Estimates of the abundance of minke whales (<i>Balaenoptera acutorostrata</i>) from Faroese and Icelandic NASS shipboard surveys

Daniel G Pike; Thorvaldur Gunnlaugsson; Gísli A Víkingsson; Geneviève Desportes; Dorete Bloch

doi:10.7557/3.2707

Estimates of the abundance of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from Faroese and Icelandic NASS shipboard surveys

Authors

Daniel G Pike 1210 Ski Club Road, North Bay, Ontario, P1B 8E5
Thorvaldur Gunnlaugsson Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 1390, IS 121 Reykjavík
Gísli A Víkingsson Marine Research Institute, P.O. Box 1390, IS 121 Reykjavík
Geneviève Desportes GDnatur, Stejlestræde 9, DK-5300 Kerteminde, Denmark and Faroese Museum of Natural History, Fútalág 40, FR 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Dorete Bloch Faroese Museum of Natural History, Fútalág 40, FR 100 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2707

Keywords:

minke whales, Balaenoptera physalus, surveys, abundance, density

Abstract

North Atlantic Sightings Surveys for cetaceans were carried out Northeast and Central Atlantic in 1987, 1989, 1995 and 2001. Here we provide estimates of density and abundance for minke whales from the Faroese and Icelandic ship surveys. The estimates are not corrected for availability or perception biases. Double platform data collected in 2001 indicates that perception bias is likely considerable for this species. However comparison of corrected estimates of densityfrom aerial surveys with a ship survey estimate from the same area suggests that ship surveys can be nearly unbiased under optimal survey conditions with high searching effort. There were some regional changes in density over the period but no overall changes in density and abundance. Given the recent catch history for minke whales in this area, we would not expect to see changes in abundance due to exploitation that would be detectable with these surveys.

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Published

2009-09-01

How to Cite

Pike, D. G., Gunnlaugsson, T., Víkingsson, G. A., Desportes, G., & Bloch, D. (2009). Estimates of the abundance of minke whales (<i>Balaenoptera acutorostrata</i>) from Faroese and Icelandic NASS shipboard surveys. NAMMCO Scientific Publications, 7, 81–93. https://doi.org/10.7557/3.2707

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Issue

Vol. 7: North Atlantic Sightings Surveys: Counting whales in the North Atlantic, 1987-2001

Section

Articles

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