Original provider: HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.

Dataset credits: The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program

Abstract: A combination of visual line-transect survey, photo-identification (photo-ID), and automated acoustic monitoring methods was used to gather important baseline information on the occurrence, distribution, and density of marine mammals near Naval Station Norfolk (NSN) and adjacent areas. The study area was designed to cover areas where United States Navy activity is substantial, including Chesapeake Bay waters near NSN and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, as well as a Mine Exercise (MINEX) Area (W-50) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Sixty-one line-transect surveys were completed in two zones (INSHORE and MINEX) between August 2012 and August 2015, with 6,550 kilometers (km) and 349.6 hours completed on-effort. The majority of sightings were of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), although humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were also sighted in the study area on occasion. In addition, loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), and a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) were sighted during surveys. Conventional line-transect analysis of bottlenose dolphin sightings showed both spatial and seasonal variation in density and abundance, with greatest density in the INSHORE zone during fall months. Densities in the INSHORE zone were calculated as 3.88 individuals per square kilometer (km2) (abundance[N]=1,203) in fall, 0.63 individuals per km2 (N=195) in winter, 1.00 individuals per km2 (N=311) in spring, and 3.55 individuals per km2 (N=1,101) in summer. Densities in the MINEX zone were calculated as 2.14 individuals per km2 (N=1,277) in fall, 0.06 individuals per km2 (N=37) in winter, 1.53 individuals per km2 (N=913) in spring, and 1.39 individuals per km2 (N=829) in summer. Twenty-seven photo-ID surveys were completed, and a photo-ID catalog was created using photos taken during both dedicated photo-ID and line-transect surveys through May 2014; it contains 878 identified individuals to date. Subsequent photos will continue to be added and analyzed. One hundred ten individuals were re-sighted; however, most re-sightings were less than 4 months and 30 km apart. Additional survey effort and further analysis will be required before any clear movement patterns can be determined. C-POD acoustic data-loggers were initially deployed at four sites throughout the study area to cover areas of high United States Navy activity. Bottlenose dolphins were detected in each deployment location during all deployments from August 2012 to December 2015. Though deployments did not provide consistent coverage in all seasons for all sites due to loss of gear, results from two deployment sites nearest to NSN showed a greater level of occurrence during fall months, and a diel pattern of occurrence with increased detections during nighttime hours for three deployment sites.

Purpose: The HDR Marine Species Monitoring (MSM) Team was tasked to initiate a monitoring project in coastal waters around NSN, JEB-LC, JEB-FS, and the Virginia Beach waterfront, including the VACAPES MINEX W-50 training area. The main objective is to provide quantitative data and information on the seasonal occurrence, distribution, and density of marine mammals. Effort was dedicated to working with local researchers and employing proven marine mammal monitoring and research techniques to accomplish the following:

1. Conduct monthly systematic line-transect surveys to determine distribution of marine mammals in the vicinity of NSN, JEB-LC, JEB-FS, and the MINEX W-50 area.

2. Conduct monthly photo-identification (photo-ID) surveys during summer months to determine the site fidelity and distributional patterns of marine mammals utilizing the areas listed above.

3. Supplement visual surveys by deploying and retrieving four C-POD acoustic recording devices to monitor for dolphin echolocation clicks in specific locations.

Supplemental information: [2019-08-27] New data were appended and some columns with empty values were removed. The dataset name is changed by dropping the time period part.

[2014-11-25] Attributes were reorganized so that they meet provider's data schema and effort data (tracklines) were added.

The project is on-going and more data will be added periodically. The sighting coordinates represent the locations of the animals (not the vessel platform) calculated from reticle and bearing.

This dataset includes a subset of the data collection for the Norfolk-VABeach Vessel surveys. Other data of the collection are available in the following datasets: Norfolk/VA Beach Inshore Vessel Surveys Nov 2012- Nov 2013 Norfolk/VA Beach Photo-ID Surveys Aug 2012-Sep 2013

All the US Navy-funded survey datasets are found in the OBIS-SEAMAP US Navy page.

SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES VETERAN STATUS - DP02 Universe - Civilian population 18 Year and over Survey-Program - American Community Survey 5-year estimates Years - 2020, 2021, 2022 Veteran status is used to identify people with active duty military service and service in the military Reserves and the National Guard. Veterans are men and women who have served (even for a short time), but are not currently serving, on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard, or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. People who served in the National Guard or Reserves are classified as veterans only if they were ever called or ordered to active duty, not counting the 4-6 months for initial training or yearly summer camps.

Overview

The International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) is a global ocean marine meteorological and surface ocean dataset. It is formed by merging many national and international data sources that contain measurements and visual observations from ships (merchant, navy, research), moored and drifting buoys, coastal stations, and other marine and near-surface ocean platforms. Each marine report contains individual observations of meteorological and oceanographic variables, such as sea surface and air temperatures, wind, pressure, humidity, and cloudiness. The coverage is global and sampling density varies depending on date and geographic position relative to shipping routes and ocean observing systems.

Content

The ICOADS dataset contains global marine data from ships (merchant, navy, research) and buoys, each capturing details according to the current weather or ocean conditions (wave height, sea temperature, wind speed, and so on). Each record contains the exact location of the observation which is great for visualizations. The historical depth of the data is quite comprehensive — There are records going back to 1662!

Querying BigQuery tables

You can use the BigQuery Python client library to query tables in this dataset in Kernels. Note that methods available in Kernels are limited to querying data. Tables are at bigquery-public-data.github_repos.[TABLENAME]. Fork this kernel to get started to learn how to safely manage analyzing large BigQuery datasets.

Acknowledgements

Dataset Source: NOAA Category: Meteorological, Climate, Transportation

Citation: National Centers for Environmental Information/NESDIS/NOAA/U.S. Department of Commerce, Research Data Archive/Computational and Information Systems Laboratory/National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Earth System Research Laboratory/NOAA/U.S. Department of Commerce, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences/University of Colorado, National Oceanography Centre/Natural Environment Research Council/United Kingdom, Met Office/Ministry of Defence/United Kingdom, Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Meteorological Service)/Germany, Department of Atmospheric Science/University of Washington, and Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies/Florida State University. 2016, updated monthly. International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) Release 3, Individual Observations. Research Data Archive at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Computational and Information Systems Laboratory: https://doi.org/10.5065/D6ZS2TR3. Accessed 01 04 2017.

Use: This dataset is publicly available for anyone to use under the following terms provided by the Dataset Source - http://www.data.gov/privacy-policy#data_policy — and is provided "AS IS" without any warranty, express or implied, from Google. Google disclaims all liability for any damages, direct or indirect, resulting from the use of the dataset.

Photo by Gleb Kozenko on Unsplash

Original provider: HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.

Dataset credits: The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program

Abstract: A combination of visual line-transect survey, photo-identification (photo-ID), and automated acoustic monitoring methods was used to gather important baseline information on the occurrence, distribution, and density of marine mammals near Naval Station Norfolk (NSN) and adjacent areas. The study area was designed to cover areas where United States Navy activity is substantial, including Chesapeake Bay waters near NSN and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, as well as a Mine Exercise (MINEX) Area (W-50) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Sixty-one line-transect surveys were completed in two zones (INSHORE and MINEX) between August 2012 and August 2015, with 6,550 kilometers (km) and 349.6 hours completed on-effort. The majority of sightings were of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), although humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were also sighted in the study area on occasion. In addition, loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), and a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) were sighted during surveys. Conventional line-transect analysis of bottlenose dolphin sightings showed both spatial and seasonal variation in density and abundance, with greatest density in the INSHORE zone during fall months. Densities in the INSHORE zone were calculated as 3.88 individuals per square kilometer (km2) (abundance[N]=1,203) in fall, 0.63 individuals per km2 (N=195) in winter, 1.00 individuals per km2 (N=311) in spring, and 3.55 individuals per km2 (N=1,101) in summer. Densities in the MINEX zone were calculated as 2.14 individuals per km2 (N=1,277) in fall, 0.06 individuals per km2 (N=37) in winter, 1.53 individuals per km2 (N=913) in spring, and 1.39 individuals per km2 (N=829) in summer. Twenty-seven photo-ID surveys were completed, and a photo-ID catalog was created using photos taken during both dedicated photo-ID and line-transect surveys through May 2014; it contains 878 identified individuals to date. Subsequent photos will continue to be added and analyzed. One hundred ten individuals were re-sighted; however, most re-sightings were less than 4 months and 30 km apart. Additional survey effort and further analysis will be required before any clear movement patterns can be determined. C-POD acoustic data-loggers were initially deployed at four sites throughout the study area to cover areas of high United States Navy activity. Bottlenose dolphins were detected in each deployment location during all deployments from August 2012 to December 2015. Though deployments did not provide consistent coverage in all seasons for all sites due to loss of gear, results from two deployment sites nearest to NSN showed a greater level of occurrence during fall months, and a diel pattern of occurrence with increased detections during nighttime hours for three deployment sites.

Whale data were collected using visual observations and other instruments in the Arctic Ocean from aircraft. Data were collected from 02 August 1979 to 18 October 1982 by the US Navy; Naval Ocean Systems Command as part of the MMS Studies program. Data has been processed by NODC to the NODC standard Marine Mammal Sighting and Census (F127) format. The F127 format is used for data from field observations of marine animals. Data may be reported either for individual, random sightings or for sightings made as part of systematic ship or aircraft surveys along specified tracks. These data provide information on animal population densities and distributions, activities, migratory routes and breeding locales. Cruise or survey information, start and end positions, start and end times, and platform speed, direction, and altitude are reported for each observation or series of observations. Position, date and time are reported for each sighting location, along with a code indicating presence or absence of animals and, if present, their distance to the observer, shoreline, and ice edge and heading direction. For each sighting location, animal sighting data are reported by species for all observed species. Species identification, total number of individuals, and counts by age group (adults, subadults, juveniles, unknown) may be reported in summary for all animals sighted or by subgroups distinguished by sex, behavior, markings, or other characteristics. A text record is available for comments.

Replication Data for: Comparison of Body Composition Assessed by Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry and BMI in Current and Former U.S. Navy Service Members PLOS ONE

Original provider: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Dataset credits: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Abstract: The site off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina is subsumed within the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Monitoring Program. The survey area encompasses approximately 16,000 km² and includes continental shelf waters and deeper waters beyond the shelf break. The area also includes a large portion of the Cape Hatteras Special Research Area (CHSRA), designated by NOAA Fisheries to address interactions between short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and the pelagic longline fisheries. A monitoring program (shipboard and aerial surveys) was implemented in 2011 to estimate density and document distribution and seasonal residency of marine mammals and sea turtles in the CHSRA.

Purpose: The primary objectives of these surveys are to: (1) document species occurrence and examine patterns of residency of marine mammals and turtles in the defined study area (2) determine relatedness among individuals, populations and species within the study area (3) supplement the visual surveys with acoustic monitoring using a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP) (4) collect baseline data on the diving behavior of deep diving cetaceans e.g. short-finned pilot whales and beaked whales

Supplemental information: [2016-04-14] Sightings in 2015 were appended. The following columns were added (these columns are blank for the sightings before 2015): end_time, end_lat, end_long, behav_state, totminest, totmaxest, mincalves, maxcalves, minyoy, maxyoy, totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, photo_notes, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades, acoustics of which totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades are blank for the 2015 sightings.

[2015-05-13] The 2013-2014 data were appended. [2014-03-21] The 2013 data were appended. All the US Navy-funded survey datasets are found in the OBIS-SEAMAP US Navy page.

Despite strong interest in how noise affects marine mammals, little is known about the most abundant and commonly exposed taxa. Social delphinids occur in groups of hundreds of individuals that travel quickly, change behavior ephemerally, and are not amenable to conventional tagging methods, posing challenges in quantifying noise impacts. We integrated drone-based photogrammetry, strategically-placed acoustic recorders, and broad-scale visual observations to provide complimentary measurements of different aspects of behavior for short- and long-beaked common dolphins. We measured behavioral responses during controlled exposure experiments (CEEs) of military mid-frequency (3-4 kHz) active sonar (MFAS) using simulated and actual Navy sonar sources. We used latent-state Bayesian models to evaluate response probability and persistence in exposure and post-exposure phases. Changes in sub-group movement and aggregation parameters were commonly detected during different phases of MFAS CEEs but not control CEEs. Responses were more evident in short-beaked common dolphins (n=14 CEEs), and a direct relationship between response probability and received level was observed. Long-beaked common dolphins (n=20) showed less consistent responses, although contextual differences may have limited which movement responses could be detected. These are the first experimental behavioral response data for these abundant dolphins to directly inform impact assessments for military sonars. Methods We used complementary visual and acoustic sampling methods at variable spatial scales to measure different aspects of common dolphin behavior in known and controlled MFAS exposure and non-exposure contexts. Three fundamentally different data collection systems were used to sample group behavior. A broad-scale visual sampling of subgroup movement was conducted using theodolite tracking from shore-based stations. Assessments of whole-group and sub-group sizes, movement, and behavior were conducted at 2-minute intervals from shore-based and vessel platforms using high-powered binoculars and standardized sampling regimes. Aerial UAS-based photogrammetry quantified the movement of a single focal subgroup. The UAS consisted of a large (1.07 m diameter) custom-built octocopter drone launched and retrieved by hand from vessel platforms. The drone carried a vertically gimballed camera (at least 16MP) and sensors that allowed precise spatial positioning, allowing spatially explicit photogrammetry to infer movement speed and directionality. Remote-deployed (drifting) passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) sensors were strategically deployed around focal groups to examine both basic aspects of subspecies-specific common dolphin acoustic (whistling) behavior and potential group responses in whistling to MFAS on variable temporal scales (Casey et al., in press). This integration allowed us to evaluate potential changes in movement, social cohesion, and acoustic behavior and their covariance associated with the absence or occurrence of exposure to MFAS. The collective raw data set consists of several GB of continuous broadband acoustic data and hundreds of thousands of photogrammetry images. Three sets of quantitative response variables were analyzed from the different data streams: directional persistence and variation in speed of the focal subgroup from UAS photogrammetry; group vocal activity (whistle counts) from passive acoustic records; and number of sub-groups within a larger group being tracked by the shore station overlook. We fit separate Bayesian hidden Markov models (HMMs) to each set of response data, with the HMM assumed to have two states: a baseline state and an enhanced state that was estimated in sequential 5-s blocks throughout each CEE. The number of subgroups was recorded during periodic observations every 2 minutes and assumed constant across time blocks between observations. The number of subgroups was treated as missing data 30 seconds before each change was noted to introduce prior uncertainty about the precise timing of the change. For movement, two parameters relating to directional persistence and variation in speed were estimated by fitting a continuous time-correlated random walk model to spatially explicit photogrammetry data in the form of location tracks for focal individuals that were sequentially tracked throughout each CEE as a proxy for subgroup movement. Movement parameters were assumed to be normally distributed. Whistle counts were treated as normally distributed but truncated as positive because negative count data is not possible. Subgroup counts were assumed to be Poisson distributed as they were distinct, small values. In all cases, the response variable mean was modeled as a function of the HMM with a log link: log(Responset) = l0 + l1Z t where at each 5-s time block t, the hidden state took values of Zt = 0 to identify one state with a baseline response level l0, or Zt = 1 to identify an “enhanced” state, with l1 representing the enhancement of the quantitative value of the response variable. A flat uniform (-30,30) prior distribution was used for l0 in each response model, and a uniform (0,30) prior distribution was adopted for each l1 to constrain enhancements to be positive. For whistle and subgroup counts, the enhanced state indicated increased vocal activity and more subgroups. A common indicator variable was estimated for the latent state for both the movement parameters, such that switching to the enhanced state described less directional persistence and more variation in velocity. Speed was derived as a function of these two parameters and was used here as a proxy for their joint responses, representing directional displacement over time.
To assess differences in the behavior states between experimental phases, the block-specific latent states were modeled as a function of phase-specific probabilities, Z t ~ Bernoulli (pphaset), to learn about the probability pphase of being in an enhanced state during each phase. For each pre-exposure, exposure, and post-exposure phase, this probability was assigned a flat uniform (0,1) prior probability. The model was programmed in R (R version 3.6.1; The R Foundation for Statistical Computing) with the nimble package (de Valpine et al. 2020) to estimate posterior distributions of model parameters using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. Inference was based on 100,000 MCMC samples following a burn-in of 100,000, with chain convergence determined by visual inspection of three MCMC chains and corroborated by convergence diagnostics (Brooks and Gelman, 1998). To compare behavior across phases, we compared the posterior distribution of the pphase parameters for each response variable, specifically by monitoring the MCMC output to assess the “probability of response” as the proportion of iterations for which pexposure was greater or less than ppre-exposure and the “probability of persistence” as the proportion of iterations for which ppost-exposre was greater or less than ppre-exposure. These probabilities of response and persistence thus estimated the extent of separation (non-overlap) between the distributions of pairs of pphase parameters: if the two distributions of interest were identical, then p=0.5, and if the two were non-overlapping, then p=1. Similarly, we estimated the average values of the response variables in each phase by predicting phase-specific functions of the parameters: Mean.responsephase = exp(l0 + l1pphase) and simply derived average speed as the mean of the speed estimates for 5-second blocks in each phase.

