https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1144 MaryKennedyBedford Institute of OceanographyPrimary contactMary.Kennedy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca OBIS-SEAMAP Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University

A328 LSRC building Durham NC 27708 US

seamap-contact@duke.edu https://seamap.env.duke.edu OBIS-SEAMAP Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University

A328 LSRC building Durham NC 27708 US

seamap-contact@duke.edu https://seamap.env.duke.edu distributor MaryKennedyBedford Institute of OceanographyPrimary contactMary.Kennedy@dfo-mpo.gc.caowner 2025-08-12 eng Original provider: OBIS Canada Dataset credits: OBIS & OBIS Canada Abstract: This is an OBIS formatted version of the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Maritimes Region database for visual sightings of cetaceans (e.g. whales, dolphins and porpoises) and other large pelagic animals (e.g. fish and turtles) mostly from the Scotian Shelf/Bay of Fundy portions of Canada's east coast. The collectors of these sightings are diverse (e.g. NGO researchers, fisheries observers, private consultants, etc), mostly on-board ship and mostly collected since the late 1990s. The horizontal resolution of the data (e.g. distance between sightings) varies by a vast amount - just metres in some areas like the Bay of Fundy, and tens to thousands of kilometers elsewhere, like off northern Labrador. A small portion of the database (e.g. DFO Survey) are standardized marine mammal survey data, where a line transect sightings survey is conducted and sightings effort is logged. Only these survey data allow for the calculation of Sightings Per Unit Effort and the use of Distance Sampling methods, leading to a statistically-based, unbiased abundance estimate. The design and structure of the main project database is consistent with other DFO databases and with the University of Rhode Island (URI) whale sightings database. Departures from the URI standard (mainly species and gear codes) are easily translated by users of either database. This database is a compilation of a number of datasets, most of the data being gathered opportunistically. More detailed information on the individual sightings, human interactions and animal behaviour are available from the source database and the resource creator should be contacted. OccurrenceGBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type.xmlObservationGBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml Marine BiologyVisual sightingMarine Animal SurveySeabirdsMarine mammalsSea turtlesVisual SightingVarious N/A Observations archived in a regional database. Here are the caveats that are supplied to users who request records from the source database (similiar caveats should be applied to the OBIS dataset): 1. These data are intended only for the specified user and purpose for which they were requested and should not be distributed to others. 2. The sighting data have not yet been completely error-checked 3. The quality of some of the sighting data is unknown. Most sightings are collected on an opportunistic basis and observations may come from individuals with a variety of expertise in marine mammal identification experiences. 4. Most data have been gathered from platforms of opportunity that were vessel-based. The inherent problems with negative or positive reactions by cetaceans to the approach of such vessels have not yet been factored into the data 5. Sighting effort has not been quantified (i.e., the numbers cannot be used to estimate true species density or abundance for an area). Lack of sightings do not represent lack of species present in a particular area 6. Numbers sighted have not been verified (especially in light of the significant differences in detectability among species). 7. For completeness, these data represent an amalgamation of sightings from a variety of years and seasons. Effort (and number of sightings) is not necessarily consistent among months, years, and areas. There are large gaps between years. Thus seasonal, depth, and distribution information should be interpreted with caution. 8. Many sightings could not be identified to species, but are listed to the smallest taxonomic group possible. Study Extent: Areas of interest to Canadian research extending from the North Atlantic to the arctic and to the North Pacific. Quality Control: Scientific names listed in the source database species list have been mapped to recognized standards - marine taxa have been mapped to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). The respective codes(WoRMS AphiaIDs) have been included in this resource in the scientificNameID field as LSIDs. Step Description 1: This resource was created by the data provider for OBIS Canada. Records were downloaded from the source database and and an OBIS view of the collection was created. DwC fields were populated after consultation between the resource creator and the OBIS Canada data management team. This is the 5th version of this OBIS dataset. The original data records were archived in the Fisheries and Oceans Maritimes SABS cetacean database. In the original data downloaded from the OBIS Canada IPT server, there were 91 records that were potential duplicates with the existing OBIS-SEAMAP datasets. These records are removed from the online mapping tools but are included in the dataset download. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License. https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1144 Oceans,North Atlantic,North Pacific -173.644 -11.10667 74.642 11.911 1966-07-17 2014-12-20 Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). classActinopterygiiray-finned fishes speciesBalaena mysticetusBowhead speciesBalaenoptera acutorostrataCommon minke whale speciesBalaenoptera borealisSei whale speciesBalaenoptera musculusBlue whale speciesBalaenoptera physalusFin whale speciesCallorhinus ursinusNorthern fur seal suborderCaniformiaPinnipeds speciesCaretta carettaLoggerhead sea turtle speciesCetorhinus maximusBasking shark speciesChelonia mydasGreen sea turtle familyCheloniidaeSea turtles speciesCystophora cristataHooded seal speciesDelphinapterus leucasBeluga familyDelphinidaeDolphins speciesDelphinus delphisShort-beaked common dolphin speciesDermochelys coriaceaLeatherback sea turtle subclassElasmobranchiiCartilaginous fishes speciesErignathus barbatusBearded seal speciesEschrichtius robustusGray whale speciesEubalaena glacialisNorth Atlantic right whale speciesEumetopias jubatusSteller sea lion speciesFeresa attenuataPygmy killer whale speciesFratercula arcticaAtlantic puffin speciesGlobicephala melasLong-finned pilot whale speciesGrampus griseusRisso's dolphin speciesHalichoerus grypusAtlantic gray seal speciesHistriophoca fasciataRibbon seal speciesHyperoodon ampullatusNorthern bottlenose whale speciesLagenorhynchus acutusAtlantic white-sided dolphin speciesLagenorhynchus albirostrisWhite-beaked dolphin speciesLagenorhynchus obliquidensPacific white-sided dolphin speciesLeucophaeus atricillaLaughing gull speciesMegaptera novaeangliaeHumpback whale genusMesoplodonBeaked whales speciesMesoplodon bidensSowerby's beaked whale speciesMola molaOcean sunfish suborderMysticetiBaleen whales speciesOdobenus rosmarusWalrus suborderOdontocetiToothed whales speciesOrcinus orcaKiller whale speciesPagophilus groenlandicusHarp seal speciesPhalaropus lobatusRed-necked phalarope speciesPhoca larghaSpotted seal speciesPhoca vitulinaHarbor seal speciesPhocoena phocoenaHarbor porpoise speciesPhocoenoides dalliDall's porpoise speciesPhyseter macrocephalusSperm whale speciesPrionace glaucaBlue shark speciesPuffinus gravisGreat shearwater speciesPusa hispidaRinged seal speciesStenella coeruleoalbaStriped dolphin speciesStenella frontalisAtlantic spotted dolphin speciesThunnus thynnusAtlantic bluefin tuna speciesTursiops truncatusCommon bottlenose dolphin speciesUrsus maritimusPolar bear speciesXiphias gladiusAtlantic swordfish speciesZiphius cavirostrisCuvier's beaked whale notPlanned MaryKennedyBedford Institute of OceanographyPrimary contactMary.Kennedy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca NA NA NA MaryKennedyowner NA 2025-08-12T14:30:25-04:00 dataset Harris, Lei E. 2015. DFO Maritimes Region Cetacean Sightings. Version 6 In OBIS Canada Digital Collections. Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, CanadaPublished by OBIS, Digital http://www.iobis.org/. OBIS-SEAMAP Dataset Page UTF-8 Interactive map https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1144 FGDC Metadata UTF-8 XML https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1144/fgdc EML Metadata UTF-8 XML https://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/1144/eml OBIS-SEAMAP zd_1144 zd_1144