This killer whale (orca) photo was taken from the deck of the Oregon II during the 1999 Spring Mammal Survey in the Northern Gulf of Mexico by scientist Carrie Hubard of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Pascagoula Laboratory. Marine mammal surveys are conducted on the Oregon II throughout the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. The purpose of these surveys is to obtain data on the distribution and abundance of mammals, to establish and build time-series to monitor trends in abundance, and to examine distribution in relation to oceanographic features.Marine Mammal Operations are often conducted in concert with Plankton Surveys.