Original provider: Andrew DiMatteo, US Navy

Dataset credits: Kevin Foss, Christopher Newport University; U.S. Department of the Navy

Abstract: The Elizabeth River is bounded almost totally by industrial, urban, suburban, commercial shipping and military facilities. Tidal in nature, the river has low flow, resulting in heavy contamination loads. The population studied is the Northern Migratory Stock of the US Atlantic coast, appearing in this area from May through November. Standard small boat, focal group follow, passive observation techniques were used, along with photography of individuals. Data on location, group size estimates, activities observed and relevant environmental observations were recorded every five minutes. The dolphins appear as individuals or pairs in April and May, with group size increasing in June to a peak mean of 29 animals sighted per encounter. Group size then decreases in October and November. Probability of encountering dolphins ranges from 0% during the winter and early spring to over 80% in July, tapering off towards fall. Activity patterns show greatest diversity in July and August, with travel constituting the main activity early and late. Despite a peak of births in the area in May-June, there is little mating until July, with the incidence of sexual activity peaking in September.

Purpose: To better understand the seasonality and behavior of bottlenose dolphins in the lower Chesapeake Bay.

Data were originally collected by Mr. Kevin Foss at Christopher Newport University during field seasons from 2000-2006. Data were subsequently acquired by the U.S. Navy in 2013.

Supplemental information: [2015-03-24] A few records had a wrong animal count of zero. The value is replaced with a blank representing species presence only.

These data are the result of small boat transects with focal group follows, so that sightings were recorded at regular intervals. Therefore, there may be sightings of the same individuals at different times.

Records that originally estimated a range for the number of adults were attributed with the median number to be conservative.

Three records on land were excluded.

Original provider: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Dataset credits: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Abstract: The United States (US) Navy proposed constructing an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) along the US Atlantic coast. One of the proposed sites within the Cherry Point (CHPT) OPAREA is an area of 1,713 km2 in Onslow Bay, 87 km from the coast of North Carolina. As part of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Monitoring Program, shipboard and aerial line transect surveys were implemented in 2007 to estimate density and document distribution and seasonal residency of marine mammals and sea turtles in the proposed USWTR (see "DUML vessel-based line transect surveys for proposed Onslow Bay USWTR site 2007-2010" dataset). Shipboard line-transect survey methods transitioned to biopsy and photo-identification sampling at the end of April 2011 to address questions of residency and population structure in the CHPT OPAREA. Survey effort was expended along the 200 m depth contour and occasionally around eddies and fronts generated by the Gulf Stream. We are focusing on residency and population structure with our shipboard surveys because we are: (1) obtaining adequate data with which to estimate density from aerial line transect sampling; (2) interested in addressing questions of residency as photo-identification data from Onslow suggest considerable residency in that area despite minimal sampling. Sightings within this dataset are from shipboard photo-ID and biopsy surveys conducted from 2011-2013.

