Latest news with #InstituteforMarineandAntarcticStudies
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Carloads of Aussies flock to water's edge as ancient annual ritual begins
Excited locals have gathered at the docks of one of Australia's oldest cities to watch an ancient ritual, the annual migration of whales from Antarctica to warmer waters. Pictures taken this week show the first two southern right whales swimming past the Victorian town of Portland. Photographer Anne McCurdy told Yahoo News there's a dedicated group of whale watchers who eagerly await the whales return in winter. 'It's always exciting to see them. Once word is out, people come out to see them, and the Lee Breakwater is full of cars and people,' she told Yahoo News. 'I received word around 3pm (on Wednesday) that they had been spotted close to town, and rushed down to the breakwater to hopefully get some pictures. They swam around the harbour for around half an hour before heading back out.' The news also sparked excitement across social media, with close to 2,000 people reacting to Anne's post. "They're back," one person exclaimed. "Magnificent," "Woohoo!!!!," "Incredible," others said. Related: 📸 Disturbing photos emerge of famous orcas linked to 'dangerous myth' Last year, a mother stayed in the Portland area for six weeks, finding sanctuary in the harbour after she give birth. Locals were delighted by their presence in the area, but two centuries ago, a different fate would have awaited the mother and calf. Portland was home to the Gunditjmara people for thousands of years, but when Europeans settled in the area in the 1930s they were determined to exploit the region's natural resources, including the whales. Southern right whales, like those seen this week were some of the most highly prized. Its common name was coined by sailors who deemed it the 'right' whale to hunt because of its high oil and meat content. In the 1800s, the settlers hunted both migrating whales and mothers who stopped in the harbour to give birth. The industry was so lucrative that 5,000 tonnes of whale oil was exported between 1833 and 1843. But the boom was short-lived because nearly all the whales were killed, and between 1851 and 1868, just 12 were taken. 📸 Tourists stunned by 'lifetime moment' off the Aussie coast 🌏 Amazing drone footage confirms start of exciting phenomenon off Aussie coast ☎️ 'Unusual sightseer' in Sydney Harbour prompts worried calls Today, migrating whales are protected in Australian waters, and watching rather than harpooning them is big business. But southern right whales are facing ongoing threats. There are concerns that the population recovery, observed since whaling was banned in the 1970s, has stalled. This is concerning for scientists who had believed that, unlike their northern cousins, the southern species was in good shape. Research from the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), published in May, found there has been a substantial increase in numbers following the ban, but the population is still at 'far below the pre-whaling levels'. 'We were very concerned to find not only slowed growth in births in this population, but an actual halt and what looks like the onset of a decline,' lead author Anne Grundlehner said. While the team don't yet understand what's behind the decline, they've noted climate change and other human impacts could be to blame. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Science
- West Australian
Citizen scientists help track unusual migratory patterns of important fish species
A growing number of tropical fish are turning up in unexpected places along the Western Australian coast, with keen anglers, divers and beachcombers helping scientists keep track. Thanks to an unusual combination of a prolonged marine heatwave and a stronger than usual Leeuwin Current, warm waters from the Pilbara have surged southward. WA citizen scientists have been using Redmap (Range Extension Database and Mapping), logging reports of unusual or out-of-range sightings of marine species and providing photographic and video evidence, in turn helping experts. Ten years of Redmap reports have confirmed that many important commercial and recreational species including mangrove jack, red emperor, red-throat emperor and Rankin cod as well as smaller non-fishery species including Moorish idol, threadfin and butterflyfish have moved further south down the WA coast. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has been a partner in the Redmap project led by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at University of Hobart since its inception. DPIRD principal research scientist Gary Jackson said WA locals would be noticing unusual marine species along the WA coast and encouraged them to report their sightings through to the Redmap website or app ( ). 'In sheer size, the WA and Australian coastlines are challenging, so it often makes our citizen scientists the sentinels of our marine environment and they play a vital role in reporting their observations with photos of what they've seen,' Dr Jackson said. 'Fishers, divers and snorkellers who regularly visit a patch of coastline can help us build a better understanding of movements of marine species and through Redmap we can get a more detailed insight of what's changing and where. 'Redmap invites Australian ocean users to spot, log and map marine species that are unusual, so download the Redmap app and join a strong community helping us learn more about our changing marine environment.'
