Aerial surveys of endangered whales in the Alaskan Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas, 1990. Final report, Oct-Nov 90

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5171931

Moore, S E; Clarke, J T

In keeping with the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973), the OCS Lands Act Amendments (1978) established a management policy that included studies in OCS lease sale areas to ascertain potential environmental impacts of oil and gas development on OCS marine coastal environments. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is the agency responsible for these studies and for the leasing of submerged Federal lands. The report summarizes the 1990 investigations of the distribution, abundance, migration, behavior and habitat relationships of endangered whales in the Alaskan Chukchi and western Beaufort Seas (hereafter, study area); 1990 was the second of a three year (1989-91) study. The Bering Sea stock of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) was the principal species studied, with incidental sightings of all other marine mammals routinely recorded. The 1990 season was compromised by circumstances that restricted the availability of the survey aircraft (Grumman Goose, model G21G) to the period 26 October - 7 November; opportunistic surveys were flown in the study area from 3-25 October. In 1990, there were 14 sightings of 19 bowheads from 9-29 October; 5 whales, including 2 calves, were seen north of the study area. One gray whale, 110 belukhas and 53 polar bears were also seen. Over nine survey seasons (1982-90), there were 240 sightings of 520 bowhead whales and 148 sightings of 398 gray whales.

• Research Organization: Science Applications International Corp., San Diego, CA (United States). Maritime Services Div.
• OSTI ID: 5171931
• Report Number(s): PB-91-235226/XAB; SAIC--91/06-02W; CNN: DI-14-35-0001-30468
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900* -- Petroleum-- Environmental Aspects
03 NATURAL GAS
030800 -- Natural Gas-- Environmental Aspects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AERIAL SURVEYING
AIRCRAFT
ALASKA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARCTIC OCEAN
BEAUFORT SEA
CETACEANS
CHUKCHI SEA
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DRILLING
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEDERAL REGION X
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HABITAT
MAMMALS
NATURAL GAS
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE DRILLING
PETROLEUM
POLLUTION
POPULATION DYNAMICS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION