ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3460-609X
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Edith Cowan University
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Oceans Blueprint
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Environmental Science and Management | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Environmental Knowledge | Population, Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics | Conservation and Biodiversity
Conserving Natural Heritage | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity |
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-02-2020
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 04-2011
DOI: 10.1121/1.3587792
Abstract: The first of four major experiments in project behavioural response of australian humpback whales to seismic surveys (BRAHSS) was conducted on the east coast of Australia in September and October 2010. The project aims to understand how humpback whales respond to seismic surveys and to provide the information that will allow these surveys to be conducted efficiently with minimal impact on whales. It also aims to determine how the whales react to r up or soft start, and to assess how effective this is in mitigation. The 2010 experiment used a single air gun. Four air guns will be used in the next two experiments and a full seismic array in the final experiment in 2013. During the 2010 experiment, behavior and tracks of whales were recroded by four theodolite stations on elevated coastal positions and DTAGs used on some whales. Vocalizing whales were tracked with a wide base line hydrophone array. A further four acoustic recorders were used to measure propagation loss and to characterize the sound field throughout the area. A wide range of variables likely to affect whale response was measured. [Work sponsored by the JIP E& P Sound & Marine Life and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.]
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 11-2006
DOI: 10.1121/1.4776880
Abstract: Calling from the Antarctic true blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia) and the tropical subspecies (brevicauda, or pygmy blue) have been recorded across southern Australia with the pygmy blue calls also recorded along the Western Australian (WA) coast. The subspecies have a believed common downsweep and markedly different longer, tonal calls. The frequency of most energy in the tonal calls is offset between the subspecies suggesting sound-space partitioning. The pygmy blue three-part tonal call is typically 120 s long repeated every 200 s, has several variants, and includes a complex two-source component. The nature of the pygmy blue call allows counts of instantaneous calling in iduals, giving relative abundance. These estimates in the Perth Canyon, a localized seasonal feeding area, show patterns in usage of space and through time within and between seasons, such as the sudden departure of animals at a season end, which varies by approximately 2 weeks between years. Sea noise records along the WA coast indicate south-traveling animals arrive midway along the coast in October to November, animals fan out across southern Australian over December through May, then move north in the Austral winter. We have begun converting abundance estimates from relative to absolute for pygmy blue calling rates.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8351
Abstract: Seafloor characteristics can help in the prediction of fish distribution, which is required for fisheries and conservation management. Despite this, only 5%–10% of the world's seafloor has been mapped at high resolution, as it is a time‐consuming and expensive process. Multibeam echo‐sounders (MBES) can produce high‐resolution bathymetry and a broad swath coverage of the seafloor, but require greater financial and technical resources for operation and data analysis than singlebeam echo‐sounders (SBES). In contrast, SBES provide comparatively limited spatial coverage, as only a single measurement is made from directly under the vessel. Thus, producing a continuous map requires interpolation to fill gaps between transects. This study assesses the performance of demersal fish species distribution models by comparing those derived from interpolated SBES data with full‐coverage MBES distribution models. A Random Forest classifier was used to model the distribution of Abalistes stellatus , Gymnocranius grandoculis , Lagocephalus sceleratus , Loxodon macrorhinus , Pristipomoides multidens , and Pristipomoides typus , with depth and depth derivatives (slope, aspect, standard deviation of depth, terrain ruggedness index, mean curvature, and topographic position index) as explanatory variables. The results indicated that distribution models for A. stellatus , G. grandoculis , L. sceleratus , and L. macrorhinus performed poorly for MBES and SBES data with area under the receiver operator curves (AUC) below 0.7. Consequently, the distribution of these species could not be predicted by seafloor characteristics produced from either echo‐sounder type. Distribution models for P. multidens and P. typus performed well for MBES and the SBES data with an AUC above 0.8. Depth was the most important variable explaining the distribution of P. multidens and P. typus in both MBES and SBES models. While further research is needed, this study shows that in resource‐limited scenarios, SBES can produce comparable results to MBES for use in demersal fish management and conservation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3771
