This SGER project will examine the feasibility of using lighter than airships (blimps) to follow various aspects of cetacean biology such as the time/space variability in population structure, diving and submergence behavior, and migratory movements and behavior, as well as in depth studies of important breeding and nursery grounds along the US Atlantic coast. The airship time is being donated by the FUJI corporation on its FUJI airship and by Metropolitan life on its METLIFE blimp and thus the award involves an important commitment and cooperative effort with the private sector. The donated time will be provided on an opportunistic basis, dependent on primary commitments. The project will evaluate and make recommendations on the use of these new advanced airships for ocean surveys of marine mammals and their habitats and should further extend our basic understanding of space and time population variation and general behavior of these interesting and endangered organisms.