ABC News
01-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Something is happening with the southern right whale population, scientists say
Australia's southern right whale population growth has stalled, raising questions about the recovery of a species that was nearly driven to extinction by historical whaling, according to a new study. Southern right whales are large migratory baleen whales that can be spotted off the Australian coastline in winter as they travel north. The whales come close to shore, which made them ideal, or "right", for whaling in the 1800s. "Around the early 1900s, there were so few individuals left that certainly around Australia and New Zealand they were considered extinct," Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies postgraduate researcher Anne Grundlehner said. Only a few hundred remained worldwide when whaling the species was banned. The researchers found the annual abundance of calves showed strong growth from 1976 until at least 2010, but began to stagnate around 2016-2017. ( Supplied: Joshua Smith ) The Australian population has experienced significant growth since the late 1970s, with very rough population estimates now around 2,000-3,500. But a new study by researchers from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science (IMAS), the University of Tasmania and the Australian Antarctic Division has found their population recovery seems to have recently stalled at a level far below pre-whaling levels, and questions whether it might be the "end of an era for southern right whale recovery". The study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, analysed aerial survey data from 2,000 kilometres of coastline between Augusta in Western Australia and Ceduna in South Australia, collected between 1976 and 2024. The researchers found the annual abundance of calves showed strong growth from 1976 until at least 2010. But they found annual births began to stagnate around 2016-2017. "We were very concerned to find not only slowed growth in births in this population, but an actual halt and what looks like the onset of a decline," Dr Grundlehner, the report's lead author said. She said the population's current size was estimated to be about 16 per cent of its pre-whaling abundance. "But likely even less, as this is a pragmatic estimate because there is much uncertainty around pre-whaling levels. "The fact that the growth in annual births has halted, while the population size is well below pre-whaling abundance, is a pretty big finding. " We are very certain that the southern right whale abundance around Australia is by far not what it used to be. " Industrial whaling decimated the population of a number of whale species throughout the 1800s. ( Offshore whaling with the Aladdin and Jane, painting by William Duke, 1849 ) The causes behind the stalling population growth is not clear. "We really need to study all the potential drivers, one by one, to understand their effects on right whales' survival and reproduction, and see if we can find any relationship between potential drivers and the species births and the worrying trends we found in their abundance around Australia," Dr Grundlehner said. "Because this species is considered endangered in Australian waters, understanding the causes behind the stalling population growth will be critical to inform appropriate conservation actions," IMAS researcher and co-author associate professor Stuart Corney said. " The Southern Ocean ecosystem must have substantially changed in response to the large-scale removal of whales in the past. " Dr Grundlehner said climate change and other human pressures on marine environments could also be playing a role.
South China Morning Post
04-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Tariffs for penguins? Trump trade order targets remote uninhabited Australian islands
US President Donald Trump's latest wave of tariffs on trade partners has swept up some unlikely targets – including an uninhabited sub-Antarctic island group 4,000km from mainland Australia that is home only to seals and penguins. Advertisement Heard Island and McDonald Islands, a remote Australian territory in the Southern Ocean, were named in the US government's reciprocal tariff list released on Thursday, with a 10 per cent tax set to apply – the same rate imposed on the Australian mainland. The decision appears to have been made in error, possibly due to mislabelled shipping data, but it has nonetheless triggered sharp reactions and a touch of dark humour from critics. 'Donald Trump slapped tariffs on penguins and not on Putin,' said US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, referencing Russia's omission from the sanctions list. 07:05 World leaders react to Trump's new tariff blitz as global trade war escalates World leaders react to Trump's new tariff blitz as global trade war escalates Andrew Constable, an adjunct professor at the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, said the development was so absurd that it made him laugh – but also served as a reminder of Australia's vast and far-flung territories. Advertisement 'To be honest, I laughed,' Constable, who had visited the islands before, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in a radio interview.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussies amazed by adorable video of extremely rare species: 'Very cute'
Adorable footage of one of the world's rarest and most unusual ocean creatures has left thousands of Aussies swooning. In the short clip, two tiny red handfish — a critically endangered type of angler fish only found in Tasmania — can be seen using their distinctive fins to walk across grains of sand. After coming face-to-face, the roughly two-centimetre juveniles appear to greet each other by waving the long filaments sprouting from their heads, otherwise known as an illicium. However, that's not entirely the case, Dr Andrew Trotter, a senior research fellow at the University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), told Yahoo News Australia on Friday. 'They're essentially fighting over a cookie,' he said, explaining that a small isopod was lingering in-between the 'very cute' red handfish, which are part of a captive breeding program aimed at bringing the species back from the brink of extinction. The pair have a short standoff before the one on the left scores the snack. The juveniles seen in the video, which has been viewed almost 100,000 times, are part of a group of 232 hatchlings born late last year. With only an estimated 70 to 100 red handfish surviving in the wild in two reef locations near Hobart, the IMAS, working with the Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species (FAME), have vowed not to let the species disappear despite the continued threats of pollution, climate change, a booming native sea urchin population and loss in vital seagrasses, on which they lay their eggs. Of the 232 red handfish that hatched in December, Trotter said a few have sadly died, but the 97 per cent remaining are expected to be released sometime in October. 'We're over the moon with how they've survived this time,' the expert says, adding a few even have 'stand out personalities'. 'One we've got is a really spotty red handfish and he's got real attitude,' he laughed. 🐠 Major discovery about weird Australian fish: 'Huge promise' 📸 Rare photograph captures ocean creature not seen in 27 years 🌊 Hatching of 232 tiny creatures provides glimmer of hope The group of juveniles are now undergoing conditioning so they not only survive, but thrive in the wild and reproduce on their own. The appropriately nicknamed 'handfish school' involves phases of introducing other animals and live macro algae, 'rather than just exposing them straight to all the microorganisms that are in the environment'. Trotter said everyone involved in the conservation project is 'hopeful' the hatchlings will survive and make it maturity, which takes three years, but an ideal habitat is key. 'We've got issues with habitat loss at both of the sites that we're concentrating on — the historical sites — so we need to make sure that they go out fit and robust and well equipped,' he told Yahoo. 'But obviously [we have to] make sure that the habitat out there is appropriate, and we're working on putting seagrass back at the sites, because we know that seagrass is an important part of the habitat, and that we've lost quite a lot of it at both of the sites.' Researchers are also looking for reefs that have similar conditions as alternative sites for translocation. 'We want to have our eggs in more than two baskets. We're not going to go back to those historical sites where they're locally extinct because we think there's a good reason why those sites are not as good, and want the sites to be more similar to the two sites where they've persisted for millennia.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
