%0 Report %D 2018 %T Aerial visual survey of cetaceans and other megafauna in the Bremer Marine Park and surrounding areas %A Phil J. Bouchet %A Wellard, R %A Christine Erbe %A Jessica J. Meeuwig %K aerial survey %K cetaceans %K killer whales %K marine parks %K megafauna %X

Cetaceans are some of the most iconic animals on the planet, yet few of the 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises known to occur in Australian waters have been extensively studied to date. Historical commercial whaling records and recent modelling studies suggest that the submarine canyons within and around the Bremer Marine Park provide favourable habitats for a number of cetaceans, including sperm, beaked, and killer whales. The latter have been reported to concentrate in unprecedented numbers in the Bremer Sub-Basin over the austral summer months, forming what is likely the largest seasonal aggregation of the species in the Southern Hemisphere. However, little data on the animals’ ecology, population abundance, or movements currently exist, and while the majority of killer whale encounters have occurred around the heads of the Knob and Henry Canyons to date, it remains unclear whether this area represents a discrete and unique hotspot or whether the Bremer Marine Park may support additional aggregations.
Under the NESP Emerging Priorities scheme, the Minister for the Environment and Energy, the Honourable Josh Frydenberg MP, accordingly committed research funds to the Marine Biodiversity Hub (MBH) to assess the extent and likely drivers of the Bremer megafauna hotspot, which is currently fuelling a rapidly growing tourism industry. As part of the programme, aerial surveys were implemented to assess the presence, numbers, behaviour and distribution of large air-breathing vertebrates throughout the region. The resulting data provide a critical baseline for understanding when and how cetaceans and other charismatic predators use the Bremer Marine Park. Such knowledge is key to helping managers and policy-makers meet national legislative requirements regarding the adequate conservation of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) listed species

%8 28 Feb 2018 %G eng %0 Report %D 2018 %T Bremer Canyon - Final report %A Phil J. Bouchet %A Jessica J. Meeuwig %A Christine Erbe %A Salgado-Kent, Chandra %A Wellard, R %A Pattiaratchi, Charitha %K acoustics %K aerial survey %K glider oceanography %K mid-water video cameras %K orca %X

Approximately 70 kilometres south-east of Bremer Bay (119.4°E, 34.4°S) off southern Western Australia’s coast lies a group of submarine canyons that incise the continental slope, plunging to depths of more than 1,000 metres. Charismatic pelagic organisms such as cetaceans, sharks, seabirds and squid are known to concentrate in high abundance above these features. In particular, the canyons are the site of the largest reported seasonal aggregation of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 100 identified individuals in the local population, many of which are regularly sighted. Existing data suggest that the majority of killer whale encounters occur west of the Bremer Marine Park, around the heads of the Knob and Henry Canyons. It is unclear, however, whether this area represents a discrete and unique killer whale hotspot or whether the park may support other aggregations, be they from separate individuals or the same animals frequenting the hotspot. Furthermore, the mechanisms underpinning ocean productivity in these otherwise relatively oligotrophic waters remain largely unresolved.

%8 23 Mar 2018 %G eng