Statistical modeling of North Atlantic right whale migration along the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern seaboard of the United States

Many whale species exhibit long migrations during which data collection events become limited, but statistic modeling can help to fill in the gaps of sighting data. Firestone and colleagues created a model to predict the time and location that right whales occur within the eastern US waters. Firestone makes use of the International Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) which is a publicly available georeference to map traffic intensity and port volume statistics. This data is important in predicting the probability of vessel strikes and entanglements within this region which could pose conservation concerns to this species. This study was able to use this model and subsequent predictions to inform further survey efforts and management regulations to help reduce the likelihood of vessel strikes and entanglements along the right whale migratory corridor.

This study implemented GIS by mapping the ship traffic intensity, as measured by a heat map, overlayed with the right whale migratory corridor. Here we can visually assess the impact that certain shipping corridors may have on whales during certain times of the year. Mapping anthropogenic impacts with wildlife occurrences can help manage global populations, including my own study species in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). I could use techniques such as this to measure the overlap of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the sperm whale population in the GoM.

Firestone, J., Lyons, S.B., Wang, C. & Corbett, J.J. (2008) Statistical modeling of North Atlantic right whale migration along the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern seaboard of the United States. Biological Conservation, 141, 221–232.