Abstract: Demographic parameters were estimated for southern right whales (SRWs), Eubalaena australis , using photo‐identification (photo‐ID) and count data collected during annual cliff‐based surveys at the Head of the Great Australian Bight (HoB), South Australia between 1991 and 2016. Photo‐ID and count data were contributed from the annual aerial surveys of the south‐western population in Australia (1993–2016). The HoB photo‐ID database included 1,186 non‐calf in iduals, with 459 reproductive females. HoB is an open population and represents a relative proportion (0.48–0.21) of the overall south‐western population, which is decreasing with population growth. No change was detected in the growth rate at HoB over time (1992–2016) and there was no significant difference when compared to the overall south‐western population. The estimated mean rate of increase for all SRW was 3.2% (± 1.3) per annum and for females with a calf was 4.6% (± 1.7) per annum at HoB, compared to 5.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.78, 7.36) and 6.01% (95% CI, 3.78, 7.36), respectively for the south‐western population during the same period. The apparent mean calving interval was 3.3 years (SD = 0.78, ± 0.14, 95% CI 1996–2016), and a significant increase to 4 years was observed since 2015. The apparent mean age at first parturition was 9.0 years. The minimum estimated age of the oldest whale was 50 and oldest lactating female 41 years old. The SRW demographic data provides information for monitoring recovery, population status, species conservation management and global comparative studies. There is a need to understand fluctuations in calving intervals, threats to the population and implications for species recovery.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 1999
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1121/1.4950342
Abstract: Marine industries, such as offshore petroleum, minerals, fisheries, transportation, tourism, defence, etc., introduce sound underwater, changing marine soundscapes, ranging from shallow coastal to deeper offshore regions. Concern about potential noise impacts on marine fauna has led to numerous underwater recordings and bioacoustic studies. Prior to operations, e.g., as part of permit applications for marine operations, environmental impact assessments are carried out that rely on the modelling and prediction of sound emission, propagation, and impacts. A catalog of sound signatures from activities ranging from exploration and surveying to construction, production, general operation, and decommissioning is necessary for predictive modeling. Underwater sounds recorded from seismic airguns, sub-bottom profilers, echosounders and sonars (sidescan, single-beam, and multi-beam), marine traffic (from small boats to large ships), aerial transportation (helicopters recorded underwater), dredging, pile driving, explosions, drilling, floating petroleum production, storage facilities, etc., are reviewed and their spectral and temporal characteristics, as well as beam patterns are discussed.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 1999
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-06-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-01-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-12-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-04-2021
DOI: 10.1111/MMS.12815
Abstract: When a social species inhabits disparate environments with different requirements, it presents an ideal study framework for investigating plasticity in social structure. Common dolphins ( Delphinus delphis ) are wide‐ranging offshore delphinids that generally form societies with fission‐fusion dynamics within large schools and exhibit weak social bonds. In Port Phillip, southeastern Australia, common dolphins of the same species are, against expectations, resident to an embayment. Residency in this species provides a unique opportunity to investigate whether their social structure resembles that of their offshore conspecifics with weak social bonds, or whether bay living leads to stronger social bonds. We investigated the social structure of 12 resident adult common dolphins, between 2007 and 2014, in Port Phillip. Network analyses revealed nonrandom associations and several strong bonds, a social structure unusual for this species. The study shows that the social structure of a wide‐ranging gregarious species in Port Phillip reflects the requirements of a confined environment with limited but predictable resources. Their social structure in the bay resembles that of inshore delphinids, rather than of its own species. Our study highlights the extreme plasticity in social structure that common dolphins are capable of and the importance of the environment for social bonds.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-01-2016
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-97540-1_9
Abstract: Bioacoustics is a growing field of research in which sound is measured to gain knowledge about species’ natural history and their environments. For ex le, bioacousticians have been able to create phylogenies, identify populations, and estimate abundance using sound. Moreover, today, many animals are exposed to human-generated noise, which can impact animals’ behavior, ability to communicate, physiology, hearing, and, in some instances, survival. Bioacoustics, thus, is commonly used to assess and predict the impacts of anthropogenic noise on animals and their populations. The use of bioacoustics to address such research questions, however, is only effective provided the quantitative and statistical analysis methods used are adequate and reliable. While it may not be reasonable to expect a single researcher working in bioacoustics to master all three fields required in bioacoustical research (i.e., biology, acoustics, and statistics), bioacousticians should understand basic statistical concepts, have good knowledge of existing techniques for data analysis, and identify possible pitfalls in survey design. In addition, bioacousticians should be able to conduct a range of current standard analyses, produce informative visualizations, and know when to engage a statistician to perform more sophisticated analyses. This chapter introduces common terms, concepts, and statistical methods available to analyze bioacoustical data. Not surprisingly, most are concepts and methods that could be used for any applied research topic, not necessarily just bioacoustics. The authors’ aim is for this chapter to expose users with no or limited experience in quantitative methods in bioacoustics to key analytical considerations for making valid inferences from acoustic data.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Publisher: National Marine Science Plan, White Paper submission for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Health.
Date: 2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-09-2016
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1121/1.4950342
Abstract: Marine industries, such as offshore petroleum, minerals, fisheries, transportation, tourism, defence, etc., introduce sound underwater, changing marine soundscapes, ranging from shallow coastal to deeper offshore regions. Concern about potential noise impacts on marine fauna has led to numerous underwater recordings and bioacoustic studies. Prior to operations, e.g., as part of permit applications for marine operations, environmental impact assessments are carried out that rely on the modelling and prediction of sound emission, propagation, and impacts. A catalog of sound signatures from activities ranging from exploration and surveying to construction, production, general operation, and decommissioning is necessary for predictive modeling. Underwater sounds recorded from seismic airguns, sub-bottom profilers, echosounders and sonars (sidescan, single-beam, and multi-beam), marine traffic (from small boats to large ships), aerial transportation (helicopters recorded underwater), dredging, pile driving, explosions, drilling, floating petroleum production, storage facilities, etc., are reviewed and their spectral and temporal characteristics, as well as beam patterns are discussed.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-04-2016
Abstract: The ersity, intensity, and periodicity of fish sounds can provide a wealth of information on spatial and temporal distribution of soniferous fish and, on occasion, which environmental factors these choruses are driven by. Such information can help predict species presence and understand their movement patterns in the long term. At three sites in Darwin Harbour, Australia, sea-noise loggers on the harbour floor recorded ambient noise over a 2-year period. Many fish calls and nine different chorus types were detected over 50 Hz to 3 kHz. Source species were speculated for four of the choruses and source levels, a precursor to passive acoustic abundance estimates, were identified for two of these. Other calls displayed similarities to choruses detected elsewhere in Australia. All choruses displayed diel cycles with semi-lunar patterns present for three of the chorus types. Time of sunset and temperature were also significantly related to the presence of the most predominant chorus and while not statistically significant, height of high tide and salinity also appeared related. A lack of frequency and temporal partitioning in calling across the choruses in hours of darkness (after sunset) illustrates the complexity of monitoring communities of different vocal species. The study has outlined some of the patterns biological sounds exhibit, which has significant implications for s ling strategies when using soundscapes for temporal and spatial predictive modelling.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-10-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-13252-Z
Abstract: The potential disturbance of dolphins from tourism boats has been widely discussed in the literature, in terms of both physical vessel presence and associated underwater noise. However, less attention has been paid to the potential impact of non-tourism vessels, despite these being much more widespread and occurring in greater numbers throughout coastal dolphin habitats. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin ( T. aduncus ) community using the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia, is exposed to high levels of vessel traffic. To investigate whether behavioural responses could be occurring, a non-invasive combination of visual and acoustic monitoring was conducted using a theodolite and an autonomous acoustic logger. Dolphins significantly increased their average movement speeds in high vessel densities, but only for some activity states. Behavioural budgets also changed in the presence of vessels, with animals spending greater time travelling and less time resting or socialising. Finally, multiple whistle characteristics varied with rising levels of broadband noise, and other contextual variables. Despite being acoustically specialised for higher frequencies, dolphins had the strongest acoustic variation during low-frequency noise. This study highlights the complexity of disturbance responses in this species, confirming the need for consideration of both surface and acoustic behaviour alongside appropriate contextual data.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-06-2015
Publisher: EMBO
Date: 25-07-2008
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2017
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 05-01-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FMARS.2021.758435
Abstract: For long-lived species such as marine mammals, having sufficient data on ranging patterns and space use in a timescale suitable for population management and conservation can be difficult. Yawuru Nagulagun/Roebuck Bay in the northwest of Western Australia supports one of the largest known populations of Australian snubfin dolphins ( Orcaella heinsohni )—a species with a limited distribution, vulnerable conservation status, and high cultural value. Understanding the species’ use of this area will inform management for the long-term conservation of this species. We combined 11 years of data collected from a variety of sources between 2007 and 2020 to assess the ranging patterns and site fidelity of this population. Ranging patterns were estimated using minimum convex polygons (MCPs) and fixed kernel densities (weighted to account for survey effort) to estimate core and representative areas of use for both the population and for in iduals. We estimated the population to range over a small area within the bay (103.05 km 2 ). The Mean in idual representative area of use (95% Kernel density contour) was estimated as 39.88 km 2 (± 32.65 SD) and the Mean in idual core area of use (50% Kernel density contour) was estimated as 21.66 km 2 (±18.85 SD) with the majority of sightings located in the northern part of the bay less than 10 km from the coastline. Most in iduals (56%) showed moderate to high levels of site fidelity (i.e., part-time or long-term residency) when in idual re-sight rates were classified using agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). These results emphasize the importance of the area to this vulnerable species, particularly the area within the Port of Broome that has been identified within the population’s core range. The pressures associated with coastal development and exposure to vessel traffic, noise, and humans will need to be considered in ongoing management efforts. Analyzing datasets from multiple studies and across time could be beneficial for threatened species where little is known on their ranging patterns and site fidelity. Combined datasets can provide larger s le sizes over an extended period of time, fill knowledge gaps, highlight data limitations, and identify future research needs to be considered with dedicated studies.
