Point clustering of minke whales in the northeastern Atlantic

Abstract A statistical model for spatial whale distribution in the Northeastern Atlantic is presented. The model, a Neyman-Scott cluster process, is fitted separately for 12 strata, based on data from the Norwegian shipborn survey in 1989. The spatial distribution differs considerably between areas, with respect to both cluster size, intensity of clusters and density of whales within clusters. It seems obvious that information about the clustering is relevant when planning new surveys, and when analyzing survey data.