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Article: The effect of sea state on estimates of abundance for beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in Norton Sound, Alaska.(Statistical Data Included)
- Article from:
- Fishery Bulletin
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 National Marine Fisheries Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are relatively small odontocete cetaceans; standard lengths of newborn calves are about 160 cm and adults range from 300 to 450 cm (Doidge, 1990). At birth, calves are dark slate gray, and the color gradually lightens until they become pure white as adults (Brodie, 1989). When actively swimming or diving, their bodies break the surface only for brief periods. Frost et al. (1985) reported that the average length of surfacing intervals for two radio-tagged beluga whales were 0.9-2.2 seconds.
Aerial surveys are the most common method for estimating the abundance of beluga whales (e.g. Frost and Lowry, 1990; Richard et al., 1990; ...