Publisher: ASA
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1121/1.4800994
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-08-2015
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12130
Abstract: Despite being identified as a driver of mobile predator aggregations (hotspots) in both marine and terrestrial environments, topographic complexity has long remained a challenging concept for scientists to visualise and a difficult parameter to estimate. It is only with the advent of high-speed computers and the recent popularisation of geographical information systems (GIS) that terrain attributes have begun to be quantitatively measured in three-dimensional space and related to wildlife dynamics, making the well-established field of geomorphometry (or 'digital terrain modelling') a discipline of growing appeal to biologists. Although a erse array of numerical metrics is now available to describe the shape, geometry and physical properties of natural habitats, few of these are known to, or adequately used by, ecologists. In this review, we examine the nature and usage of 56 geomorphometrics extracted from the ecological modelling literature over a period of 32 years (1979-2011). We show that, in studies of mobile predators, numerous topographic variables have largely been overlooked in favour of single basic metrics that do not, on their own, fully capture the complexity of continuous landscapes. Based on a simulation approach, we assess the redundancy and correlation structure of these metrics and demonstrate that a majority are highly collinear. We highlight a suite of 7-8 complementary metrics which best explain topographic patterns across a bathymetric grid of the west Australian seafloor, and contend that field and analytical protocols should prioritise variables of these types, particularly when the responses of predator populations to physical habitat features are of interest. We suggest that prominent structures such as canyons, seamounts or mountain chains can serve as useful proxies for predator hotspots, especially in remote locations where access to high-resolution biological data is often limited.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-04-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-02-2019
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3032
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-05-2015
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 18-02-2015
DOI: 10.3354/ESR00655
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/AM15051
Abstract: In idual identification is a beneficial tool in behavioural and ecological research. In mark–recapture studies, for ex le, it can improve abundance, residency and site fidelity estimates. Two non-invasive, photo-identification approaches, using whisker spot patterns, were tested to identify wild in idual Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea). The Chamfer distance transform algorithm has shown promising results when applied to captive in iduals. An alternative matching method using row/column locations of whisker spots, previously applied to lions (Panthera leo) was also tested. Resighting wild N. cinerea in this study proved unfeasible with both methods. Excessive variation between photographs of the same in idual was found when applying the Chamfer distance transform, and similarity between photograph-pairs appeared to decrease with increasing time between photographs. Insufficient variation among N. cinerea row/column pattern was detected to successfully discriminate among in iduals, averaging 39 mystacial spots (range 30–46, n = 20) in seven rows and 9–10 columns. Additionally, different observers marking the same photographs introduced considerable variation. Colour difference (red, green and blue colour levels) between the whisker spots and surrounding fur affected marking spot locations significantly, increasing uncertainty when contrast decreased. While other pattern-matching algorithms may improve performance, accurate identification of spot locations was the current limitation.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 24-06-2015
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 20-10-2015
DOI: 10.3354/ESR00690
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-09-2017
Abstract: Dolphins use frequency-modulated whistles for a variety of social functions. Whistles vary in their characteristics according to context, such as activity state, group size, group composition, geographic location, and ambient noise levels. Therefore, comparison of whistle characteristics can be used to address numerous research questions regarding dolphin populations and behaviour. However, logistical and economic constraints on dolphin research have resulted in data collection biases, inconsistent analytical approaches, and knowledge gaps. This Data Descriptor presents an acoustic dataset of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops aduncus ) whistles recorded in the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia. Data were collected using an autonomous recorder and analysed using a range of acoustic measurements. Acoustic data review identified 336 whistles, which were subsequently measured for six key characteristics using Raven Pro software. Of these, 164 ‘high-quality’ whistles were manually measured to provide an additional five acoustic characteristics. Digital files of in idual whistles and corresponding measurements make this dataset available to researchers to address future questions regarding variations within and between dolphin communities.
