Southern California waters offshore oil and gas platforms were monitored from 2013 to 2015 to characterize pinniped use. The dataset documents California sea lion and Pacific harbor seal abundance, seasonal patterns, and age-sex composition on these structures. It was collected by NOAA's National Marine Mammal Laboratory under a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management-funded study.
Use Cases
- Model seasonal abundance patterns of California sea lions using temporal observation data from 2013-2015.
- Analyze spatial use differences (inter-platform comparisons) for harbor seal haulout site selection.
- Assess age and sex class composition of pinnipeds on platforms to understand demographic impacts.
- Correlate platform characteristics with pinniped foraging and resting behavior metrics.
- Support environmental review for platform decommissioning by quantifying species presence and use patterns.
Strengths
- Data collection spans a defined 3-year study period from January 2012 to January 2015.
- Focuses on two specific, legally protected pinniped species with management relevance.
- Study designed to examine both temporal (seasonal) and spatial (inter-platform) patterns of use.
Limitations
- Dataset temporal coverage ends in January 2015, limiting analysis of recent trends.
- Specific sample sizes, row counts, and measurement methodologies are not provided in the description.
- Geographic scope is restricted to offshore platforms in southern California waters, not representative of other regions.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI Accession 0138984), originating from the National Marine Mammal Laboratory's California Current Ecosystem Program.
- Collection Method
- Field study conducted under an inter-agency agreement between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA to characterize and quantify pinniped use.
- Time Range
- 2013-01-01 to 2015-01-31 (primary analysis period within a larger study from 2012-2015).
- Freshness
- Data collection concluded on 2015-01-31; no update frequency indicated.
- Geography
- Waters off southern California, specifically at offshore oil and gas platforms.