Habitat-Based Density Estimates for Cetaceans Around the Hawaiian Archipelago
April 12, 2021
This report summarizes the results of the habitat modeling effort whose primary objective was to collect cetacean sighting data to support the derivation of cetacean density estimates.
The primary objective of this line-transect survey was to collect cetacean sighting data to support the derivation of cetacean density estimates using both design-based analyses and habitat modeling techniques. This report summarizes the results of the habitat modeling effort.
The habitat-based models of cetacean density developed in this study represent an improvement over the previous models developed because they more accurately account for variation in detection probabilities, provide finer-scale density predictions, and better account for uncertainty in the resulting study area abundance estimates.
In addition, they include dynamic subsurface variables that were not available for the previous models.
Becker EA, Forney KA, Oleson EM, Bradford AL, Moore JE, Barlow J. 2021. Habitat-based density estimates for cetaceans within the waters of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone around the Hawaiian Archipelago. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-116, 38 p. https://doi.org/10.25923/x9q9-rd73.