Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey- Left side - November 2012 through April 2014

Original provider: Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Foundation and University of North Carolina Wilmington Dataset credits: Virginia Aquarium Foundation - Sarah D. Mallette, Gwen G. Lockhart, Susan G. Barco University of North Carolina Wilmington - William A. McLellan, Ryan J. McAlarney Erin W. Cummings and D. Ann Pabst Abstract: The data provided were collected as part of the Documenting Whale Migration off Virginia's Coast for Use in Marine Spatial Planning project - funded by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Grant Section 309 Environmental Enhancement Program Strategy Project of Special Merit No. NA12NOS4190027. Aerial surveys were conducted under NOAA Scientific Permits No. 948-1692-00 and 16473, held by UNCW. Purpose: On November 1, 2013, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced Dominion Virginia Power was the provisional winner of the commercial lease area offshore of Virginia (VA WEA). Development of off shore wind energy poses potential threats to marine mammals, including direct effects (i.e. vessel interactions, collision and entanglement with structures, displacement, avoidance, or injury due to noise from construction or operations) and indirect threats (i.e. effects on prey species, increased risk of fishery and vessel interaction through displacement out of the WEA) (BOEM 2012). This information is important to mitigate the potentially harmful impacts from ocean development, shipping, and other anthropogenic activities. To address these existing data gaps, we have collected marine mammal sighting data from multiple platforms in addition to sea turtle sighting data off the coast of Virginia from 2012 to 2014. Supplemental information: [2015-02-25] Off-effort sightings were appended in response to provider's request. The original survey data are separated into two datasets, collected from left-side and right-side observers to address variance in environmental and sighting conditions. This dataset is from the left side sightings data. The right side sightings data are available on OBIS-SEAMAP in the Virginia CZM Wind Energy Area Survey- Right side - November 2012 through April 2014 dataset. The effort data layer, for this project is static transect lines. The plane track lines are available by request. Off-effort sightings were removed from this dataset.