Research Projects

CEDP is an integrated four-year research project initiated by Murdoch University and Curtin University. The research will address the health, ecology and conservation of dolphins inhabiting the Swan Canning Riverpark, Cockburn Sound, and adjacent waters. The project will deliver tangible outcomes to assist with the long-term conservation of dolphins in the Swan River and the southern waters of Perth.

Research into the dolphins of Bunbury is the major objective of the South West Marine Research Program (SWMRP). Founded in 2007 on an initial partnership between the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre and Murdoch University, with support from the South West Development Commission, the SWMRP is now composed of partners from industry, government, research and the community.

Researchers regularly conduct aerial surveys to monitor marine mammal species and assess their abundance, distribution and habitat use. We wondered if Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can replace manned aircraft to reduce costs, eliminate the human risk element, and provide better data. This project involves trialling UAVs and developing this new methodological approach.

MUCRU, in collaboration with Dave Johnston (Duke University Marine Lab, North Carolina) and David Lusseau (University of Aberdeen, Scotland) aims to collect baseline data on the local abundance, distribution and behaviour of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) using a suite of modern visual and acoustic techniques in two resting bays in Hawaii.

The project strives to assess and monitor the health of marine mammals in Western Australia and in doing so supports both the early detection of adverse impacts from natural and anthropogenic pressures, and the ability to distinguish between these different pressures. The project has the following components: investigations of mortality events, biomonitoring and tissue banking.

Common bottlenose dolphins off the Pilbara coastline interact with commercial trawl fishing operations. Since 2008, MUCRU have been working with the Western Australian Department of Fisheries (WADoF) and the Nickol Bay Professional Fishers Association (NBPFA) to try and resolve the bycatch of common bottlenose dolphins in the Pilbara Fish Trawl Interim Managed Fishery.

How does echolocation develop in new born toothed whales? To answer this question it is necessary to study the development of echolocation in wild calves. There are very few places in the world where this can be done, and Monkey Mia in Shark Bay, West Australia, is for sure the ideal location.

Humpback whales can be sighted throughout the whole Great Barrier Reef from June through to October and yet the breeding area/s for humpback whales off the east coast of Australia in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are poorly defined. We have a very good understanding of the migration pathways and timing of the whales along the coast, although have a poor understanding of whether there are clearly defined wintering areas for breeding and calving.

The project aims to collect baseline data on the abundance, residency and genetic connectivity of Australian snubfin and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in state waters at several locations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This study will greatly increase our understanding of inshore dolphin populations in a region coming under increasing pressure from coastal development.

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is potentially a cost-effective, non-lethal approach for assessing dolphin abundance and trends, defining habitat use and monitoring population characteristics that can complement visual surveys. This project will develop methodology for conducting PAM for the Australian snubfin and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin that can be used for monitoring in coastally developed environments.