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Research Report Series GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT RESEARCH PROGRAM RESEARCH REPORT SERIES Status, distribution and abundance of iconic species and apex predators in the Great Australian Bight Final Report GABRP Project 4.1 S.D. Goldsworthy, A.I. MacKay, K. Bilgmann, L.M. Möller, G.J. Parra, P. Gill, F. Bailleul, P. Shaughnessy, S-L. Reinhold and P.J. Rogers. GABRP Research Report Series Number 15 October 2017 DISCLAIMER The partners of the Great Australian Bight Research Program advises that the information contained in this publication comprises general statements based on scientific research. The reader is advised that no reliance or actions should be made on the information provided in this report without seeking prior expert professional, scientific and technical advice. To the extent permitted by law, the partners of the Great Australian Bight Research Program (including its employees and consultants) excludes all liability to any person for any consequences, including but not limited to all losses, damages, costs, expenses and any other compensation, arising directly or indirectly from using this publication (in part or in whole) and any information or material contained in it. The GABRP Research Report Series is an Administrative Report Series which has not been reviewed outside the Great Australian Bight Research Program and is not considered peer-reviewed literature. Material presented may later be published in formal peer-reviewed scientific literature. COPYRIGHT ©2017 THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE CITED AS: Goldsworthy, S.D., Mackay, A.I., Bilgmann, K., MÖller, L.M., Parra, G.J., Gill, P., Bailleul, F., Shaughnessy, P., Reinhold, S-L. and Rogers, P.J. (2017). Status, distribution and abundance of iconic species and apex predators in the Great Australian Bight. Final Report GABRP Project 4.1. Great Australian Bight Research Program, GABRP Research Report Series Number 15, 227pp. CONTACT Prof Simon Goldsworthy SARDI e: [email protected] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION www.misa.net.au/GAB GREAT AUSTRALIAN BIGHT RESEARCH PROGRAM The Great Australian Bight Research Program is a collaboration between BP, CSIRO, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the University of Adelaide, and Flinders University. The Program aims to provide a whole-of-system understanding of the environmental, economic and social values of the region; providing an information source for all to use. CONTENTS List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... xii 1. Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 1 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Background and Need ..................................................................................................................... 6 4. Objectives........................................................................................................................................ 6 5. Inshore aerial cetacean surveys ...................................................................................................... 8 Occurrence, distribution and abundance of cetaceans off the western Eyre Peninsula in the Great Australian Bight ................................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. 8 5.2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 8 5.2.1 Background and Need ..................................................................................................... 9 5.2.2 Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 10 5.3 Methods ................................................................................................................................ 11 5.3.1 Survey Design ................................................................................................................ 11 5.3.1 Data analysis ................................................................................................................. 13 5.4 Results ................................................................................................................................... 15 5.5 Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 22 5.6 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 24 5.7 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 24 5.8 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 26 6. Offshore aerial cetacean surveys .................................................................................................. 31 Offshore cetacean aerial surveys in the Great Australian Bight ....................................................... 31 6.1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 31 6.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 32 6.1 Methods ................................................................................................................................ 33 6.1.1 Aerial survey .................................................................................................................. 33 6.1.2 Measures of abundance ................................................................................................ 34 6.1.3 Environmental variables ............................................................................................... 34 6.2 Results ................................................................................................................................... 35 6.2.1 Summary of surveys ...................................................................................................... 35 6.2.1 Summary of cetacean sightings .................................................................................... 35 6.3 Discussion .............................................................................................................................. 39 6.3.1 Pygmy blue whales Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda .............................................. 39 6.3.2 Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus ................................................................................. 39 6.3.3 Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus ........................................................................ 39 6.3.4 Long-finned pilot whales Globicephala melas .............................................................. 40 ii 6.3.5 Killer whales Orcinus orca ............................................................................................. 41 6.3.6 Risso’s dolphins Grampus griseus ................................................................................. 42 6.3.7 Other dolphin species ................................................................................................... 42 6.3.8 Unidentified whales ...................................................................................................... 43 6.3.9 Past aerial surveys of the eastern GAB by BWS ............................................................ 43 6.3.10 Cetacean habitat in the eastern GAB ............................................................................ 45 6.3.11 Possible environmental influences on survey results ................................................... 46 6.4 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 48 6.5 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 49 7. Offshore cetacean surveys ............................................................................................................ 51 Passive acoustic and visual survey of cetaceans in the Great Australian Bight ................................ 51 7.1 Executive summary ............................................................................................................... 51 7.2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 52 7.2.1 Passive acoustic monitoring .......................................................................................... 54 7.2.2 Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 55 7.3 Methods ................................................................................................................................ 55 7.3.1 Survey design
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