Acoustic surveys of humpback whales: Calibration experiments off the east coast of Australia

2002 ◽  
Vol 112 (5) ◽  
pp. 2398-2398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Noad ◽  
Douglas H. Cato
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Acoustic Surveys

scholarly journals Population growth of Australian East coast humpback whales, observed from Cape Byron, 1998 to 2004

2020 ◽  
pp. 261-268
Author(s):  
David A. Paton ◽  
Rric Kniest
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Confidence Intervals ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Annual Rate ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Survey Period ◽  
Group V ◽  
Breeding Stock ◽  
Rate Of Increase

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that migrate past the east coast of Australia comprise part of Group V (E(i) breeding stock). From1995 to 2004 an annual 16 day survey was conducted from Cape Byron (28°37’S, 153°38’E), the most easterly point on the Australian mainland,monitoring the peak of the humpback whale northern migration. The annual rate of increase between 1998 and 2004 of humpback whales observedoff Cape Byron is 11.0% (95% CI 2.3–20.5%). This rate of increase is consistent with that recorded from other studies of the humpback whalepopulation off the east coast of Australia. The large confidence intervals associated with this estimate are due to considerable inter-annual variationin counts. The most likely explanation for this being the short survey period, which may not have always coincided with the peak of migration, andin some years a large proportion of whales passed Cape Byron at a greater distance out to sea, making sightability more difficult.

scholarly journals Abundance of East coast Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in 2005 estimated using multi-point sampling and capture-recapture analysis

2020 ◽  
pp. 253-259
Author(s):  
David A. Paton ◽  
Lyndon Brooks ◽  
Daniel Burns ◽  
Trish Franklin ◽  
Wally Franklin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Megaptera Novaeangliae ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Migration Route ◽  
Closed Population ◽  
Breeding Stock ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Abundance Estimates ◽  
Capture Recapture ◽  
Near Extinction

The humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) that migrate along the east coast of Australia were hunted to near extinction during the lastcentury. This remnant population is part of Breeding Stock E. Previous abundance estimates for the east Australian portion of Breeding Stock Ehave been based mainly on land-based counts. Here we present a capture-recapture abundance estimate for this population using photo-identificationdata. These data were collected at three locations on the migration route (Byron Bay – northern migration, Hervey Bay and Ballina – southernmigration) in order to estimate the population of humpback whales that migrated along the east coast of Australia in 2005. The capture-recapturedata were analysed using a variety of closed population models with a model-averaged estimate of 7,041 (95% CI 4,075–10,008) whales.

scholarly journals Interannual variability in the lipid and fatty acid profiles of east Australia-migrating humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) across a 10-year timeline

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Groß ◽  
Patti Virtue ◽  
Peter D. Nichols ◽  
Pascale Eisenmann ◽  
Courtney A. Waugh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Prey Item ◽  
Antarctic Krill ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Southern Annular Mode ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Climate Indices ◽  
Fatty Acid Profiles ◽  
High Degree

Abstract Southern hemisphere humpback whales are classified as high-fidelity Antarctic krill consumers and as such are vulnerable to variability and long-term changes in krill biomass. Evidence of heterogeneous feeding patterns of east coast of Australia migrating humpback whales has been observed, warranting a comprehensive assessment of interannual variability in their diet. We examined the lipid and fatty acid profiles of individuals of the east coast of Australia migrating stock sampled between 2008 and 2018. The use of live-sampled blubber biopsies showed that fatty acid profiles varied significantly among all years. The two trophic indicator fatty acids for Antarctic krill, 20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3 remained largely unchanged across the 10-year period, suggesting that Antarctic krill is the principal prey item. A distance-based linear model showed that 33% of the total variation in fatty acid profiles was explained by environmental variables and climate indices. Most of the variation was explained by the Southern Annular Mode (23.7%). The high degree of variability observed in this study was unexpected for a species that is thought to feed primarily on one prey item. We propose that the observed variability likely arises from changes in the diet of Antarctic krill rather than changes in the whale’s diet.

