Cetacean habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Studies of cetacean distribution in the northern Gulf of Mexico have largely relied on stranding, opportunistic sighting, and limited survey data (Jefferson and Schiro, 1997) until recently (Mullin et al., 1994; Davis and Fargion1; Davis et al.2). During the past decade, both aerial and shipboard assessment surveys in the oceanic (>200 m depth) northern Gulf have identifi ed and characterized the abundance and distribution of 20 species of cetaceans, all but one of which were odontocetes (Mullin et al., 1994; Mullin and Hansen, 1999; Hansen et al.3; Mullin and Hoggard4). Only two of these species, the bottleCetacean habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico