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Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study— Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking

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Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study— Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking OCS Study BOEM 2017-017 Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study— Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking US Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Region OCS Study BOEM 2017-017 Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study— Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking Authors Francis K. Wiese Rowenna Gryba Brendan P. Kelly Prepared under BOEM Award M14PC0008 – Task Order No. M15PD00015 by Stantec Consulting Ltd. 4500 Daley Dr., Suite 100 Chantilly, VA 20151-3724 US Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska Region MARINE ARCTIC ECOSYSTEM STUDY— PILOT PROGRAM: MARINE MAMMALS TAGGING AND TRACKING Disclaimer Study concept, oversight, and funding were provided through the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program, Washington, DC, under Contract Number M14PC00008. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM and it has been approved for publication. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the US Government, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. This project was co-funded by Office of Naval Research, the Royal Dutch Shell Alaska Venture, and BOEM, on behalf of the National Ocean Partnership Program. Report Availability To download a PDF file of this Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study—Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking report, go to the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program Information System website and search on OCS Study BOEM 2017-017. Citation Wiese, F.K., R. Gryba and B.P. Kelly. 2017. Marine Arctic Ecosystem Study - Pilot Program: Marine Mammals Tagging and Tracking. US Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK. OCS Study BOEM 2017-017. 78 pp. MARINE ARCTIC ECOSYSTEM STUDY— PILOT PROGRAM: MARINE MAMMALS TAGGING AND TRACKING Contents 1.0 Chapter 1—Overview ............................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Marine mammal pilot program purpose and Goal ............................................................... 1 1.3 Approach ....................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 2 2.0 Chapter 2—Study Design and Implementation ............................................................................... 3 2.1 Community Consultations ........................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Test instrumentation, sensors, and tag communication protocols ..................................... 5 2.3 Capture and Tagging .................................................................................................................. 6 2.3.1 Permitting .......................................................................................................................... 6 2.3.2 Beluga Whales ................................................................................................................. 7 2.3.3 Seals ................................................................................................................................... 7 2.3.4 Refining Capture and Tagging Methods ................................................................... 9 3.0 Chapter 3—Bearded and spotted seal foraging inferred from surface movements ............. 10 3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 10 3.2 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2.1 Capture and Tagging .................................................................................................. 11 3.2.2 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 12 3.3.1 Capture and Tagging .................................................................................................. 12 3.3.2 Movement Tracks .......................................................................................................... 15 3.3.3 Modeling ......................................................................................................................... 17 3.3.3.1 Model Interpretation ................................................................................... 17 3.3.3.2 Movement Behaviors .................................................................................. 18 3.3.3.3 Foraging Hotspots ........................................................................................ 22 3.4 Discussion...................................................................................................................................... 24 4.0 Chapter 4—Inferring foraging by spotted and bearded seals from vertical movements ..... 25 4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 26 4.2.1 Dive Information ............................................................................................................ 26 4.2.1.1 Time Allocated at Depth ............................................................................ 26 4.2.1.2 Depth-Corrected Dive Duration ............................................................... 26 4.2.1.3 Dive zone (Benthic vs Pelagic) .................................................................. 27 i MARINE ARCTIC ECOSYSTEM STUDY— PILOT PROGRAM: MARINE MAMMALS TAGGING AND TRACKING 4.2.2 Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 27 4.3 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 27 4.3.1 Dive Characterization .................................................................................................. 27 4.3.2 Relationship between dive zones and behaviors inferred from surface movements .................................................................................................................... 35 4.3.3 State-space models with the addition of dive covariates ................................... 37 4.3.3.1 Model fit ......................................................................................................... 37 4.3.3.2 Temporal results ............................................................................................ 38 4.3.3.3 Spatial Results ................................................................................................ 39 4.3.4 Influence of dive covariates on inferred behavioral switching ........................... 45 4.4 Discussion...................................................................................................................................... 51 5.0 Chapter 5—inferring foraging with the addition of in situ oceanographic measurements .. 53 5.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 53 5.2 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 53 5.2.1 Oceanographic Data .................................................................................................. 53 5.2.2 Environmental metrics .................................................................................................. 54 5.2.3 Modeling ......................................................................................................................... 55 5.3 Results ............................................................................................................................................ 55 5.3.1 Associated behavior approach ................................................................................. 55 5.3.2 Extrapolated environmental data approach ......................................................... 61 5.4 Discussion...................................................................................................................................... 63 6.0 Chapter 6—Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 64 7.0 References ............................................................................................................................................. 66 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Spotted and bearded seal capture dates, approximate morphometric measurements and tag duration
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