Humpback Whales, Area V. An Increase in Numbers Off Australia’s East Coast

1990 ◽  
pp. 271-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Bryden ◽  
G. P. Kirkwood ◽  
R. W. Slade
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Humpback Whales

scholarly journals First assessment of interchange of humpback whales between Oceania and the East coast of Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 269-274
Author(s):  
Claire Garrigue ◽  
Trish Franklin ◽  
Rochelle Constantine ◽  
Kirsty Russell ◽  
Daniel Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
East Coast ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
American Samoa ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Cook Island ◽  
Breeding Grounds

The interchange of individual humpback whales between the wintering grounds of Oceania (South Pacific) and the east coast of Australia weredocumented by individual identification photographs collected from 1999 to 2004. Interchange was assessed using regional catalogues of flukephotographs, totalling 672 individuals from Oceania (represented by New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Cook Island,French Polynesia and American Samoa) and 1,242 individuals from Hervey Bay and Byron Bay representing the southbound and the northboundmigration along the east coast of Australia (EA). Overall, there were seven documented movements between EA and Oceania. Four instances ofmovement of four individuals were documented between EA and the closest breeding grounds of New Caledonia. A further three movements wererecorded between EA and a small catalogue (n = 13) from the New Zealand migratory corridor. In contrast, during this same period, 20 cases ofinterchange were documented among nine breeding grounds: French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Niue, American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatuand New Caledonia. The low level of interchange between Oceania and the east coast of Australia has important implications for understanding thestock structure and abundance of humpback whales in the South Pacific.

Determination of Age in the Humpback Whale, Megaptera nodosa (Bonnaterre)

1959 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
RG Chittleborough
Keyword(s):  
East Coast ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
The West ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Sexually Mature ◽  
Rate Of Accumulation

The use of baleen, ear plugs, and ovaries in the determination of age in humpback whales is described. From the evidence of baleen, the majority of humpback whales reach puberty at 4 or 5 years of age. The rate of accumulation of laminations in ear plugs is two laminations per year. The mean rate of ovulation in sexually mature females is 1.1 per year. Age determination upon the same sample of mature females by these two methods gives very similar distribution of ages. The age distribution within separate sexes from samples of mature humpback whales examined on the west and east coasts of Australia in 1957 are compared. The results indicate that the population migrating along the west coast is at present composed of younger individuals than that on the east coast of Australia.

scholarly journals Absolute and relative abundance estimates of Australian east coast humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

2020 ◽  
pp. 243-252
Author(s):  
Michael J. Noad ◽  
Rebecca A. Dunlop ◽  
David Paton ◽  
Douglas H. Cato
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Absolute Abundance ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Abundance Estimates ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Migratory Population ◽  
Australian Coastline ◽  
Near Extinction

The humpback whales that migrate along the east coast of Australia were hunted to near-extinction in the 1950s and early 1960s. Two independentseries of land-based surveys conducted over the last 25 years during the whales’ northward migration along the Australian coastline havedemonstrated a rapid increase in the size of the population. In 2004 we conducted a survey of the migratory population as a continuation of theseseries of surveys. Two methods of data analysis were used in line with the previous surveys, both for calculation of absolute and relative abundance.We consider the best estimates for 2004 to be 7,090±660 (95% CI) whales with an annual rate of increase of 10.6±0.5% (95% CI) for 1987–2004.The rate of increase agrees with those previously obtained for this population and demonstrates the continuation of a strong post-exploitationrecovery. While there are still some uncertainties concerning the absolute abundance estimate and structure of this population, the rate of annualincrease should be independent of these and highly robust.

Levels and probable origin of predatory scarring on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in east Australian waters

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Naessig ◽  
Janet M. Lanyon
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Killer Whale ◽  
New South ◽  
Humpback Whales ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Low Incidence ◽  
Probable Origin ◽  
Almost All

To investigate the incidence of non-lethal predation in Southern Hemisphere whales, more than 3400 fluke-identification photographs from resight histories of 1436 east Australian humpback whales were examined for evidence of predatory markings. Photographs were obtained from 1984 to 1996 at various locations along the east coast of Australia, from northern Queensland to southern New South Wales. Photographs were classified in terms of the level and type of scarring. The possible predator and whether the markings appeared fresh were also noted. In all, 17% of identified east Australian humpbacks possessed some form of predatory scarring, 57% of which was minor and 43% major. Almost all predatory scarring was consistent with that inflicted by killer whales. Only three whales demonstrated an increase in the level of predatory scarring after their first sightings. Two incidents of fresh scarring were recorded, and one fatal killer whale attack on a humpback whale calf was directly observed. The overall level of predatory scarring found in this study is comparable to those found in studies for Northern Hemisphere humpback whales. The low incidence of adult whales showing their first sign of predatory scarring after their initial sighting, and the small number possessing recent scarring, support the idea that east Australian humpback whales experience most predatory attacks early in life.

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