Research Document 2019/028
Estimate of the abundance of the Eclipse Sound narwhal (Monodon Monoceros) summer stock from the 2016 photographic aerial survey
By Marcoux, M., Montsion, L.M., Dunn, J.B., Ferguson, S.H., and Matthews, C.J.D.
Abstract
In August 2016, an aerial survey was completed to estimate the size of the summer stock of narwhal in Eclipse Sound. The survey was entirely based on aerial photography. Strip transect analyses were performed for the Eclipse Sound, Pond Inlet, Navy Board Inlet, and Milne Inlet strata. A density surface modelling approach estimated the abundance in the Tremblay Sound and Koluktoo Bay strata to accommodate the irregular survey track lines. Although other surveys of strata occurred, the stock abundance estimate was obtained by adding the stratum estimates from August 7-10, a relatively short period when all strata were covered. The abundance estimate, corrected for narwhals that could not be detected because they were underwater (correction factor of 3.18), was 12,039 (coefficient of variation = 0.23, 95% confidence interval = 7,768-18,660). A Total Allowable Landed Catch of 117 narwhals was estimated using the Potential Biological Removal (PBR) method.
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