Chukchi Sea Marine Mammal Observations from Seismic Monitoring 2006-2007

Marine mammal observations were collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of the ConocoPhillips and Shell Joint Monitoring Program. The dataset contains records from ship and aircraft surveys conducted during seismic activities in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Data collection occurred in the summer and fall of 2006 and 2007 to update information on marine mammal distribution and relative abundance.

Use Cases

• Analyzing marine mammal distribution patterns relative to seismic exploration activities.
• Assessing seasonal abundance of species in the eastern Chukchi Sea coastal areas.
• Supporting environmental impact assessments for offshore energy exploration.
• Studying the relationship between industrial operations and marine mammal presence.

Strengths

• Data collected via systematic ship and aircraft surveys during defined seismic programs.
• Covers two consecutive field seasons (2006 and 2007) for temporal comparison.
• Focused on coastal areas of the eastern Chukchi Sea, providing specific regional coverage.
• Dataset is hosted by NOAA and appears on multiple government platforms, indicating institutional vetting.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one lists 2007-10-22, another lists a future date of 2026-04-01.
• License information is not specified.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Collected by ship and aircraft as part of the Joint Monitoring Program and the Marine Mammal Monitoring and Mitigation During Open Water Seismic Exploration program.

Time Range

2006-2007

Freshness

2007-10-22

Geography

Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Seas, specifically coastal areas of the eastern Chukchi Sea.