From Western Australia Government
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WAMSI 2 - Kimberley Node - 1.2.4 - Relative abundance, population genetic structure and acoustic monitoring of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins in regions within the Kimberley

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

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This WAMSI 2 project complements wider research programs which aim to increase our understanding of the distribution, abundance and population connectivity of Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and humpback (Sousa sahulenis) dolphins, including the development of new research and monitoring methods. In this project, we: (i) collected genetic samples from snubfin and humpback dolphins at selected locations in the Kimberley and assessed the connectivity between these and previously sampled populations elsewhere in north-western Australian waters; (ii) collected boat-based sightings and photo-identification data to assess the relative abundance of snubfin and humpback dolphins at selected locations in the Kimberley region; and, (iii) investigated the application of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) as an effective technique for monitoring these species, including: characterisation of the underwater soundscape of two Kimberley locations; and, the collection of data on the acoustic repertoire and vocalisation rates of snubfin and humpback dolphins. Our results provide managers and policy-makers with valuable data on the relative importance of several sites within the Kimberley region to snubfin and humpback dolphins, along with an improved understanding of the connectivity of populations and the appropriate geographic scales at which to manage them. We have shown that PAM provides a method of effectively detecting snubfin and humpback dolphins in high-use areas, and have increased the information base from which to further develop PAM towards more quantitative and species-specific monitoring of these dolphins. Our collaborative approach included training and participation by Yawuru, Bardi-Jawi, Dambimangari and Balanggarra Traditional Owners, and a Marine Park Joint Management team. This has resulted in an improved understanding and capacity of relevant local land and sea managers to collect data on these poorly-understood species within remote areas, and laid the foundation for ongoing research in the Kimberley region.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title WAMSI 2 - Kimberley Node - 1.2.4 - Relative abundance, population genetic structure and acoustic monitoring of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins in regions within the Kimberley
Language English
Licence Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Australia
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/97a88080-69f7-44e0-989c-4eddbde410c2
Remote Last Updated 26/05/2022
Contact Point
Western Australian Marine Science Institution
L.Bejder@murdoch.edu.au
Reference Period 03/05/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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Data Portal Western Australia Government

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Western Australia Government "WAMSI 2 - Kimberley Node - 1.2.4 - Relative abundance, population genetic structure and acoustic monitoring of Australian snubfin and humpback dolphins in regions within the Kimberley". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.data.wa.gov.au/dataset/wamsi-2-kimberley-node-1-2-4-relative-abundance-population-genetic-structure-and-acoustic-9270