IMIS

As an endangered species, sperm whale is protected under Marine Mammal Protection Act. As such, the biological data on sperm whale is required to produce stock assessment reports. This survey was the pilot study to test and refine a wide range of sperm whale research techniques in Gulf of Mexico. The survey will contribute to answering the following research questions. 1. What are the effects of anthropogenic noise on the distribution, behavior and vocalization patterns of sperm whales? 2. What is the stock status of sperm whales that inhabit the Gulf of Mexico compared to the adjacent Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea? 3. Will surveys using both acoustic array methods and visual surveys improve the NMFS's abundance estimates of sperm whales in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico? 4. Is the group composition and social structure of sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico similar or different compared to sperm whales in other parts of the world? 5. How do sperm whales spatially use the Gulf of Mexico? Are there specific feeding, breeding, socializing and resting areas?