16 Sea turtles data
16.1 Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (AMAPPS) I, II, and III
16.1.1 Project information
Lead entity: NOAA
Partner entities: BOEM, US Navy, USFWS
PI name: Debra Palka
PI contact information: debra.palka@noaa.gov
Data start year: 2010
Data end year: 2050
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.1.2 Data information
Project link: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/population-assessments/atlantic-marine-assessment-program-protected
Data link: https://apps-nefsc.fisheries.noaa.gov/amappsviewer/
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: Yes
Data categories: Acoustic, Marine mammals, Plankton, Sea turtles, Seabirds
Data type: spatial
16.1.3 Project description
Visual sightings of cetaceans, seabirds, sea turtles and seals, acoustic detections, location/depth, physical water characteristics, distribution and density of fish and plankton. These models rely on seasonal distribution and abundance data our scientists have collected over multiple years using aerial and shipboard surveys. They also include dive pattern information from individually-tagged turtles and detections from passive acoustic recording devices.
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.2 Cross-taxa Assessment of Habitat Use and Connectivity Relative to Marine Protected Areas in the Gulf of Maine: Implications for Management
16.2.1 Project information
Lead entity: NOAA NEFSC
Partner entities: Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Integrated Statistics, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
PI name: Danielle Cholewiak
PI contact information: danielle.cholewiak@noaa.gov
Data start year: 2021
Data end year: 2026
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.2.2 Data information
Project link: https://cdn.coastalscience.noaa.gov/page-attachments/funding/NCCOS_CRP_RER_FY21_Awards_Summaries.pdf
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Marine mammals, Sea turtles, Seabirds, Elasmobranchs, Pelagic fishes, Coastal fishes
Data type: “research project, synthesis, or technology development”
16.2.3 Project description
We are evaluating how highly migratory and protected species, including cetaceans, fishes, pinnipeds, seabirds, and turtles, are using a network of state and federal marine protected areas in the Gulf of Maine and southern New England regions, and how this overlaps with areas of human use. Understanding the benefits of existing MPAs to species at risk will inform recommendations for potential new or expanded MPAs, and ensure their viability for future generations.
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.3 Developing Best Practices and Applying Environmental DNA (eDNA) Tools and in Support of Assessing and Managing Living Marine Species in an Ecosystem-based Context
16.3.1 Project information
Lead entity: BOEM
Partner entities: NOAA NEFSC, Smithsonian Institution, AMAPPS
PI name: Tim White
PI contact information: timothy.white@boem.gov
Data start year: 2021
Data end year: 2023
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.3.2 Data information
Project link: https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/environment/environmental-studies/SDP_2022-2023.pdf
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Sea turtles, Seabirds, Marine mammals, Molluscs
Data type: spatial
16.3.3 Project description
BOEM and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center will evaluate the eDNA “net” for accuracy in resolving community structure in space and through time by comparing taxa identified in water samples with quantified multi-species hotspots (T. White) derived from fisheries and observer-based sampling programs (e.g., AMAPPS). This project proposes identifying which species and guilds eDNA resolves well and those it misidentifies with an ecosystem-based context. For example, seabirds and invertebrates (e.g., clams) have been overlooked in most eDNA studies, even though these communities are essential in BOEM assessments and by other federal agencies. We will evaluate how well eDNA metabarcoding resolves marine communities using retrospective analyses (persistent communities) and simultaneous observations (observers; net tows; aerial cameras). The main objectives are to identify strengths and weaknesses in methodology; address weaknesses by populating genetic databases where feasible, and guide future BOEM projects across the regions.
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.4 Ecological baseline study of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf off Maine
16.4.1 Project information
Lead entity: Biodiversity Research Institute
Partner entities: HiDef Aerial Surveying Ltd
PI name: David Bigger
PI contact information: david.bigger@boem.gov
Data start year: 2022
Data end year: 2024
Spatial scale: Gulf of Maine
16.4.2 Data information
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Seabirds, Sea turtles, Marine mammals
Data type: spatial
16.4.3 Project description
The objective of this study is to obtain contractor support to design and conduct multiseason boat-based and/or aerial-digital marine wildlife surveys and to establish an ecological baseline describing the distribution and abundance of marine seabirds, mammals, and sea turtles on the US OCS off Maine. The effort will coordinate with USFWS and others that may be surveying in the Gulf of Maine. A detailed field plan will be developed describing survey methods, survey protocols, proposed track lines, and survey schedule. The plan will also include details on the collection of digital imagery, methods for processing the images, camera design, and methods for identifying the species, methods to estimate bird flight heights, methods for collection of visible features of potential interest to energy development (such as oceanographic features, vessels, fishing activity [e.g., buoys], and other human uses). The data collected from these baseline surveys will be added into databases like the Compendium of Avian Occurrence Information database and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System Spatial Ecological Analysis of Megavertebrate Populations (OBIS-SEAMAP). Ultimately, the baseline data could then be used to update avian and other wildlife distributional maps like those developed through BOEM’s interagency agreement with NOAA (Winship et al. 2018) and distributed to the regional data portals. BRI website for digital aerial surveys: https://briwildlife.org/digital-aerial-surveys/
