IMIS - Marine Onderzoeksgroepen

Photographs of dolphin schools were taken from a NOAA Twin Otter aircraft while the survey was being conducted. The aerial photographs will provide count and measurement data to calibrate observer estimates of school size and to estimate timing of reproduction and birth rates. This research will facilitate understanding population demography of these species in an ecosystem framework. Essential information about the primary focal species, D. capensis, will greatly increase our knowledge about this coastal species and the geographic extent of a Mexico-U.S. transboundary stock. For additional information about the Delphinus cruise, please see http://swfsc.noaa.gov/prd-delphinus.aspx.

Purpose: The primary objectives of the 2009 Delphinus ecosystem cruise were (1) to characterize the distribution, habitat and reproductive characteristics of long- and short-beaked common dolphins, and (2) to improve non-lethal sampling techniques for studying reproduction in wild, free-ranging cetaceans.
This dataset is supplemental to the following datasets: SWFSC Marine Mammal Survey, PODS 1992, Cruise 1467 SWFSC Marine Mammal Survey, PODS 1992, Cruise 1468 SWFSC Marine Mammal Survey, PODS 1993, Cruise 1508 SWFSC Marine Mammal Survey, PODS 1993, Cruise 1509