BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) MPS cetacean sightings 2002-2004

Original provider: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Dataset credits: Texas A&M University Oregon State University Scripps Institution of Oceanography Texas A&M University-Galveston University of Colorado University of Durham University of Saint Andrews University of South Florida Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Abstract: Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) was a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary research project supported by the then Minerals Management Service (MMS; now Bureau of Ocean Energy Management - BOEM) under Cooperative Agreement 1435-01-02-CA-85186 for Cooperative Research on Sperm Whales and their Response to Seismic Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico through the Texas A&M Research Foundation. The objectives of SWSS were to (1) establish baseline information on the biology and behavior of sperm whales in the northern Gulf of Mexico, (2) characterize sperm whale habitat use in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and (3) determine possible changes in behavior of sperm whales when subjected to manmade noise, particularly from seismic airgun arrays used for offshore oil and gas exploration and geological monitoring. Supplemental information: This dataset contains cetacean sightings (other than sperm whales) observed in PHOTO-ID/Mesoscale Population Study Cruises 2004 and 2005. Sperm whale visual tracking data are found in BOEM Sperm Whale Seismic Study (SWSS) MPS sperm whale trackings 2004-2005 which is also accompanied with effort data.