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Journal article
Decadal Shifts in Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) Recovery in South Australian Waters: Implications for Conservation and Management
Marine mammal science, Early View
2025
Abstract
Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) have shown population recovery since protection from commercial whaling and are considered a flagship species for successful conservation management. However, recovery remains incomplete, with recent evidence suggesting slowed growth and variability in reproductive success. This project used 30 years of count data in Australia (1992-2022) to investigate long-term trends in relative abundance at three key reproductive areas in South Australia. Varied rates of increase were observed, while recovery trends have moderated at the major aggregation area of Head of Bight (3.34%/year, 95% CI: 2.24, 4.44); higher growth rates were observed at Fowlers Bay, where recolonization has occurred (15.29%/year, 95% CI: 7.54, 24.33). Results support that recovery trends for the Australian population are dynamic and variable across decades. Drivers of variability may include saturation of certain areas, reoccupation of suitable habitats, spatio-temporal disturbance, and changes to factors driving migration, including body condition, prey availability, and climate change. Decadal shifts in relative abundance indicate an expanding habitat range, highlighting the importance of suitable habitat and connective migration corridors, which are increasingly important during critical life stages. Adaptive conservation management and effective threat mitigation are essential to secure recovery of this threatened species in Australia.
Details
- Title
- Decadal Shifts in Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) Recovery in South Australian Waters: Implications for Conservation and Management
- Authors/Creators
- Bridgette O'Shannessy - Flinders UniversityLuciana Moller - Flinders UniversityRobert D. McCauley - Curtin UniversityGuido J. Parra - Flinders UniversityJoshua N. Smith - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Aquatic EcosystemsStephen Burnell - Oceans InstituteClaire M. Charlton - Curtin University
- Publication Details
- Marine mammal science, Early View
- Publisher
- Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Marine Mammalogy.
- Number of pages
- 14
- Grant note
- Current Environmental Minderoo Foundation Flinders Univeristy Curtin University's Centre for Marine Science and Technology
- Identifiers
- 991005795472407891
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- 3.35.796 Marine Mammal Ecology
- Web Of Science research areas
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- Zoology
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