAPHIC SONAR; MONITORING; MAMMALS; ENVIRONMENTS; Marine Mammal Monitoring; Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA541825; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA541825

The past year has been spent analyzing data and preparing publications from the 2008 cruise, which occurred 14 September to 3 October aboard the R/V Roger Revelle, and collecting data concurrent with tagging of short-fin pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) near the Cape Hatteras shelf break. The primary scientific objective for this year's work was to compare the biological and physical environments in areas both frequently (i.e., "hot spots") and rarely (i.e., "cold spots") utilized by beaked whales in the Tongue of the Ocean (TOTO), particularly on the AUTEC range, Andros, Bahamas. These "hot" and "cold" spots were determined using data from the M3R program (DeMarzio 2006). The AUTEC range work was completed in coordination with two other programs, the Behavioral Response Study (BRS) and the Marine Mammal Monitoring (M3R) at AUTEC. The R/V Roger Revelle possesses specialized sampling gear that provided a unique technical capabilities, specifically the Hydrographic Doppler Sonar System (HDSS), which is a one of a kind Doppler current profiling system capable of measure current directions and velocities to ~1000 m depth. Additionally, the HDSS returns data on the biological material in the water column that causes backscatter, and these data can be compared with the Simrad EK60 scientific echosounder data, described below.