earticle

영어

As part of the long-term monitoring effort following the Hebei Spirit oil spill that occurred in Taean County, the present study tracked the long-term variation in population size and spatial distribution of finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis). In the damage survey spanning one year since the accident, a total of nine finless porpoise carcasses were found on the Taean coast, but because most carcasses had severely decayed, the exact cause(s) of death could not be identified. In the sighting survey, large groups assumed to be engaging in feeding activity were frequently observed after 2011, while the survey also suggested a trend of steady increase in the number of individuals. With respect to spatial distribution, the frequency of finless porpoise appearance was high in the northern waters off the Taean coast, which was found to follow the distribution of food sources.