General Marine Mammal Links

Australian Marine Mammal Centre (AMMC):  was established as the first national research centre focused on understanding, protecting and conserving the whales, dolphins, seals and dugongs in our region. Based in Hobart within the Southern Ocean Ecosystems program at the Australian Antarctic Division, the Australian Marine Mammal Centre supports an extensive research community throughout Australia, representing over 20 institutions.

Society for Marine Mammalogy:  a non-profit organisation which aims to evaluate and promote the educational and scientific advancement of marine mammal science.  Holds biennial international conferences and has a number of student groups in various countries world-wide.  Contains information about marine mammal taxonomy, species fact sheets, and career advice.

Acoustics and Underwater Noise

Aquatic Acoustic Archive: an online resource library, containing searchable references to publications on underwater acoustics, ambient noise, anthropogenic (human-made) noise, sounds made by marine animals, and the effects of noise on marine fauna.  Also contains numerous links to sites with examples of underwater noise (physical, biological and anthropogenic), some of which are downloadable.

Whale FM: A website which uses online volunteers to match calls of killer whales and pilot whales to help scientists catagorise the sounds.  You can help marine researchers to take a step forward in understanding what whales are saying!

Conservation Biology

Society for Conservation Biology:  an international professional organization dedicated to promoting the scientific study of the phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss, and restoration of biological diversity. It has a section on Marine Conservation Biology.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): The world’s biggest conservation organization, which helps to find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. They manage the IUCN Red List, which details the conservation status of species worldwide.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

International Whaling Commission: the global intergovernmental body charged with the conservation of whales and the management of whaling.

Australian Government Marine Mammal Conservation Initiative: delivers valuable, non-lethal whale research on an international scale, demonstrating that whales do not need to be killed in the name of science.

Career Advice for Aspiring Marine Mammalogists

“Surviving Professional Puberty in Marine Mammalogy:  Things Mom and Dad didn’t tell you!”: written by John E. Reynolds III of Eckerd College and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.

“Advice for people interested in a career studying marine mammals”: written by Robin W. Baird  of Hawai‘i Pacific University, Portland State University, and the University of Washington.

SouWEST Collaborators

Curtin University: Home to the Centre for Marine Science and Technology (CMST), a multi-skilled group of scientists and engineers committed to the development of technical ocean-related skills in Australia. The Centre has earned a reputation as a high quality marine technology research and development facility responsive to industry and government needs.

Western Whale Research (WWR):  Page Under Development – WWR supplies professional marine fauna observer services to the broader Oil and Gas exploration industry, collecting behavioural and spatial data on cetaceans as well as assisting exploration companies with the mitigation protocols during seismic survey operations.  Run by Mr Chris Burton, who has conducted small vessel based research in waters off Perth since 1989, and Geographe Bay and Flinders Bay since 1994, collecting behavioural, acoustic, photo-id, distribution and abundance data on humpback, southern right and blue whales in these areas.

Dunsborough Coast and Land Care (D-CALC): Page Under Development – co-ordinated by Mr Ron Glencross, D-CALC community volunteers run a long-term, land-based project monitoring whale numbers and movements in the Dunsborough area.  D-CALC also plays a part in maintaining shire and other nature reserves in Dunsborough and in the Cape Naturaliste corner, which has included the protection of possum habitat and locating new native plant species and weeds (e.g. Juncus acutus).

Flinders University:  home to Dr Luciana Moller, who co-leads the Cetacean ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, and acts as Deputy Head of the Molecular Ecology Lab.  Dr Moller supervises Catherine Attard, and together they investigate the population genetics of blue whales.

Macquarie University: where PhD candidate Ms Catherine Attard is researching the genetics of endangered blue whales in Australia and surrounding regions.

University of Newcastle:  Cyclops, the computer program SouWEST uses to capture theodolite data, was developed by Dr Eric Kniest in the School of Engineering.  He is currently implementing a new, improved software called VADAR to replace the Cyclops system.

Centre for Whale Research (CWR):  a non-profit research institute established in 1993 by Curt and Micheline Jenner.  CWR aims to conduct scientific research into marine mammals, primarily cetaceans, in Western Australian waters.