CalCOFI Marine Mammal Monitoring

Greg Campbell1, Lisa Munger1, Karlina Merkens1, DominqueCamacho2, Andrea Havron2 and John Hildebrand1

Sara Kerosky

1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla

2Spatial Ecosystems, Olympia, WA

• Detailed knowledge of cetacean distribution, habitat use, density and abundance critical

for impact assessment/management.Importance

•Cetacean habitat use and abundance in SOCAL are not clearly defined.

• Characterize cetacean distribution and habitat, estimate population size/density,

detect and compare vocalizations.

Status

Goals

Background

• Examine cetacean distribution relativeto environmental variables to elucidate habitat use patterns.

Habitat Modeling

• Develop cetacean density and abundance estimates across seasons and years.

• Examine acoustical data for species and/or population specific calls.

• Assess acoustic line-transect methods.

DistanceSampling

AcousticMonitoring

Approach

MethodsMethods –– Visual Monitoring Visual Monitoring •• Visual monitoring conducted during daylight transits between Visual monitoring conducted during daylight transits between CalCOFICalCOFI stations.stations.•• Two trained marine mammal observers on port and starboard, Two trained marine mammal observers on port and starboard, scanning 90scanning 90°°with 7with 7--power and 25power and 25--power binoculars.power binoculars.•• Species, group size, distance, angle and environmental data.Species, group size, distance, angle and environmental data.

Towed Array Schematic

6-elements with 2-200 kHz bandwidth

300 m

6 sensors

9 kt15 m

Methods Methods –– Acoustic Monitoring Acoustic Monitoring •• Towed acoustic array deployed on transits between stations.Towed acoustic array deployed on transits between stations.

•• Navy Navy sonobuoyssonobuoys deployed during ondeployed during on--station sampling.station sampling.

Hydrophone

Navy Sonobuoy

1-element: 0-26 kHz

Acoustic Monitoring

Distance Sampling

Habitat Modeling

Stock Structure

AbundanceThermal Fronts

Distance Sampling?

DensitySST and Zooplankton

Acoustic Detections

Visual Sightings

Visual Sightings

Habitat Modeling: Baleen WhalesHabitat Modeling: Baleen Whales

r

x

d

Sum

mer

200

5S

prin

g 20

05

Sea Surface Temp. Total Zooplankton Biomass

Habitat Modeling Habitat Modeling –– Baleen WhalesBaleen Whales

Fal

l 200

5W

inte

r 20

06

Sea Surface Temp. Total Zooplankton Biomass

Habitat Modeling Habitat Modeling –– Baleen WhalesBaleen Whales

Thermal Front Activity DetectionThermal Front Activity Detection

AVHRR AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) Pathfinder 5.0Pathfinder 5.0

•• 4km resolution satellite images from 4km resolution satellite images from NOAAsNOAAs NESDISNESDIS

WIM WIM (Windows Image Manager) (Windows Image Manager) –– SIED SIED (Single Image Edge Detection)(Single Image Edge Detection)

Dominique Camacho

Acoustic Monitoring

Distance Sampling

Habitat Modeling

Stock Structure

AbundanceThermal Fronts

Distance Sampling?

DensitySST and Zooplankton

Acoustic Detections

Visual Sightings

Visual Sightings

Distance Sampling: CetaceansDistance Sampling: Cetaceans

r

x

d

Strip Transects

L

w

Density = (# animals seen) / (area searched)

D = n · S2 · w · L

n = # sightingsS = mean group size

Abundance

N = A · DA = study area

Line Transects

Density

D = n · S

2 · ESW · L

ESW = effective strip width

Distance Sampling Distance Sampling –– Density & AbundanceDensity & Abundance

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

Distance from Trackline (m)

Det

ectio

n P

roba

bilit

y

r d

d = r · sin xx trackline

Blue Whales

Humpback Whales

Fin Whales

Abundance Estimation Abundance Estimation –– Baleen WhalesBaleen Whales

2.35179-79242668Humpback

1.87190-52833867Fin

1.06104-32519137Blue

Density1000 km295% CINnSpecies

15

23

n

690

491

N

35

30

n

338

171

N

387131585Fin

49181516Blue

NnNnSpecies

Probability of detection with distance from track-line.

Truncation Distance: 2 km

Abundance/Density Estimate: Pooled 2004-2009

Abundance Estimates: Stratified by Season 2004-2009

n=number of observations; N=abundance estimate

n=number of observations; N=abundance estimate

winter spring summer fall

Acoustic Monitoring

Distance Sampling

Habitat Modeling

Stock Structure

AbundanceThermal Fronts

Distance Sampling?

DensitySST and Zooplankton

Acoustic Detections

Visual Sightings

Visual Sightings

Acoustic Monitoring: CetaceansAcoustic Monitoring: Cetaceans

r

x

d

Requirements for Passive Acoustics Requirements for Passive Acoustics Density Estimation Density Estimation

�Detection

�Localization

�Species Recognition

�Group Size Estimation

Pacific White-Sided DolphinsRisso’s Dolphin

0 0.5 1.00 0.5 1.0Time (hours)

22253139

Fre

quen

cy(k

Hz)

96

50

0

Time (hours)

Click Type B

222637

2227.540

Click Type A

Click Type B

Time (sec)

Fre

q (k

Hz)

Time (sec)

25

00 1.5

Bottlenose Dolphin Common Dolphin

0 1.5

chanceCDBND

50%

50%

70%30%CD

10%90%BND

DFA Classification Accuracy

Acoustic Monitoring Acoustic Monitoring –– Species Call RecognitionSpecies Call Recognition

Los Angeles

Acoustic

Los Angeles

Visual

Acoustic vs. Visual Detections: HumpbacksAcoustic vs. Visual Detections: Humpbacks

Visual Detections – Inshore: Spring-Fall Sonobuoy Detections – Offshore: Winter

• Expand habitat modeling analysis through integration of larger and more diverse sample of visual/environmental data.

Habitat Modeling

• Produce new density and abundance estimates for nine cetacean species.

• Improve acoustical census methods with advancements in localization software,species-ID and group size estimation.

DistanceSampling

AcousticMonitoring

Next Steps

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

� Observers and Acousticians:Robin Baird, Jessica Burtenshaw, Annie Douglas, E. Elizabeth Henderson, Veronica Iriarte, Autumn Miller, Laura Morse, Erin Oleson Nadia Rubio Michael Smith, Melissa Soldevilla, Ernesto Vasquez, Katherine Whitaker, Suzanne Yin and Stephen Claussen.

� SIO & SWFSC CalCOFI Scientists:Dave Wolgast, Jim Wilkinson, Amy Hays, Dave Griffith, Grant Susner, and Robert Tombley

� CNO N45 and NPSFrank Stone and Curt Collins