Quarterly reports of principal investigators for July-September

-2-
(18-23 June) by technician L. Shults in connection with another
related project.
The shores of Kotzebue Sound from Sheshalik to Point Hope and
from Cape Espenberg to Wales were surveyed by L. Shults via
chartered aircraft from 16 to 25 July. The area covered is shown
in Fig. 3. Several landings were made on the beaches for closer
inspection and collection of diagnostic samples from some of the
carcasses.
III. Results
One hundred thirty titles of papers dealing with diseases,
parasites, pathology and natural mortality of marine mammals
have been accumulated thus far, and the search and review
procedures are continuing.
A first draft of an autopsy manual was developed for use and
critique by project personnel during this quarter's field
activities. Several modifications were indicated and will be incorporated
into a second working draft in the next quarter.
The Alaska Peninsula survey covered about 620 km (385 mi) of
coast, on which were found the remains of 12 whales (all
apparently very young gray Eschrichtius gibbosus, and minke
whales, Balaenoptera acutorostrata), 16 adult walruses (Odobenus
rosmarus), 10 young and adult hair seals (Phoca spp.) and 3
adult sea otters (Enhydra lutris). About one-fourth of these
were old, dried and tattered remains left from previous years;
three-fourths were judged to have stranded no more than 3 months
prior to the survey. The degenerate condition of most of the
latter precluded useful autopsy.
The Kuskokwim Bay supplement which amounted to about 83 km
(51.5 mi), yielded no carcasses at all, and the C. Pierce-C.
Newenham segment of about 8 km (5 mi) yielded only 1 fresh
carcass of an adult male Steller's sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus)
and an assortment of much older remains of walruses (2 adult,
2 subadult males), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina, 2 adults) and
whales (1 each of gray and minke, I killer whale, Orcinus orca
and 1 giant bottle-nosed whale, Berardius bairdii).
About 267 km (167 mi) of the coast of St. Lawrence Island were
surveyed, yielding 36 whales (30 grays and minkes, 4 bowheads,
Balaena mysticetus and 2 finbacks, Balacnoptera physalus),
36