The Role of Cetaceans in the Shelf-Edge Region of the Northeastern United States

Abstract

ploration and development added to the present fishing and shipping ac­ tivities, this role may be on the in­ crease. After 3 years of field studies, the role of another group of apex predators, marine mammals, can be characterized. These findings have application to decisions about resource utilization, habitat use, and the impacts of offshore ac­ tivities. In this study, the shelf-edge region was defined as bounded by the 91 and 2,000 m depth contours, and by lines extending southeast from Cape Hatteras, N.C., and from the center of the Northeast Channel at the eastern tip of Georges Bank (Fig. 1). This region straddles the shelf break (200 m depth contour), is about 40 km (21.6 n.mi.) wide, and includes about 62,100 km 2 (18,100 n.mi. 2). This paper summarizes aspects of the findings from a large and multifaceted study. Details on sampling and data collection not in­ cluded here are given in the final report of the Cetacean and Turtle Assessment Program (CETAP),