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Project details
| Title: | Marine Mammal Observations |
| Id: | 2557 |
| Investigator(s): | Rachel Rice
Natasha Pastor |
| Description: | Purpose: To conduct Marine Mammal Observations for the duration of the voyage. Description of proposed work: As marine mammal observers, Rice and Pastor (College of the Atlantic, USA) will monitor, record, and report sightings of marine mammals within visual range of RV Investigator during times of operation. During scheduled shifts, they will record sightings and include supporting data such as time, distance, location, species, and animal behavior. These data will be provided to the Chief Scientist, the MNF, and the Australian Antarctic Division in addition to a final report at the conclusion of the voyage summarizing the sighting data. Monitoring for marine mammals will provide real time information regarding location and behavior of marine mammals that enter the work area of the vessel. To date, sixteen cetacean species have been recorded near Macquarie Island: killer whale (Orcinus orca), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), minke whale (Balaenoptera sp.), Arnoux’s beaked whale (Berardius arnuxii), strap-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon layardii), fin whale (Balaenoptera physalis), sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Andrew’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bowdoini), Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), southern right-whale dolphin (Lissodelphis peronii), spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica), hourglass dolphin (Lagenorhynchus cruciger). Also, five species of seals have been recorded in the area: Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), sub-Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis), New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri), southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), and Hooker’s sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri). Few observations have been conducted in the vicinity of Macquarie Island in the autumnal late March-mid-April timeframe, as most previous observations have been typically undertaken in summer. Hence significant new data will be acquired. |
| Years: | 2020 |
There are no surveys directly linked to this project.