BMMRO has been conducting a long-term study documenting the occurrence, distribution, and abundance of marine mammals around the islands of The Bahamas since 1991. Currently based in Sandy Point on Great Abaco Island, this project provides the only comprehensive documentation of marine mammal fauna in this part of the world. <br><br> The dataset presented here includes only marine mammal sightings, and other sea turtle sightings and marine mammal strandings and sightings are included in separate datasets in OBIS-SEAMAP. The dataset presented here is a subset of marine mammal sightings between 1988 and 2011, including sightings reported from the public. The dataset also is a subset of BMMRO vessel encounters with marine mammals between 1991 and 2011, comprising 20 different species, with the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin representing 60% of all encounters. The entire dataset includes stranding records between 1944 and 2011. In addition, the entire dataset includes sightings of turtles comprising 3 different species between 1991 and 2011.<br><br> A sighting is when our vessel was unable to close in on the group of animals while an encounter is when closing was successful and photographs / video recording of the animals were obtained. The dataset includes off-transect sightings and encounters (opportunistic). Please use this dataset along with off-transect tracklines. Note that the original ship location data were recorded every minute. Tracklines up to 2006 were constructed using locations every five minutes to reduce the data size; tracklines constructed for 2006-2011 used data recorded every minute. Tracklines that intersected land were excluded. On-transect sightings and encounters are provided in a different dataset.<br><br> 8/15/2011: This dataset was updated to include data collected from 2006 to 2008. Data from 2006-2008 did not include group size estimates and "1" was used to be conservative. Effort transects are only available for 3/11/1997-10/1/2008.<Br><br> 06/12/2013: This dataset was updated to include group size estimate data collected from 2006-2008 and sightings/effort data for 2008-2011. When records did not include group size estimates or time, "1" was used to be conservative, and 00:00:00 was used, respectively. 8/8/2013: Effort tracklines that crossed land were excluded and updated, as well as records that had incorrect time values. Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation 2013-07-11 17:27:44 seamap329 vector digital data https://doi.org/10.82144/79e78a75 http://seamap.env.duke.edu/datasets/detail/329 OBIS-SEAMAP http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/329 OBIS-SEAMAP Version 1.5.0 ground condition 1988-12-01 2011-07-29 Complete None planned -79.373067-72.527.30983321.833333-79.373067-72.527.30983321.833333 PlatformVesselsSightingsUser definedMarine mammalsEncoutners Open public unless otherwise noted. 1. Not to use data contained in OBIS-SEAMAP in any publication, product, or commercial application without prior written consent of the original data provider. 2. To cite both the data provider and OBIS-SEAMAP appropriately after approval of use is obtained. 3. Not to hold OBIS-SEAMAP liable for errors in the data. While we have made every effort to ensure the quality of the database, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of these datasets. Shapefile Charlotte Dunn Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation mailing and physical address

P.O. Box AB-20714

Marsh Harbour Abaco Bahamas 12423664155 cdunn@bahamaswhales.org 12423664155 Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation Integrated Taxonomic Information Systemhttp://www.itis.usda.gov/Downloaded April, 2004Refer to the contact information of the dataset Dunn, C.2012 Connie KotDuke Universitymailing and physical address

135 Duke Marine Lab Road

BeaufortNCUSA28516connie.kot@duke.edu252-504-7640 http://www.nbii.gov/ Biological Data Profile 2010-03-182013-08-08 OBIS-SEAMAPNicholas School of Environment, Duke Univ.mailing and physical address

A328, LSRC

DurhamNC27708USA919-613-8021seamap-contact@duke.eduNot to hold OBIS-SEAMAP liable for errors in the data. While we have made every effort to ensure the quality of the database, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of these datasets. Also please refer to Use Constraints. FreeGo to the OBIS-SEAMAP web sitezipzipped shapefilehttp://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/329GCS_WGS_1984Decimal degrees0.0001670.000167D_WGS_1984WGS_19846378137.000000298.257224Bahamas Marine Mammal Research OrganisationoidUnique ID (created by OBIS-SEAMAP)totalrecnodatasetlinenodateestdategmtencseqsightingsqsp_obsSpecies ObservedspcodeSpecies codesp_tsnSpecies ITIS TSNspsciScientific name of species observedgsizeOriginal group size estimatedobs_countTotal number of animals observedtimeestbegtimeendtimeareatransecttimegmttime2lat_slon_slatitudeObserved latitudelongitudeObserved longitudewatertempTemperature (Celsius)depthDepth (meters)cloudcoverbeaufortvesselexcludednotesNotes for when time was not available and "00:00:00" was filled and when counts were not available "1" was filleddatetime_gmtdatetimeconverttimezone