Purpose: The primary objectives of these surveys are to: (1) document species occurrence and examine patterns of residency of marine mammals and turtles in the defined study area, (2) determine relatedness among individuals, populations and species within the study area, and (3) supplement the visual surveys with acoustic monitoring using a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP).

Supplemental information: [2016-04-14] Sightings in Aug 2015 were appended. The following columns were added (these columns are blank for the sightings before Aug 2015): end_time, end_lat, end_long, behav_state, totminest, totmaxest, mincalves, maxcalves, minyoy, maxyoy, totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, photo_notes, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades, acoustics of which totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades are blank for Aug 2015.

[2014-03-21] The 2013 data were appended.

[2013-03-19] Additional survey data for the Onslow Bay USWTR site are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the "DUML vessel-based line transect surveys for proposed Onslow Bay USWTR site 2007-2010" dataset. All the US Navy-funded survey datasets are found in the OBIS-SEAMAP US Navy page.

Original provider: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Dataset credits: Duke University Marine Laboratory

Abstract: The United States (US) Navy proposed constructing an Undersea Warfare Training Range (USWTR) along the US Atlantic coast. In 2008, the US Navy chose the area off of Jacksonville, FL (JAX OPAREA) to be the preferred site of the USWTR. The JAX USWTR site and, like that in Onslow Bay, is 25 nm (46 km) long and 20 nm (37 km) wide (approximately 1700 km2). The survey area straddles the continental shelf and Blake Plateau and includes neritic, shelf waters and pelagic, offshore waters. As part of the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing (AFTT) Monitoring Program, shipboard and aerial line transect surveys were implemented in 2009 to estimate density and document distribution and seasonal residency of marine mammals and sea turtles in the proposed USWTR (see "DUML vessel-based surveys for proposed JAX USWTR site 2009-2010" dataset). In January 2012, shipboard line-transect survey methods transitioned to biopsy and photo-identification sampling to address questions of residency and population structure in the area. Vessel survey effort was expended along the 200 m depth contour and occasionally around eddies and fronts generated by the Gulf Stream. We are focusing on residency and population structure with our shipboard surveys because we are: (1) obtaining adequate data with which to estimate density from aerial line transect sampling; (2) interested in addressing questions of residency in this area. Sightings within this dataset are from shipboard photo-ID and biopsy surveys conducted from 2012-2015.

Purpose: The primary objectives of these surveys are to: (1) document species occurrence and examine patterns of residency of marine mammals and turtles in the defined study area (2) determine relatedness among individuals, populations and species within the study area (3) supplement the visual surveys with acoustic monitoring using a High-frequency Acoustic Recording Package (HARP).

Supplemental information: [2020-09-30] The following invalid species names were corrected according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Turtles: Testudines (173749) => Testudines (948936)

[2016-04-14] Sightings from Jul to Dec 2015 were appended. The following columns were added (these columns are blank for the sightings before Jul 2015): end_time, end_lat, end_long, behav_state, totminest, totmaxest, mincalves, maxcalves, minyoy, maxyoy, totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, photo_notes, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades, acoustics of which totposid, totnoid, totfinbest, calfposid, calfnoid, calfinbest, yoyposid, comments, sighting_notes, observations, photo_grades are blank for the newly added sightings.

[2015-05-13] The 2014-2015 data were appended. [2014-03-21] The 2013-14 data were appended. The following attributes were added since May 2013: SIGHTNO, BEAUSCALE, DEPTH, WATERTEMP, BESTCALVES, BESTYOY, PHOTOS [2013-03-19] Additional survey data for the JAX USWTR site are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the "DUML vessel-based surveys for proposed JAX USWTR site 2009-2010" dataset.