Our Team

All rights reserved.

The Great Australian Bight
Right Whale Study (GABRWS)

Committed to researching the endangered and migratory southern right whale species for conservation management.

Our Team
Our Team

All rights reserved.

The Great Australian Bight
Right Whale Study (GABRWS)

Committed to researching the endangered and migratory southern right whale species for conservation management.

Our Team
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Australian Right Whale Research

The Australian Bight Right Whale Research (ARWR) is committed to researching the endangered and migratory southern right whale species for conservation management. Our research includes population biology, photo identification and underwater acoustics at Head of Bight and Fowlers Bay in the Great Australian Bight, South Australia.

In 1991 GABRWS established an ongoing annual population monitoring program at Australia's largest southern right whale aggregation ground, Head of Bight. The study addresses the objectives of the Conservation Management Plan for the Southern Right Whale 2011-2021 and outputs are distributed to managers, industry and the public.

Objectives

  • Assess southern right whale relative abundance, distribution and life histories.

  • Investigate movement and connectivity of southern right whales across coastal aggregation grounds in Australia.

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  • Determine the vocal repertoire of southern right whales and use passive acoustic monitoring to assess distribution and movement patterns outside of known aggregation areas.

Research

POPULATION
BIOLOGY

Southern right whales are monitored annually at Head of Bight and Fowlers Bay through daily census of the aggregation area, to provide information on population trends over time

PHOTO
IDENTIFICATION

Southern right whales have unique callosity patterns that enable us to identify individuals over time to study their life histories, movement and site use.

UNDERWATER
ACOUSTICS

Passive acoustic monitoring of whale calls used to determine the vocal repertoire of the species, characterise vocalisations, establish social context and determine distribution and movement.

For More Information

Australian Right Whale Research
Curtin University
Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102

   

Head of Bight Whale Interpretive Centre
Eyre Highway
Nullabor SA 5690

  

Dr. Claire Charlton, Principle Investigator
CMST, Curtin University, Current Environmental
claire.charlton@live.com.au
+61 476 146 394