US Navy
Marine Species Monitoring
Atlantic Region: Current Projects
Atlantic Fleet Training & Testing Monitoring Projects
The table below summarizes marine species monitoring projets being conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico in support of Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Marine Mammal Protection Act requirements (50 CFR Part 218). Reports and data from these projects will be made available on the individual project profile pages and the Reading Room as they become available.
Project titles link directly to individual project profile pages with additional details and access to data and reports.
*Intermediate Scientific Objectives are established in coordination with NMFS through the Strategic Planning Process to help prioritize monitoring investments
| Project Description | Intermediate Scientific Objective* | Status |
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Title: North Atlantic Right Whale Monitoring, Conservation, and Protection
Location: U.S. Mid-Atlantic Objectives: Assess occurrence, habitat use, and behavior of North Atlantic right whales in the mid-Atlantic region Methods: Visual surveys, morphometrics, tagging, passive acoustics Performing Organizations: HDR Inc., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Duke University Timeline: Ongoing Funding: $500k+ annually |
Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur Establish the baseline behavior (foraging, dive patterns, etc.) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur |
Ongoing |
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Title: Distribution of Gulf Sturgeon in the Panama City Testing Range
Location: NSWC Panama City Testing Range Objectives: Assess Gulf Sturgeon distribution and habitat use through a multi-phase biotelemetry approach Methods: Passive acoustic telemetry, directed AUV surveys, and environmental monitoring Performing Organizations: Delaware State University, University of Delaware Timeline: 2021–2024 Funding: FY21 - $177K, FY22 - $149K |
Estimate the distribution, abundance, and density of marine mammals and ESA-listed species in Navy range complexes, testing ranges, and in specific training and testing area Establish the baseline habitat uses, seasonality, and movement patterns of marine mammals and ESA-listed species where Navy Occurrence training and testing activities occur |
Ongoing |
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Title: Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog
Location: Northwest Atlantic Objectives: Establish a centralized collaborative humpback whale photo-id catalog for the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions to support management and environmental planning Methods: Photo identification Performing Organizations: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation, Duke University Timeline: 2017-2023 Funding: FY16 - $106k, FY17 - $74K, FY18 - $75K, FY21 - $31K, FY22 - $90K |
Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals and sea turtles where Navy training and testing activities occur. |
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Title: Pinniped Tagging and Tracking in Southeast Virginia
Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Eastern Shore Objectives: Document habitat use, movement and haul-out patterns of seals in the Hampton Roads region of Chesapeake Bay and coastal Atlantic Ocean Methods: Photo ID, tagging Performing Organizations: Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Virginia Aquarium, The Nature Conservency, NAVFAC Atlantic, NUWC Newport, HDR Inc. Timeline: 2017-23 Funding: FY16 - $40K, FY17 - $170K, FY18 - $46K, FY19 - $468K, FY20 - $161K, FY21 - $79K, FY22 - $290K |
Estimate the density of marine mammals and sea turtles in Navy range complexes and in specific training areas Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals and sea turtles where Navy training and testing activities occur Evaluate trends in distribution and abundance of populations that are regularly exposed to sonar and underwater explosives |
Tagging to resume in 2022 |
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Title: Time-lapse Camera Surveys of Pinnipeds in Southeastern Virginia
Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Eastern Shore Objectives: Document seasonal occurrence, habitat use, and haul-out patterns of seals Methods: Visual surveys Performing Organizations: NAVFAC Atlantic, The Nature Conservancy Timeline: 2019-2023 Funding: FY19 - $15k, FY20 - $18k, FY21 - $11k, FY22- $34k |
Estimate the density of marine mammals and sea turtles in Navy range complexes and in specific training areas Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals and sea turtles where Navy training and testing activities occur Evaluate trends in distribution and abundance of populations that are regularly exposed to sonar and underwater explosives |
Data collection ongoing |
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Title: Haul-Out Counts and Photo-Identification of Pinnipeds in Virginia
Location: Lower Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore of Virginia Objectives: Document seasonal occurrence, habitat use, and haul-out patterns of seals Methods: Visual surveys, photo ID Performing Organizations: NAVFAC Atlantic, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries,The Nature Conservancy, HDR Inc. Timeline: 2014-2022 Funding: Funding: FY15 - $52K, FY16 - $36K, FY17 - $7K, FY18 - $29K, FY19 - $62K, FY20 - $60K, FY21 - $39K, FY22 - $93k |
Estimate the density of marine mammals and sea turtles in Navy range complexes and in specific training areas Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals and sea turtles where Navy training and testing activities occur Evaluate trends in distribution and abundance of populations that are regularly exposed to sonar and underwater explosives |
Fieldwork ongoing |
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Title: Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Monitoring
Location: Nearshore Mid-Atlantic Objectives: Assess ocurrence, habitat use, and baseline behavior of humpback whales in the mid-Atlantic region Methods: Visual surveys, focal follow observation, morphometrics, photo ID, biopsy sampling, satellite tagging Performing Organizations: HDR Inc. Timeline: 2015-2023 Funding: FY14 - $320k, FY15 - $260k, FY16 - $370k, FY17 - $325k, FY19 - $248k, FY20 - $257k, FY21 - $320k, FY22 - $650k |
Establish the baseline habitat uses and movement patterns of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur Establish the baseline behavior (foraging, dive patterns, etc.) of marine mammals where Navy training and testing activities occur |
Ongoing |
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Title: Lower Kennebec River Sturgeon Monitoring
Location: Lower Kennebec River, including Bath Iron Works and Offshore Popham Beach Objectives: Assess Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon seasonal occurrence, migration, and overwintering Methods: Acoustic tagging (internal) Performing Organizations: NUWC Newport (lead); collaborating: Maine Department of Marine Resources, U.S. Geological Survey, PSNY, University of Maine, University of Maryland Timeline: 2021–TBD Funding: |
Establish the baseline habitat uses, seasonality, and movement patterns of marine mammals and ESA-listed species where Navy training and testing activities occur
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Ongoing Field work initiated May 2021 |