Publisher: Cognizant, LLC
Date: 09-2008
DOI: 10.3727/154427308785855297
Abstract: This study tested the effectiveness of a recently established sanctuary zone on Carnac Island (Western Australia) in reducing human disturbances to Australian sea lions ( Neophoca cinerea ). Several methods of recording behaviors were also tested to clarify their adequacy for detecting human disturbances. Observations made between March 2005 and September 2006 (98 observations over 16 days) indicated that a wireless camera was effective for monitoring sea lions unobtrusively, and continuous and instantaneous observations were both generally effective in monitoring levels of human disturbance. The sanctuary zone was ineffective in that sea lions hauled out more often in the adjacent recreational zone, even though the sanctuary was established based on previous observations. This study concluded that sea lions are more likely to haul out where environmental attributes along a beach are suitable. Because environmental conditions are variable over time, a fixed sanctuary zone will only aid in reducing impacts when conditions are suitable in that zone. The authors recommend that future sanctuaries should include entire stretches of useable beach to be effective.
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 17-04-2014
DOI: 10.1121/1.4871581
Abstract: Non-song vocalizations of migrating pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in Western Australia are described. Simultaneous land-based visual observations and underwater acoustic recordings detected 27 groups in Geographe Bay, WA over 2011 to 2012. Six different vocalizations were recorded that were not repeated in a pattern or in association with song, and thus were identified as non-song vocalizations. Five of these were not previously described for this population. Their acoustic characteristics and context are presented. Given that 56% of groups vocalized, 86% of which produced non-song vocalizations and 14% song units, the inclusion of non-song vocalizations in passive-acoustic monitoring is proposed.
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1121/1.3651817
Abstract: Vocal characteristics of pygmy blue whales of the eastern Indian Ocean population were analyzed using data from a hydroacoustic station deployed off Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia as part of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty monitoring network, from two acoustic observatories of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System, and from in idual sea noise loggers deployed in the Perth Canyon. These data have been collected from 2002 to 2010, inclusively. It is shown that the themes of pygmy blue whale songs consist of ether three or two repeating tonal sounds with harmonics. The most intense sound of the tonal theme was estimated to correspond to a source level of 179 ± 2 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m measured for 120 calls from seven different animals. Short-duration calls of impulsive downswept sound from pygmy blue whales were weaker with the source level estimated to vary between 168 to 176 dB. A gradual decrease in the call frequency with a mean rate estimated to be 0.35 ± 0.3 Hz/year was observed over nine years in the frequency of the third harmonic of tonal sound 2 in the whale song theme, which corresponds to a negative trend of about 0.12 Hz/year in the call fundamental frequency.
