"Marine Mammals"

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IAA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), MML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers work conducted from January through March 2016.

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IAA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), MML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers work conducted from April through June 2016.

Cruise Summary For FOCI Cruise AQ16-01 (AQ16-01)

The 2016 Arctic Long-Term Integrated Mooring Array (ALTIMA) cruise took place on board the F/V Aquila. The cruise began in Nome, AK on 3 September 2016 and ended in Dutch Harbor, AK on 29 September 2016. Chief Scientist was Dr. Catherine Berchok, and the survey team consisted of 14 scientists representing eight different laboratories or institutions (for full personnel list, see Appendix 1). In summary, a total of 18 passive acoustic, 14 oceanographic, and 5 combination (oceanographic/ passive acoustic) moorings were retrieved, and 19 passive acoustic, 18 oceanographic, and 5 combination moorings were redeployed. A total of 71 CTD casts were conducted, 48 zooplankton net tows were done, one drifter was deployed, ~2700 nm were sampled using a new underway oceanographic sampling system, and a new acrobat towfish sampled ~270 nm. A total of 142 sonobuoys were deployed for 24 hour passive acoustic monitoring, and over 1140 nm were surveyed for marine mammals and 126 hours were surveyed for seabirds.

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IAA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), MML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers work conducted from July through September 2016.

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NMML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers the period of this study from January through March 2015.

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NMML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers the period of this study from April through June 2015.

These findings will be useful for formulating designs of mitigation for human activities in the region. In particular, these data will be used to support National Environmental Policy Act analysis and documentation for Chukchi Sea Lease Sales, Draft Proposed Programs, and monitoring, as well as ESA consultations, Marine Mammal Protection Act permitting, and preparation of Biological Evaluations and Biological Opinions. The main components of both studies include satellite tagging (ARCWEST only, in 2013 and 2014), passive acoustic recorder and oceanographic instrument deployments, and biophysical (CTD and plankton tow) sampling stations. In addition, a passive acoustic survey (using sonobuoys) and a visual observation survey will be undertaken throughout the survey. Although 2015 is the last year of field work for both ARCWEST and CHAOZ-X, a subset of moorings will be redeployed in order to continue the long time series; tentative plans have been made to retrieve moorings off the NOAA Ship Ronald Brown in 2016.

Through an Inter-Agency agreement (IAA) between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NMML is conducting a dedicated multi-year study to determine relationships between dominant currents passing from the Bering Sea into and through the Chukchi Sea and prey resources delivered to the Barrow Arch area (an area of high bowhead whale and prey concentrations between Wainwright and Smith Bay), and to provide information about the dynamic nature of those relationships relative to whale distribution and habitat utilization in the eastern Chukchi and extreme western Beaufort Seas. This study will also provide important baseline data on the occurrence, distribution, and habitat use of large whales in an area that is subject to rapid change in climate and human industrial development. This quarterly report covers the period of this study from July through September 2015.