CETUS: Cetacean monitoring surveys in the Eastern North Atlantic

The CETUS dataset contains effort-based occurrence records collected during a cetacean monitoring programme in the Eastern North Atlantic, since 2012.
The CETUS dataset contains data collected within the CETUS Project (www.cetusproject.com), a cetacean monitoring programme in the Eastern North Atlantic, running since 2012. The project is led by the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR - University of Porto, Portugal), in partnership with TRANSINSULAR - Grupo ETE, a Portuguese company for maritime transport, that offers its cargo ships to be used as a platforms of opportunity to monitor cetaceans along routes between Continental Portugal and Madeira, Azores, Canary and Cape Verde islands. On-board trained marine mammal observers collect data on: survey effort, cetacean and other megafauna occurrences, as well as marine traffic and meteorological conditions. Data is provided in the recent OBIS-ENV-DATA format, and comprises 8913 georeferenced positions associated with 3195 occurrences of 44 marine taxa. Acknowledgements: We are extremely grateful to Grupo ETE-TRANSINSULAR and to the Portuguese Navy - Hidrographic Institute that provided all the logistic support for data collection, and to the ship crews for their hospitality. This research was funded by the project Atlantic Whale Deal – Mitigating Ship Strikes and Enhancing Carbon Sequestration in the Atlantic project, through the Interreg Atlantic Area 2021–2027 programme – European Regional Development Fund; by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the scope of the Strategic Funding UIDB/04423/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04423/2020), UIDP/04423/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDP/04423/2020), and LA/P/0101/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0101/2020); and by the EU FEDER/FEMP and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the Portugal2020 (Lisboa2020, Algarve2020 and MAR2020) Programme through project OBSERVA.PT (MAR-01.04.02-FEAMP-0002). A special acknowledgement to all CETUS volunteers for their contribution and dedication during the monitoring campaigns between 2012 and 2014. They were: Adriana Melo; Ágatha Gil; Alberto Perez; Alexandra Pires; Alexandre Branco; Amber Coleman; Amelie Gadbois; Ana Ayres; Andreia Pereira; Anicee Lombal; Anja Badenas; António Nogueira; Anxo Gende; Ayca Eleman; Bárbara Matos; Beatriz Felipe; Carmen Escobar; Catarina Fonseca; Catarina Morgado; Claúdia Ferreira; Cláudia Oliveira-Rodrigues; Corina Peter; Diana Fonseca; Eduardo Lima; Esteban Iglesias; Fadia Al Abbar; Francisco Cardeal; Firat Hayta; Jack Ball; Joana Romero; Joana Silva; Jorge Silva; Judit Miquel; Julia Heiler; Julia Müller; Juliana Moron; Julien Freyer; Lara Meras; Laura García; Layla Mpinou; Leonardo Berninsone; Lidia Lado; Luís Afonso; Mafalda Correia; Margo Paris; Maria Ballesteros; Maria Jímenez; Marieta Mihova; Mayara Gomes; Mieke Weyn; Nádia Silva; Natália Jímenez; Nicholas Blanc; Oleh Danduriants; Olga Azevedo; Patrícia Carvalho; Paula Carreño; Paula Silvar; Pedro Fernandes; Pedro Xavier; Philippa Wright; Raul Valente; Rebecca Velasco; Rhiannon Nichol; Rita Felgueiras; Rita Santos; Roosevelt Gutierrez; Ryan Mathews; Santiago Otero; Sara Araújo; Sara Pastorino; Sarah Drake; Sofia Silva; Suzana Paz; Svenja Halfter; Tanja Schwank; Tara Calahan; Tiago Brandão; Torcuato Mantas; Valéria Aragão; Vasco Gomes; Verónica Belchior; Victoria Hope;  Zara Valquíria.