Seabird Distribution, Marine Mammal Data, and Seafloor Priorities

Posted September 2, 2015 by WA MSP & filed under Reports.

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) completed three projects to inform Washington’s marine spatial plan:

Development of species distribution models for key seabird species along the outer coast of Washington.
Evaluation of marine mammal datasets (species distribution models are under development).
Prioritization of areas for future seafloor mapping activities and identification of the underlying drivers and management needs associated with the priorities.

Below are a few figures to display some of the NCCOS work.

Seabird Models
The figures below represent modeled distributions of Tufted Puffins and Black-footed Albatross predicted for April-October. The team also created distribution models for Marbled Murrelets, Common Murre, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed Shearwater, and Sooty Shearwater.

Marine Mammal Survey Inventory
The figure below shows marine mammal survey locations. The NCCOS team performed a data inventory of all marine mammal surveys off the coast of Washington including large whales, resident whales, pinnipeds, cetaceans, sea otters, turtles, haulouts, acoustic tracking, and others. The team is pulling together these different sources, providing a comparable platform, and will analyze the data through a model. Species distribution models for key marine mammal species will be available at the end of 2015.

Seafloor Data Collection Priority Areas
The tool provides access to data about the type, extent, year, and source of seafloor mapping surveys that have been conducted on Washington’s coast. NCCOS took inventory of the available seafloor mapping information and worked with marine and coastal management entities to determine priorities for potential seafloor data collection and to identify ways in which the management entities may work together in the future.