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1121/1.4709029
Abstract: Two large behavioral response studies (BRS) have been conducted with humpback whales migrating along the east Australian coastline (in project BRAHSS: Behavioural Response of Australian Humpback Whales to Seismic Surveys). Whales were exposed to four stages of r -up with nominally 6 dB increase in level at each step, and a hard start nominally 12 dB above the first stage. Observations of behavior were made by theodolite teams ashore and small boats following specific whale groups, DTAGs, and binoculars from the source vessel. The sound field throughout the area was recorded using five buoys that radioed data back to the shore station, four autonomous receivers and two drifting systems with a vertical array of four hydrophones. Measurements show that the propagation loss at the site is variable and includes patches of anomalously high loss. This complicates estimation of the sound levels received by whales, but may not be unusual in near shore environments. This paper presents preliminary results of the project to illustrate acoustic issues involved in designing and executing comprehensive BRS, including characterization of sources and the acoustic environment experienced by the whales, and monitoring cumulative exposure at in iduals for mitigation.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-2016
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.160478
Abstract: Short-beaked common dolphins ( Delphinus delphis ) are typically considered highly mobile, offshore delphinids. This study assessed the residency of a small community of short-beaked common dolphins in the shallow, urbanized Port Phillip Bay, south-eastern Australia. The ability to identify common dolphins by their dorsal fin markings and coloration using photo-identification was also investigated. Systematic and non-systematic boat surveys were undertaken between 2007 and 2014. Results showed that 13 adult common dolphins and their offspring inhabit Port Phillip Bay, of which 10 adults exhibit residency to the bay. The majority of these adults are reproductively active females, suggesting that female philopatry may occur in the community. Systematic surveys conducted between 2012 and 2014 revealed that the dolphins were found in a median water depth of 16 m and median distance of 2.2 km from the coast. The shallow, urbanized habitat of this resident common dolphin community is atypical for this species. As a result, these common dolphins face threats usually associated with inshore bottlenose dolphin communities. We suggest that the Port Phillip Bay common dolphin community is considered and managed separate to those outside the embayment and offshore to ensure the community's long-term viability and residency in the bay.
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1121/1.5035573
Abstract: Underwater noise environments are increasingly being considered in marine spatial planning and habitat quality assessments, particularly with regard to acoustically specialised fauna. The Swan River in Western Australia flows through the state capital of Perth and consequently experiences a range of anthropogenic activities. However, the river is also extensively used by a resident community of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). This study aimed to describe underwater sound sources within the Swan River, examine spatial and temporal soundscape variability, and determine dolphin responses to noisy environments. Acoustic datasets collected from 2005 to 2015 indicated that the Swan River was comprised of multiple acoustic habitats, each with its own characteristic soundscape and temporal patterns in underwater noise. The anthropogenically “noisiest” site was the Fremantle Inner Harbour (mean broadband noise level: 106 dB re 1 μPa rms [10 Hz–11 kHz]) yet dolphins remained present in this area even at high vessel densities. However, fine-scale analyses indicated significant alterations to dolphin behavior at high vessel densities and to dolphin whistle characteristics in high broadband noise conditions. These results highlight the need to consider spatial and temporal patterns when assessing the composition of underwater soundscapes, and identify potential responses of coastal dolphins to busy, noisy environments.
Publisher: Acoustical Society of America (ASA)
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1121/1.4709029
Abstract: Two large behavioral response studies (BRS) have been conducted with humpback whales migrating along the east Australian coastline (in project BRAHSS: Behavioural Response of Australian Humpback Whales to Seismic Surveys). Whales were exposed to four stages of r -up with nominally 6 dB increase in level at each step, and a hard start nominally 12 dB above the first stage. Observations of behavior were made by theodolite teams ashore and small boats following specific whale groups, DTAGs, and binoculars from the source vessel. The sound field throughout the area was recorded using five buoys that radioed data back to the shore station, four autonomous receivers and two drifting systems with a vertical array of four hydrophones. Measurements show that the propagation loss at the site is variable and includes patches of anomalously high loss. This complicates estimation of the sound levels received by whales, but may not be unusual in near shore environments. This paper presents preliminary results of the project to illustrate acoustic issues involved in designing and executing comprehensive BRS, including characterization of sources and the acoustic environment experienced by the whales, and monitoring cumulative exposure at in iduals for mitigation.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-03-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00227-023-04192-6
