Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial marine species monitoring occurred 29 April through 01 May 2013 for a Firing Exercise (FIREX) with Integrated Maritime Portable Acoustic Scoring and Simulator (IMPASS) event that occurred in the Jacksonville (JAX) Range Complex off the eastern coast of Florida within the United States (U.S.) Navy’s FIREX boxes BB and CC. These types of events occur periodically throughout the year and allow the U.S. Navy to fulfill essential training requirements.

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial marine species monitoring occurred on 13 and 14 March 2013 off the eastern coast of Virginia for a Missile Exercise (MISSELEX) training event within the Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Range Complex. These types of events occur periodically throughout the year and allow the United States (U.S.) Navy to fulfill essential training requirements.

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial surveys for marine-species monitoring occurred during 27 April through 02 May 2013 for an AN/AQS-20 (Q-20) sonar system test event. These surveys were conducted off the west coast of Florida in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Study Area in the Gulf of Mexico. The Q-20 is a high-frequency active sonar (HFAS) system used in mine detection and countermeasures.

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial surveys for marine-species monitoring occurred during 22 through 28 June 2013 for a Small Synthetic Aperture Minehunter 2 (SSAM2) and Buried Object Scanning Sonar (BOSS) test event. These surveys were conducted off the west coast of Florida in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Study Area in the Gulf of Mexico. The SSAM2 is a bottom-mapping and mine-hunting sonar developed for use in shallow-water and nearshore environments. The BOSS is a sonar system that images buried objects.

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial surveys for marine-species monitoring occurred during 28 through 31 July 2013 for a Remote Environmental Monitoring Units (REMUS) sonar test event. These surveys were conducted off the west coast of Florida in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Study Area in the Gulf of Mexico. The REMUS is an unmanned undersea vehicle used by the United States (U.S.) Navy for shallow-water mine countermeasures and hydrographic surveys.

Original provider:Smultea Environmental Sciences, LLC and HDR, Inc.Dataset credits:Smultea Environmental SciencesU.S. NavyHDR, Inc.Abstract:Marine mammal aerial surveys were conducted from 30 August through 4 September 2013 in the Pacific Northwest inland Puget Sound waters. This effort was in support of Marine Mammal Protection Act permit monitoring requirements for the U.S. Navy to conduct marine mammal studies in waters on or adjacent to U.S. Naval installations in the inland Puget Sound Region, as well as offshore in the existing Northwest Training Range Complex (NWTRC) and Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Keyport Dabob Bay Range Complex (together known as the Northwest Training and Testing Study Area). Data are from one survey conducted under contract by Smultea Environmental Sciences (SES) and issued by HDR, Inc. There were 779 marine mammal sightings of over 1,716 animals representing 5,785 km (3,124 nm) of flight (both on and off effort).

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Aerial surveys for marine species monitoring occurred 10 through 12 December 2013 for an AN/AQS-20 (Q-20) sonar system test event. These surveys were conducted off the west coast of Florida in the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) Study Area in the Gulf of Mexico. The Q-20 is a high-frequency active sonar (HFAS) system used in mine detection and countermeasures.

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring ProgramAbstract:Features in this feature class represent animal sightings that occurred during a line-transect vessel survey ("GOALSII") for marine mammals. Real-time acoustic monitoring and recording effort was also conducted using a towed-hydrophone array and sonobuoys around-the-clock to detect and localize vocally active cetaceans. The survey was conducted from 23 June to 18 July 2013 in the U.S. Navy's Temporary Maritime Activities Area in the central GoA, east of Kodiak Island. Work was performed under HDR task order TO 22 (IDIQ contract award N62470-10-D-3011, NAVFAC LANT).There are some discrepancies between the sighting totals in the GOALS II project report and this GIS dataset. For example, the report lists 91 humpback whale sightings (295 count) on-effort, and 15 sightings (36 count) off-effort, while this dataset contains 92 sightings (296 count) on-effort, and 19 sightings (250 count) off-effort. The reason for this discrepancy is that a large non-cohesive group of humpbacks was encountered and individual perpendicular distances could not be estimated for each of the subgroups. The first approach was to stay on effort and complete a “total count” estimate for whales in a specific quadrant until the ship had gone through the majority of the animals. Once completed, it was agreed that perpendicular estimation was needed for every subgroup of whales and the ship altered course and reran the trackline in the opposite direction for observers to get position fixes on as many of the animals/subgroups as possible. On the second pass, the density of whales was not as high and thus the numbers may have differed when compared to the first pass that was ultimately adjusted to be an “off-effort” sighting. Minor discrepancies also exist in sighting counts for other species, in most cases this is the result of how resightings were recorded (instances where the same animal group was observed more than once).

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program

Original provider:HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction, Inc.Dataset credits:The U.S. Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program