SEAFOS seal census survey at Filchner Outflow System during campaign FIL2014

FIL2013: Polar 6 conducted a systematic digital photographic aerial survey of the area of the Filchner Outflow System during two survey flights from Halley VI on 15 and 16 November 2013. The total survey distance covered 3,000 km each on 15 (eastern section) and 16 (western section) November 2013. Due to a low cloud ceiling on 15 November, the first flight operation was terminated prematurely and thus the westernmost track could not be flown. This track was flown on 16 November, and the total number of tracks numbered 11 instead of 12 as had been planned originally.

FIL2014: Visual surveys of pack ice seals using helicopters were conducted from 4 January to 9 February 2014 from aboard RV Polarstern (PS82). For all seal related operations (including deployments of satellite transmitte rs and reconnaissance flights) a total of 30:13 hours during 20 flights were flown (MIN 0:11; MAX 3:13). The survey region was sampled by flying systematically spaced line transects (parallel lines approximately 10 nm apart) whenever ship position and weather conditions allowed, with out clustering transects in areas of easier access. When a full transect length could not be flown on a day, we attempted to complete (extend) the particular transect on a following day.