Research Document - 2016/037

Estimate of Cumberland Sound beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) population size from the 2014 visual and photographic aerial survey

By Marcoux, M., Young, B.G., Asselin, N.C., Watt, C A., Dunn, J.B., and Ferguson, S.H.

Abstract

Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cumberland Sound are a genetically distinct population in the Canadian eastern Arctic. They have been designated as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada due to a possible decline in abundance. To provide an update to the 2009 population estimate an aerial survey was conducted in August 2014. The 2014 survey had two components; a photographic survey of Clearwater Fiord (a small inlet in the northwest corner of Cumberland Sound), and a visual survey of the northern and western parts of Cumberland Sound. The photographic survey completely covered Clearwater Fiord four times as this is known to be an area where belugas aggregate in the summer months. The survey of the northern part of Cumberland Sound was completed twice, whereas the survey of the western part of Cumberland Sound was completed once. Different correction factors for availability bias were calculated according to the presumed depth at which belugas could be seen from the aircraft and on photos. The corrected estimate for Clearwater Fiord was 603 [coefficient of variance (CV) = 0.076, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 519–699], while the estimate for the northern part of Cumberland Sound was 548 (CV = 0.445, 95% CI = 240–1256). No belugas were seen in the western part of Cumberland Sound. This resulted in a total population abundance of 1151 (CV = 0.214, 95% CI = 760–1744) belugas.

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