Abstract: Abiotic and biotic factors influence seagrass resilience, but the strength and relative importance of the effects are rarely assessed over the complete lifecycle. This study examined the effects of abiotic (salinity, temperature, water depth) and biotic (grazing by black swans) factors on Ruppia spp. over the complete lifecycle. Structures were set up in two estuaries ( – 33.637020, 115.412608) that prevented and allowed natural swan grazing of the seagrasses in May 2019, before the start of the growing season. The density of life stage(s) was measured from June 2019 when germination commenced through to January 2020 when most of the seagrass senesced. Our results showed that swans impacted some but not all life stages. Seedling densities were significantly higher in the plots that allowed natural grazing compared to the exclusion plots (e.g. 697 versus 311 seedlings per m-2), revealing an apparent benefit of swans. Swans removed ≤ 10% of seagrass vegetation but a dormant seedbank was present and new propagules were also observed. We conclude that grazing by swans provides some benefit to seagrass resilience by enhancing seedling recruitment. We further investigated the drivers of the different lifecycle stages using general additive mixed models. Higher and more variable salinity led to increased seed germination whilst temperature explained variation in seedling density and adult plant abundance. Bet-hedging strategies of R. polycarpa were revealed by our lifecycle assessment including the presence of a dormant seedbank, germinated seeds and seedlings over the 8-month study period over variable conditions (salinity 2–42 ppt temperatures 11–28 °C). These strategies may be key determinants of resilience to emerging salinity and temperature regimes from a changing climate.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-05-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MMS.12611
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-06-2016
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.2668
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-12-2016
Publisher: Unpublished
Date: 2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-06-2022
DOI: 10.1111/JORC.12390
Abstract: The Western Australian Haemodialysis Vascular Access Classification instrument was developed to classify the cannulation complexity of the arteriovenous fistula or arteriovenous graft as simple, challenging, or complex. Although the instrument was developed by experts in haemodialysis nursing, the instrument had not undergone formal validity or reliability testing. Evaluate the Western Australian Haemodialysis Vascular Access Classification instrument for content validity, interrater and test-retest reliability. Prospective cohort study. Content validity was assessed by haemodialysis nursing experts (n = 8). The reliability testing occurred in one in-centre and one satellite haemodialysis unit in Western Australia from September to November 2019. Reliability testing was performed by 38 haemodialysis nurses in 67 patients receiving haemodialysis and 247 episodes of cannulation. Interrater and test-retest reliability assessment was conducted using κ, adjusted κ, Bland-Altman plots, intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The final version of the instrument (n = 20 items) had in idual item-level content validity indices ranging from 0.625 to 1.00 with a scale-level content validity index of 0.89. For both interrater (n = 172 pairs) and test-retest (n = 101 pairs), most in idual variables had excellent adjusted κ (n = 33 variables), some fair to good agreement (n = 6 variables) and one variable with poor agreement. The classification of simple, challenging and complex demonstrated adjusted κ of fair to good, to excellent agreement for interrater reliability with lower levels of agreement for test-retest reliability. This instrument may be used to match a competency-assessed nurse to perform the cannulation thereby minimising the risk of missed cannulation and trauma.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-2017
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 25-06-2020
DOI: 10.1071/AM19058
Abstract: Cetaceans are iconic predators that serve as important indicators of marine ecosystem health. The Bremer Sub-Basin, south-western Australia, supports a erse cetacean community including the largest documented aggregation of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Australian waters. Knowledge of cetacean distributions is critical for managing the area’s thriving ecotourism industry, yet is largely sporadic. Here we combined aerial with opportunistic ship-borne surveys during 2015–2017 to describe the occurrence of multiple cetacean species on a regional scale. We used generalised estimating equations to model variation in killer whale relative density as a function of both static and dynamic covariates, including seabed depth, slope, and chlorophyll a concentration, while accounting for autocorrelation. Encountered cetacean groups included: killer (n = 177), sperm (n = 69), long-finned pilot (n = 29), false killer (n = 2), and strap-toothed beaked (n = 1) whales, as well as bottlenose (n = 12) and common (n = 5) dolphins. Killer whale numbers peaked in areas of low temperatures and high primary productivity, likely due to seasonal upwelling of nutrient-rich waters supporting high prey biomass. The best predictive model highlighted potential killer whale ‘hotspots’ in the Henry, Hood, Pallinup and Bremer Canyons. This study demonstrates the value of abundance data from platforms of opportunity for marine planning and wildlife management in the open ocean.
Publisher: Aquatic Mammals Journal
Date: 12-2015
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 2012
Location: United States of America
Start Date: 03-2021
End Date: 03-2024
Amount: $535,200.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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