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COMPTUEX/JTFEX EA/OEA Final Appendix Aslowly increased and expanded its range. Aside from the small translocated population at San NicolasIsland (under the jurisdiction of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), few sea otters are expected to occurwithin offshore areas of the SOCAL Range Complex because of their preference for relatively shallow(~66 ft [20 m] deep), coastal waters. The southern sea otter is listed as threatened under the ESA anddesignated as depleted under the MMPA.MAJOR DATA SOURCES FOR DISTRIBUTION MAPSSightings of marine mammals at sea within and near the SOCAL Range Complex have been described inmany reports and publications. The sources of information for the sightings on the maps included in thisEA/OEA are summarized below in Table A-3, and details are provided in Appendix A-3 of the SOCALMarine Resource Assessment (U.S. Navy, 2005). Tracklines and survey grid blocks for aerial andshipboard surveys conducted in and near the Range Complex during cold-water period and warm-waterperiods are given in Figures A-1 and A-2, respectively.In addition to the sightings, the maps also include three areas of occurrence: primary, secondary, and rare.Protected species biologists with the NMFS-SWFSC ultimately devised these qualitative terms. “Area ofprimary occurrence” is defined as the areas and habitats where the species is primarily found. “Area ofsecondary occurrence” is defined as the areas and habitats where the species may be found, especiallyduring “anomalous” environmental conditions. “Area of rare occurrence” is defined as the areas andhabitats where the species is not expected to be found regularly. “Unknown” (hatched) is defined as theareas and habitats for which insufficient information is available to establish occurrence because of lackof survey effort. The areas were designated using best judgment, including NMFS-SWFSC expertopinion (based on many years of survey experience in the area), known habitat preferences anddistribution of a species, and mathematical models.Table A-3. Sources of Information for Sightings of Marine Mammals at Sea within and Near theSOCAL Range ComplexNaval Undersea Center (now the Naval Ocean Systems Center NOSC ) aerial surveys over the continental shelf from Point Conceptionsouth to 31°30’N and offshore to 121°W, 1968–1975 (Leatherwood and Walker 1979; Dahlheim et al. 1982; Leatherwood et al. 1984).NMFS-SWFSC coastal bottlenose dolphin aerial surveys along the central and southern California coast (~32°N–38°N), 1990–2000(Carretta et al. 1998). Only data from 1990–1994 and 1999–2000 were included.NMFS-SWFSC California coastal cetacean surveys out to ~280 km offshore off southern California, March–April 1991 and February–April1992 (Carretta and Forney 1993; Forney and Barlow 1993; Forney et al. 1995).NMFS-SWFSC aerial surveys in a portion of the Navy Outer Sea Test Range (OSTR), west of San Nicolas Island in the Point Mugu SeaRange, January 1993–May 1994 (Carretta et al. 1995).Minerals Management Service (MMS) aerial surveys of seabirds and marine mammals in the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel and theSanta Maria Basin, November 1994 and August 1997 (Schmitt et al. 2003).Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) aerial survey, June 1997–December 2003 (Waltenberger and Pickett 2000;Schwemm et al. 2000).NMFS-SWFSC aerial surveys of the San Clemente Island Range Complex, April 1998–July 1999 (Carretta et al. 2000). NOSC shipboardsurveys from Point Conception to the tip of Baja California, 1965–1975, each quarter of the year; and from San Diego to Kodiak, AK, in April(Leatherwood and Walker 1979; Dahlheim et al. 1982; Leatherwood et al. 1984).Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program of the Smithsonian Institution shipboard surveys from the Mexican border towaters off British Columbia, 1967 and 1968 (Leatherwood and Walker 1979).A-9 February 2007