Cook Inlet Beluga Whale, Delphinapterus leucas, Observations near Anchorage, Alaska Between 2008 and 2011: Results from a Citizen Scientist Project

摘要

The Anchorage Coastal Beluga Survey (ACBS) is an independent survey effort staffed by trained citizen scientists. It was developed and run by Friends of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (FAR), in collaboration with the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Alaska Center for the Environment. After consulting with key biologists, the survey was designed to help fill data gaps by prioritizing needs according to desired information, availableresources, and selecting appropriate shore-based sites. Survey goals were to document the presence, absence, color, numbers, and behavior of beluga whales, Delphinapterus leucas, and to create an archival record of beluga ob-servations along the coast of Anchorage. Trained volunteers recorded information during daylight hours of ice-free months between 2008 and 2011, counting the number of whales in groups during survey shifts and did not identify individual belugas, so individuals were likely observed multiple times within and across seasons. Over 4 years and a total of444 observation hours, the ACBS project documented 77 groups of belugas with a total of 507 beluga whale sightings, of which 31 included calves. Opportunistic reports made by ACBS volunteers during non-survey hours included an additional 29 groups of belugas with a total of 101 whales sighted, of which 12 sightings included calves. Volunteers documented the greatest number of sightings whenFAR scheduled the survey to coincide with predicted fish runs and higher tides. During this scheduled survey the only other land-based beluga documentation projects in the given areas were a required observer project near Ship Creek for the Port ofAnchorage work and, between August-November 2011 and April-July 2012, the Point Campbell overlook project for Cook Inlet Regional Incorporated s potential development of Fire Island. NMFS Alaska Regional Office has utilized the data and ACBS project information during permitting activities in the Anchorage area. This survey has helped increase public awareness and education and provided citizens with unique opportunities to actively contribute to the base of knowledge about Cook Inlet beluga whales.