Joshua Smith

The Australian east coast population of humpback whales (E1 sub-population) annually migrate to the Great Barrier Reef for mating and calving. Recent improvements in our understanding of the distribution of humpback whales on their breeding ground in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) indicate the main breeding aggregation (highest density area) is in offshore waters of the southern GBR, in close proximity to coastal areas undergoing significant port development. The core breeding area overlaps the inner shipping route that services all ports on the Qld coast. A quantitative assessment of relative ship strike risk (ships > 80m) to humpback whales in the GBRWHA was recently undertaken. However, it was not possible to model the Capricorn Bunker Group due to limited humpback whale distribution data. This Capricorn Bunker Group is an area of significant shipping activity and represents a significant information gap on relative risk of ship strike to humpback whales in the GBR. This report presents data on the distribution of humpback whales in the Capricorn Bunker Group area from an aerial survey undertaken in July 2018. This data enabled a quantitative relative ship strike risk assessment for this area and a re-assessment of risk in the extended GBRWHA when integrated with existing aerial survey data.

The Australian snubfin dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni, ‘snubfin dolphin’ hereafter) and Australian humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis, ‘humpback dolphin’ hereafter) are poorly understood species of dolphin whose global distribution is restricted to shallow coastal and estuarine waters of northern Australia and southern New Guinea.

Here, we investigate the population genetic structure and relative abundance of these two species at selected study sites in the Kimberley region of north-western Australia. Additionally, we investigate the application of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) as an effective technique for monitoring these species in the remote waters of the Kimberley region, with potential applications across northern Australia.

There is global recognition that ship strike represents a significant risk to some populations of whales around the world. Analysis of ship strike records worldwide demonstrates that humpback whales are the second most frequently reported whale species to be struck by a ship. In Australia, both the east and west coast populations of humpback whales are strongly recovering from commercial whaling during the mid-20th century which resulted in populations nearing extinction. On the east coast of Australia the main breeding ground for humpback whales is within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). Both the east and west coast of Australia have also in the past decade experienced considerable coastal and port development associated with an increase in natural resource projects. It is due to substantial coastal development and port expansions related to the mining industry that UNESCO were considering listing the GBRWHA on the 'List of World Heritage in Danger' and are currently monitoring Australia's commitment to its sustainability. Along with considerable port expansion along the GBRWHA coastline to meet increasing global demands for coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), there is projected to be substantial increases in shipping traffic. Conservative estimates are predicting a doubling of shipping traffic by 2025, albeit not for all Queensland ports. Considering the rapid rate of increase of the east Australian population of humpback whales (approximately 10.9% increase per annum), there is potential for increased interaction between humpback whales and shipping traffic and increased risk of ship strikes to the whales on their breeding ground. To understand the risk of ship strike to humpbacks in the GBRWHA, it is necessary to understand the distribution and densities for both whales and shipping. This report uses current knowledge on the distribution of humpback whales within the GBRWHA from aerial survey data from 2012 and 2014 and contemporary (2012-2014) shipping traffic data of ships travelling within the GBR to provide estimates of relative risk of ship strike to humpback whales within the GBR.

The breeding grounds for humpback whales off the east coast of Australia is poorly defined, although is generally considered to occur somewhere within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) from latitudes 16°S - 24°S. Clearly defined humpback whale calving and mating areas comparable to those seen in other parts of the world, has not yet been identified in the GBRMP. The large size of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has largely prohibited dedicated aerial surveys of humpback whales. This project investigates the distribution and relative abundance of humpback whales in the GBRMP and uses the approach of developing predictive spatial habitat models to identify areas important for mating and calving...