Research Project
Researchers: Karen Evans (Principal investigator, Principal or Chief Investigator) , Claire Charlton (Co-investigator or Collaborator) , Emma L Carroll (Co-investigator or Collaborator) , Kris Carlyon (Co-investigator or Collaborator) , Michael Double (Co-investigator or Collaborator)
Full description A comprehensive understanding of the population abundance and degree of spatial connectivity of southern right whales (_Eubalaena australis_) in Australian waters is currently lacking. This limits assessments of the species recovery and understanding of the nature and degree of difference between the south-eastern and south-western Australian populations. This project brought together existing photo-identification datasets, including records held in the [Australian Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalogue](https://data.marinemammals.gov.au/arwpic) (ARWPIC), to support a national assessment of southern right whale population dynamics and connectivity. It estimated total Australian population abundance, investigated links between whales using breeding areas along the eastern, southern and western coasts of Australia, and assessed future data collection needs for ongoing monitoring. The project supported evaluation of progress against the Conservation Management Plan for southern right whales and contributed to more coordinated conservation planning for the species at regional and national scales.
