All rights reserved.
EBRWS
Our Objectives
EBRWS is powered by a team of
Researchers, Volunteers and passionate engaged citizens.
All rights reserved.
EBRWS
Our Objectives
EBRWS is powered by a team of
Researchers, Volunteers and passionate engaged citizens.
© Bob Prestwood for EBRWS
Research permit number Y26866 : 2019
All rights reserved.
Our Objectives
Population dynamics:
Long-term population monitoring through systematic land-based surveys and targeted photo-identification to assess spatial and temporal variability in population dynamics including: group characteristics, distribution, abundance, habitat selection and spatial ecology, health and body condition, residency, site fidelity, behavioural activity budgets, and connectivity and short and long-range movement patterns within and across aggregations areas.
Life history parameters:
Understanding life history parameters, such as calving, survival and recovery rates, and contribution of data to national and international efforts to understand population demographics and links between health, foraging ecology and Southern Ocean climatic variability. All photo identification data is contributed to the Australian Right Whale Photo Identification Catalogue (ARWPIC) and the International Whaling Commission Southern Ocean Research Partnership (IWC-SORP) theme 6 project.
Behaviour and fine-scale movement:
Assessment of fine scale behaviour and individual movement patterns, core habitat use and home ranges of southern right whales in Encounter Bay in the presence and absence of human activities. Behavioural data is collected using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones), binoculars and/or theodolites from land based stations to record behavioural state and events, respiration rates, suckling rates, swim speeds, distance travelled and location. Data is contributed to a state-wide assessment to compare behaviour across three aggregation areas at Encounter Bay, Fowlers Bay and Head of Bight in the presence and absence of human activities including tourism, recreational and commercial vessels, and construction (including pile driving).
Acoustics:
Characterising the soundscape of the different aggregation areas in Australia in relation to anthropogenic and biological noise, and modelling associations to habitat features.
