CE13002 Cetaceans on the Frontier 4 Survey

Cetacean survey carried out by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in 2014 on board the Celtic Explorer research vessel. The main objective of the survey was to characterise the preferred habitat of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in offshore waters by relating animal densities (relative abundance) to important habitat covariates (depth, distance from shelf edge and various oceanographic variables) using zero-inflated and generalised linear modelling techniques. Double platform, absolute abundance survey of cetaceans was also conducted in key habitats on the slopes and canyon systems of the Porcupine Bank and shelf edge system, primarily targeting offshore bottlenose dolphins and baleen whales. Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) measurements also taken. A weather buoy was also deployed. To characterise the preferred habitat of bottlenose dolphins in offshore waters by relating animal densities (relative abundance) to important habitat covariates (depth, distance from shelf edge and various oceanographic variables) using zero-inflated and generalised linear modelling techniques. To conduct double platform, absolute abundance survey of cetaceans in key habitats on the slopes and canyon systems of the Porcupine Bank and shelf edge system, primarily targeting offshore bottlenose dolphins and baleen whales. If and when appropriate, to deploy a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) to obtain biopsy samples and photo-identification images of bottlenose dolphins and baleen whales from rarely accessible offshore habitat. Additional objective is the deployment and recovery work at PAP