Actions, Areas and Means
The TNASS project will estimate the abundance of cetacean populations in the Northern North Atlantic from survey data collected during summer 2007. Comparison with previous North Atlantic Sighting Surveys (NASS) will provide estimates of trends in abundance and changes in distribution in areas that have been covered by several surveys. This will provide a much stronger scientific basis for a risk assessment and management programme aiming at maintaining the sustainability of cetacean populations subject to direct and indirect catches.
The northern boundary will be approximately 80°N and the southern limit will be approximately 40°N. The TNASS will cover areas to the west of Greenland and the North eastern coast of Canada that have not been covered in earlier surveys, providing a full trans-Atlantic coverage for the first time.
The waters south east of the TNASS area will be surveyed simultaneously as part of the Cetacean Offshore Distribution and Abundance in the European Atlantic (European CODA project, coordinated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews), while the water southwest will be covered by the Southern New England to Scotian Shelf Abundance survey (American SNESSA project, conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Woods Hole). Together, these three coordinated surveys will provide the first complete synoptic coverage of the northern North Atlantic, an absolute unique opportunity that may never be available again. For gaining, at low cost, information on areas adjacent to the core survey area, especially with regards of mapping summer distribution, TNASS has taken advantage of other surveys occurring in the same period in adjacent areas and has got permission to place dedicated whale observers on the ICES Red Fish survey vessels (3) in the Irminger sea, on the Russian-Norwegian ecosystem survey vessels (3) in the Norwegian sea, and on one of the two MAR-ECO survey vessels on the Atlantic Ridge.
The TNASS surveys will be conducted using standard shipboard (both visual and passive acoustic) and aerial survey techniques. Survey methods will take into account the methodological development in visual and passive acoustic methods successfully implemented under the EU SCANS-II project (LIFE Program) and further developed for the upcoming EU CODA project.
Survey methods will be standardised among all platforms and participating countries, though encompassing the differences in national target species. The timing, coverage and survey methodologies of the TNASS, CODA and SNESSA surveys will be co-ordinated, such that the data will be compatible and synoptic estimates can be produced. The coordination of these surveys will greatly enhance their individual value, thus providing the best possible value in terms of information for money spent
The northern boundary will be approximately 80°N and the southern limit will be approximately 40°N. The TNASS will cover areas to the west of Greenland and the North eastern coast of Canada that have not been covered in earlier surveys, providing a full trans-Atlantic coverage for the first time.
The waters south east of the TNASS area will be surveyed simultaneously as part of the Cetacean Offshore Distribution and Abundance in the European Atlantic (European CODA project, coordinated by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St. Andrews), while the water southwest will be covered by the Southern New England to Scotian Shelf Abundance survey (American SNESSA project, conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Woods Hole). Together, these three coordinated surveys will provide the first complete synoptic coverage of the northern North Atlantic, an absolute unique opportunity that may never be available again. For gaining, at low cost, information on areas adjacent to the core survey area, especially with regards of mapping summer distribution, TNASS has taken advantage of other surveys occurring in the same period in adjacent areas and has got permission to place dedicated whale observers on the ICES Red Fish survey vessels (3) in the Irminger sea, on the Russian-Norwegian ecosystem survey vessels (3) in the Norwegian sea, and on one of the two MAR-ECO survey vessels on the Atlantic Ridge.
The TNASS surveys will be conducted using standard shipboard (both visual and passive acoustic) and aerial survey techniques. Survey methods will take into account the methodological development in visual and passive acoustic methods successfully implemented under the EU SCANS-II project (LIFE Program) and further developed for the upcoming EU CODA project.
Survey methods will be standardised among all platforms and participating countries, though encompassing the differences in national target species. The timing, coverage and survey methodologies of the TNASS, CODA and SNESSA surveys will be co-ordinated, such that the data will be compatible and synoptic estimates can be produced. The coordination of these surveys will greatly enhance their individual value, thus providing the best possible value in terms of information for money spent
