gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:17335 eng UTF8 dataset Alaska Fisheries Science Center 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA https://www.afsc.noaa.gov WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Website Website for this organization information 0700-1700 Pacific Time resourceProvider 2026-03-04T19:17:18 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata Part 2 Extensions for imagery and gridded data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) AFSC/NMML: Beluga whale aerial survey in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1993-2022 AFSC/NMML: Beluga whale aerial survey in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1993-2022 1993 creation publication NOAA/NMFS/EDM 17335 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/17335 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Full Metadata Record View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset. information Alaska Fisheries Science Center (206) 526-4000 (206) 526-4004 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4 Seattle WA 98115 USA afsc.webmaster@noaa.gov https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about/alaska-fisheries-science-center WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Alaska Fisheries Science Center Website AKFSC Home Page information 0700-1700 Pacific Time originator https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/22918 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Aerial surveys, distribution, abundance, and trend of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2018 The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted aerial surveys to estimate abundance of the beluga population in Cook Inlet, Alaska, each June, July, or both from 1993 to 2012, after which biennial surveys began in 2014. The current document presents survey results and subsequent analyses yielding an abundance estimate and population trend based on data collected during June 2018. download https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/45364 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link Distribution of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2021 and June 2022 Online Resource download tableDigital The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has conducted aerial counts of Cook Inlet beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) from 1993 to 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022. Nearly all counts were conducted during the month of June. The routine nature of these counts and the consistency in research protocol lend themselves to inter-annual trend analyses. Beginning in 2005, an aerial survey was added during the month of August to document calving groups within the upper Inlet (north of East and West Foreland). Research protocol has been based on paired observers on the shoreward side of the aircraft and a single observer and computer operator on the offshore side independently searching for marine mammals. Data on environmental conditions, time, location, species, and inclinometer angle were collected for each sighting. The counting protocol included multiple passes near each beluga group while simultaneously collecting video footage. The counting system and observer performance has been tested through paired, independent observational effort. Information about the Cook Inlet beluga whale projects conducted at NOAA can be found here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/beluga-whale#science. Aerial counts and video footage of beluga whales provide the fundamental data used to calculate the abundance of and a calving index for the Cook Inlet population. The abundance estimates are applied to trends analyses to determine the status of the stock. Results from this study were the basis for adding this distinct population of whales to the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. underDevelopment Angliss, Robyn 206-526-4032 206-526-6615 7600 Sand Point Way, NE Seattle WA 98115-6349 robyn.angliss@noaa.gov pointOfContact Shelden, Kim kim.shelden@noaa.gov custodian annually abundance aerial distribution photo theme summer temporal Alaska Cook Inlet place DOC/NOAA/NMFS/AFSC > Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2017-04-24 publication 8.5 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program project InPort otherRestrictions Cite As: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, [Date of Access]: AFSC/NMML: Beluga whale aerial survey in Cook Inlet, Alaska, 1993-2022 [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/17335. NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose. otherRestrictions Access Constraints: There are no legal restrictions on access to the data. They reside in public domain and can be freely distributed. otherRestrictions Use Constraints: User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/AFSC as the source from which these data were obtained, in any publications and/or other representations of these data, is suggested. otherRestrictions Distribution Liability: The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose. NOAA denies liability if the data are misused. unclassified NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA/NMFS/EDM 17335 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nmfs/afsc/dmp/pdf/17335.pdf WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP) NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort. information crossReference eng; US biota oceans Access -155 -148 58 62 Cook Inlet, Alaska | Currentness: Ground Condition 1993 2014 false eng false Data File GPSEffort 1993_2022.csv 2018-11-27 publication GroupPassMark 1993_2022.csv 2018-11-27 publication Sightings 1993_2022.csv 2018-11-27 publication Weather 1993_2022.csv 2018-11-27 publication CSV - Comma Separated Values (Text) NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information distributor https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0133936 WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link https://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0133936 Cook Inlet beluga whale aerial survey data. download dataset Accuracy Two observers were positioned on the shoreward side of the plane and one observer and a data recorder on the offshore side. During many of the surveys, an intercom system provided communication among the observers, data recorder, and pilots, but a selective listening device was used to aurally isolate each observer position. This ensured independent sighting collection to calculate correction factors for missed beluga groups. After reporting a beluga group, the team would go off effort and the plane would fly directly over the group to obtain a sighting location. A racetrack pattern was flown around the whale aggregation and the paired observers would tally the number of animals independently and assign an overall grade to the circling pass (A to F for excellent to poor). The pass quality was based on the overall visibility of the group (accounting for sea state, sighting distance, glare, and the condition of the observation window), irrespective of the number of whales at the surface. Once the two observers recorded four high quality passes (A or B), the crew would rotate and the remaining observer and data recorder would count until they also obtained four high quality passes. In most cases, there were 16 high quality counts for each group of belugas encountered. The number of counting passes was occasionally reduced when group sizes were small (less than 10 animals) or when air traffic precluded additional circling time. All data were recorded real-time into a Microsoft Access database by a specially-designed software program. Edits were performed at the end of each survey day for quality control purposes. Completeness Report All sighting data for species other than beluga whales were collected opportunistically and should be used with caution. On rare occasions (pre 2005) the GPS lost signal resulting in data gaps in the trackline data. NA