CE13002 Cetaceans on the Frontier 4 Survey

To characterise the preferred habitat of bottlenose dolphins in offshore waters by relating animal densities (relative abundance) to important habitat covariates (depth, distance from shelf edge and various oceanographic variables) using zero-inflated and generalised linear modelling techniques. To conduct double platform, absolute abundance survey of cetaceans in key habitats on the slopes and canyon systems of the Porcupine Bank and shelf edge system, primarily targeting offshore bottlenose dolphins and baleen whales.

If and when appropriate, to deploy a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) to obtain biopsy samples and photo-identification images of bottlenose dolphins and baleen whales from rarely accessible offshore habitat. Additional objective is the deployment and recovery work at PAP