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Brief Outline
Our scientific team will be performing
two intensive surveys during August, 2004 and January/February, 2005
to investigate frontal structures in the vicinity of Cape Hatteras
and the distribution of marine mammals relative to the fronts.
Scientific Background
The
Cape Hatteras region is an important area oceanographically. It is the area
in which the Gulf Stream separates from the continental slope to the deep
ocean, and where southward flowing continental shelf water from the Middle
Atlantic Bight converges with northward flowing continental shelf water from
the South Atlantic Bight. During winter, a strong surface thermal front
forms, which may act to aggregate marine mammals such as the Bottle-nosed
dolphin.
Approach
We will be using
two ships in August, 2004, one operating north of Cape Hatteras and one south
of Cape Hatteras. Both ships will be towing instruments to obtain high-resolution
data on the temperature, salinity, and current distributions in the area
as they change over a two week period. Marine mammal observers will be on
board to correlate mammal sightings with oceanographic structure. In January/February,
2005, we will also have a concurrent aerial survey of marine mammals as well
as a third ship present sampling larval fish.
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