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.5 Ecosystem Monitoring on the Continental Shelf (EcoMon)
16.5.1 Project information
Lead entity: NOAA NEFSC
Partner entities: NA
PI name: Jonathan Hare
PI contact information: jon.hare@noaa.gov
Data start year: 1977
Data end year: 2050
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.5.2 Data information
Project link: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/data/ecosystem-monitoring-northeast-us-continental-shelf-plankton-dataset
Data link: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0187513
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: Yes
Data categories: Physical oceanography, Plankton, Sea turtles
Data type: spatial
16.5.3 Project description
Plankton nets, pulled through the water down to 650 feet, collect small marine animals such as fish larvae, crab larvae, copepods, and small jellyfish. Special equipment collects information on nutrients, acidity, temperature, salinity, and other parts of the marine environment. Dedicated observers count and photograph marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds seen along the cruise tracks to better understand their migrations and how they find food and habitat on their journeys. EcoMon surveys are conducted at 120 randomly selected stations and 35 fixed stations throughout the continental shelf and slope of the northeastern U.S., from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and cover all of Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine. Precursor surveys to EcoMon include: - Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction program (MARMAP; 1977– 1987) - Herring – Sandlance (1988–1994) - Georges Bank Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (GLOBEC; 1995–1999) Data are stored at NCEI and are publicly accessible: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0187513
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.6 Gulf of Maine megafauna aerial surveys
16.6.1 Project information
Lead entity: New England Aquarium
Partner entities: NA
PI name: Jessica Redfern
PI contact information: jredfern@neaq.org
Data start year: 2023
Data end year: 2025
Spatial scale: Gulf of Maine
16.6.2 Data information
Project link: https://database.rwsc.org/details?recordId=recGfijPbg4Y8zIV7
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Marine mammals, Sea turtles
Data type: spatial
16.6.3 Project description
The New England Aquarium has received funding from an anonymous fund at the Maine Community Foundation to conduct systematic aerial surveys of waters off Maine from September – January. Observers will record data about all marine species seen during the surveys. The surveys will use line-transect methodology, which will build a data set that can be used to estimate abundance for species with an adequate number of sightings. If right whale aggregations are detected visually or acoustically, we will also conduct directed aerial surveys to photograph the whales, which will allow us to understand their demographics (e.g., the number of males versus females, adults versus juveniles, etc.).
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.7 Maine eDNA
16.7.1 Project information
Lead entity: University of Maine
Partner entities: NA
PI name: Unknown
PI contact information: https://umaine.edu/edna/contact-us/
Data start year: 2020
Data end year: 2025
Spatial scale: State
16.7.2 Data information
Project link: https://umaine.edu/edna/
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Sea turtles, Seabirds, Plankton, Marine mammals, Groundfish, Elasmobranchs, Pelagic fishes, Bathymetry
Data type: “research project, synthesis, or technology development”
16.7.3 Project description
Maine eDNA is a 5-year research, education, and outreach program that seeks to transform our understanding and sustainability of Maine’s coastal ecosystems via environmental DNA (eDNA) innovations that unlock new scales of inference and new scales of collaboration.
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.8 Sea Turtle Distribution and Abundance on the East Coast of the United States
16.8.1 Project information
Lead entity: US Navy Fleet Forces Command
Partner entities: NA
PI name: Andrew DiMatteo
PI contact information: andrew.dimatteo@gmail.com
Data start year: 2020
Data end year: 2022
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.8.2 Data information
Project link: https://seamap.env.duke.edu/seamap-models-files/NUWC/Reports/TR_12428_FINAL_2023-06-01.pdf
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Sea turtles
Data type: spatial
16.9 Green and Kemp’s Ridley Turtle Tagging for Availability Bias Estimates
16.9.1 Project information
Lead entity: NAV FAC-LANT
Partner entities: University of Central Florida; Chelonidata LLC
PI name: Andrew DiMatteo
PI contact information: andrew.dimatteo@gmail.com
Data start year: 2024
Data end year: 2027
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.9.2 Data information
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: No
Data categories: Sea turtles
Data type: spatial
16.9.3 Project description
Deploy satellite tags on wild caught and stranded green and Kemp’s ridley turtles along the Atlantic coast to inform availability estimates to apply to distance sampling abundance estimates for ultimate use in Navy take estimates for permitting.
[1] “This data was sourced from: RWSC_early-2025”
16.10 SouthCoast Wind Project Final Environmental Impact Statement
16.10.1 Project information
Lead entity: BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs
Partner entities: NA
PI name: Unknown
PI contact information: Unknown
Data start year: 2021
Data end year: 2024
Spatial scale: Northwest Atlantic
16.10.2 Data information
Project link: https://tethys.pnnl.gov/publications/southcoast-wind-project-final-environmental-impact-statement
Data link: NA
Metadata link: NA
Data availability: Yes
Data categories: Coastal fishes, Pelagic fishes, Crustaceans, Groundfish, Marine mammals, Sea turtles, Seabirds, Physical oceanography
Data type: “research project, synthesis, or technology development”
16.10.3 Project description
This Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) assesses the potential biological, socioeconomic, physical, and cultural impacts that could result from the construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and conceptual decommissioning of the SouthCoast Wind Project (Project) proposed by SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC (SouthCoast Wind), in its Construction and Operations Plan (COP).