Dataset Identification:
Resource Abstract:
- description: Aerial surveys are conducted along the US west coast to determine distribution and abundance of endangered leatherback
turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Surveys are
conducted in waters between US/Mexico and US/Canada maritime borders, west to the 2000m isobath for leatherbacks, up to 122.8W
for loggerheads, and in nearshore waters (approx 200m isobath) between central California and southern Oregon for harbor porpoise.
This region includes the Pacific leatherback conservation area (Federal Register notice 77 (17) FR 4170, January 26, 2012).
Previous knowledge of leatherback turtle use of US EEZ waters in the Pacific Northwest came primarily from opportunistic sightings
from platforms of opportunity, telemetry deployments that originated from western Pacific nesting beaches (Benson et al. 2007a;
2011), and a previous systematic survey conducted during 2010. This region also includes a time-area closure off southern
California that is to be triggered by warm water anomalies (50 CFR 660.713(c)(2)). This regulation was developed as result
of a reasonable and prudent alternative following a formal consultation process as required by Section 7 of the ESA. NMFS
developed the rule using information from the fishery observer program for the California drift gillnet fishery, in which
all entanglements of loggerhead turtles occurred within a particular sea surface temperature range (15.6 to 22.2 C). On July
25, 2014, NMFS published notification of an in-season closure for the DGN fishery through the end of August to protect loggerheads
in the southern California Bight (79 FR 43268). Based on late spring/early summer forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center,
which included an El Nio watch, NMFS determined that oceanographic conditions, including anomalously warm sea surface temperatures,
warranted the closure. This was the first-ever implementation of this time-area closure, and has resulted in significant attention
from commercial fishers, environmental groups, and state and federal agencies regarding the importance southern Californian
waters for endangered loggerhead turtles. Little information is available on population abundance and spatial distribution
of loggerhead turtles off southern California and how they may change during warm water periods. However, reports of loggerhead
turtle sightings from divers and recreational fishers have increased in recent years and the rate of loggerhead strandings
along the U.S. west coast is at an all-time high, indicating a regular presence of loggerheads off the coast (NMFS Turtle
Stranding Database). Additionally, the Assistant Administrator for NMFS Protected Resources at the West Coast Regional Office
has determined that a thorough re-examination of loggerhead time-area closure is a top priority; therefore, this survey is
important and timely, given the current anomalously warm water temperatures off southern California.; abstract: Aerial surveys
are conducted along the US west coast to determine distribution and abundance of endangered leatherback turtles (Dermochelys
coriacea), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), and harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Surveys are conducted in waters
between US/Mexico and US/Canada maritime borders, west to the 2000m isobath for leatherbacks, up to 122.8W for loggerheads,
and in nearshore waters (approx 200m isobath) between central California and southern Oregon for harbor porpoise. This region
includes the Pacific leatherback conservation area (Federal Register notice 77 (17) FR 4170, January 26, 2012). Previous knowledge
of leatherback turtle use of US EEZ waters in the Pacific Northwest came primarily from opportunistic sightings from platforms
of opportunity, telemetry deployments that originated from western Pacific nesting beaches (Benson et al. 2007a; 2011), and
a previous systematic survey conducted during 2010. This region also includes a time-area closure off southern California
that is to be triggered by warm water anomalies (50 CFR 660.713(c)(2)). This regulation was developed as result of a reasonable
and prudent alternative following a formal consultation process as required by Section 7 of the ESA. NMFS developed the rule
using information from the fishery observer program for the California drift gillnet fishery, in which all entanglements of
loggerhead turtles occurred within a particular sea surface temperature range (15.6 to 22.2 C). On July 25, 2014, NMFS published
notification of an in-season closure for the DGN fishery through the end of August to protect loggerheads in the southern
California Bight (79 FR 43268). Based on late spring/early summer forecasts by the Climate Prediction Center, which included
an El Nio watch, NMFS determined that oceanographic conditions, including anomalously warm sea surface temperatures, warranted
the closure. This was the first-ever implementation of this time-area closure, and has resulted in significant attention from
commercial fishers, environmental groups, and state and federal agencies regarding the importance southern Californian waters
for endangered loggerhead turtles. Little information is available on population abundance and spatial distribution of loggerhead
turtles off southern California and how they may change during warm water periods. However, reports of loggerhead turtle sightings
from divers and recreational fishers have increased in recent years and the rate of loggerhead strandings along the U.S. west
coast is at an all-time high, indicating a regular presence of loggerheads off the coast (NMFS Turtle Stranding Database).
Additionally, the Assistant Administrator for NMFS Protected Resources at the West Coast Regional Office has determined that
a thorough re-examination of loggerhead time-area closure is a top priority; therefore, this survey is important and timely,
given the current anomalously warm water temperatures off southern California.
Citation
- Title US west coast.
-
- creation Date
2016-03-07T18:32:03.985329
Resource language:
Processing environment:
Back to top:
Digital Transfer Options
-
- Linkage for online resource
-
- name Dublin Core references URL
- URL: http://swfsc.noaa.gov/prd-turtles.aspx
- protocol WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
- link function information
- Description URL provided in Dublin Core references element.
Linkage for online resource
- name Dublin Core references URL
- URL: http://swfsc.noaa.gov/
- protocol WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
- link function information
- Description URL provided in Dublin Core references element.
Linkage for online resource
- name Dublin Core references URL
- URL: http://swfsc.noaa.gov/
- protocol WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
- link function information
- Description URL provided in Dublin Core references element.
Linkage for online resource
- name Dublin Core references URL
- URL: http://swfsc.noaa.gov/
- protocol WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
- link function information
- Description URL provided in Dublin Core references element.
Linkage for online resource
- name Dublin Core references URL
- URL: http://gcmd.nasa.gov/learn/keyword_list.html
- protocol WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
- link function information
- Description URL provided in Dublin Core references element.
Metadata data stamp:
2018-08-06T21:52:58Z
Resource Maintenance Information
- maintenance or update frequency:
- notes: This metadata record was generated by an xslt transformation from a dc metadata record; Transform by Stephen M. Richard, based
on a transform by Damian Ulbricht. Run on 2018-08-06T21:52:58Z
Metadata contact
-
pointOfContact
- organisation Name
CINERGI Metadata catalog
-
- Contact information
-
-
- Address
-
- electronic Mail Address cinergi@sdsc.edu
Metadata language
eng
Metadata character set encoding:
utf8
Metadata standard for this record:
ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification
standard version:
2007
Metadata record identifier:
urn:dciso:metadataabout:f4ec9b2a-499b-4392-a60d-b662cf595152
Metadata record format is ISO19139 XML (MD_Metadata)