Year-round presence of beaked whales off Cape Hatteras North Carolina
Authors: McLellan, W.A., R.J. McAlarney, E.W. Cummings, J. Bell, A.J. Read, and D.A. Pabst.
Year published: 2016
File size: 205.10 KB
About
We conducted monthly aerial surveys off Cape Hatteras, NC, USA as part of an ongoing monitoring project of sites utilized by the US Navy for training and testing activities along the US Atlantic coast. Survey tracklines extend from shallow continental shelf waters, across the continental shelf break, to deep pelagic waters. During surveys we record the geographic position of each marine mammal sighting, take extensive photographs of each animal, and review these images in the lab to confirm species identification. Characteristics utilized to identify beaked whales to species are based upon our sightings of adult males with erupted teeth and from comparisons with images of stranded animals we have confirmed species ID.
