Beaufort Environmental Monitoring Project 1984 1985 Final Report

Assessment of the effects of the gravel causeway in the northwest corner of Prudhoe Bay, northern Alaska, on local hydrography and circulation of water, sediments and ice.

Account of environmental monitoring activities in the lower Mackenzie Valley and Delta, Northwest Territories (MEMP) related to exploration and drilling for oil and gas.

This study examines the spatial distribution, relative abundance, and age segregation of bowhead whales in relation to petroleum industry activities and oceanographic features in the south-east Beaufort Sea during the 1985 open water season. Surface oceanographic conditions at the time of the aerial surveys (August-September) are described using satellite imagery analyses and in-situ temperature and wind data from industry vessels. Aerial photographic surveys provided information on the age/size class distribution and site tenacity of bowhead whales within the study area. Bowhead sightings recorded by other researchers working in that area during 1985 are also examined. Comparisons are made with results of previous bowhead whale surveys in the area.