SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Following are a selection of our scientific publications with abstracts. The full paper is available in Adobe PDF format. To download the PDF reader - click here.

Jenner K.C.S. and Jenner M-N.M. (1992).
Season Report 1991 Dampier Archipelago Humpback Whale Project Western Australia. Report prepared for the International Whaling Commission (Sc/44/o 8).

ABSTRACT
During the 127 days of the 1991 field season off the Dampier Archipelago, northern Western Australia, 218 humpback whales were observed. Attempts were made to photograph, for each animal, the underside of the tail flukes and the shape and pigmentation of each side of the body. Of 206 whales photographed, 156 fluke photographs and 132 pairs of lateral body photographs were obtained. Three whales were resighted within the 1991 season while 4 whales have now been resighted between 1990 and 1991. A preliminary, conservative, Petersen estimate of the population resulted in 3300 (+134, -89) whales in the Group IV stock. A catalogue has been established and will be compared with existing collections in the northern and southern hemispheres. Observational data were recorded for each group of whales encountered. This is the second seasons' data collected in a planned five year population estimate study for the Southern Hemisphere Group IV feeding stock.

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Jenner, K.C.S. & M.-N. Jenner (1994).
A preliminary population estimate of the Group IV breeding stock of humpback whales off Western Australia. Rep. int. Whal. Commn 44:303-307

ABSTRACT
Data collected in 1990, 1991 and 1992 from a photo-identification study of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off northwestern Australia have enabled the calculation of a preliminary population estimate of the Group IV breeding stock. The Chapman modification of the Petersen population estimate resulted in a 1990-1991 estimate of 2,736 (928; 9,928 95% CI) and a 1991-1992 estimate of3,878 (1,319; 14,10895% CI). The 1991-1992 estimate is considered the more accurate and is similar to a population point estimate of the same stock calculated from aerial surveys in a separate independent study.

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Jenner, K.C.S., Jenner, M-N., and McCabe K.A. (2001).
Geographical and temporal movements of humpback whales in Western Australian waters. APPEA Journal 38 (1):692-707.

ABSTRACT
Through compilation of historical whaling data, together with recent aerial and boat-based survey data, a general framework for the overall peaks of migration has been estimated for the temporal and spatial movements of Group IV humpback whales along the Western Australian coast. The migratory paths of humpback whales along the Western Australian coast lie within the continental shelf boundary or 200 m bathymetry. Major resting areas along the migratory path have been identified at Exmouth Gulf (southern migration only) and at Shark Bay. The northern endpoint of migration and resting area for reproductively active whales in the population appears to be Camden Sound in the Kimberley. A 6,750 square km2 area of the Kimberley region, inclusive of Camden Sound, has also been identified as a major calving ground. The northern and southern migratory paths have been shown to be divergent at the Perth Basin, Dampier Archipelago and Kimberley regions. In all cases the northern migratory route is further off-shore.

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McCauley R.D., J. Fewtrell, A.J. Duncan1, C. Jenner, M-N. Jenner, J.D. Penrose, R.I.T. Prince, A. Adhitya, J. Murdoch and K. McCabe (2000).
Marine seismic surveys - A study of environmental implications

ABSTRACT An experimental program was run by the Centre for Marine Science and Technology of Curtin University between March 1996 and October 1999 to study the environmental implications of offshore seismic survey noise. This work was initiated and sponsored by the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. The program:
• characterised air gun signal measurements; modeled air gun array sources and horizontal air gun signal propagation;
• developed an 'exposure model' to predict the scale of potential biological effects for a given seismic survey over its duration;
• made observations of humpback whales traversing a 3D seismic survey;
• carried out experiments of approaching humpback whales with a single operating air gun;
• carried out trials with an air gun approaching a cage containing sea turtles, fishes or squid; and
• modelled the response of fish hearing systems to airgun signals.
The generalised response of migrating humpback whales to a 3D seismic vessel was to take some avoidance maneuver at >4 km then to allow the seismic vessel to pass no closer than 3 km. Humpback pods containing cows which were involved in resting behaviour in key habitat types, as opposed to migrating animals, were more sensitive and showed an avoidance response estimated at 7Ð12 km from a large seismic source. Male humpbacks were attracted to a single operating air gun due to what was believed the similarity of an air gun signal and a whale breaching event (leaping clear of the water and slamming back in). Based on the response of captive animals to an approaching single air gun and scaling these results, indicated sea turtles displayed a general 'alarm' response at an estimated 2 km range from an operating seismic vessel and behaviour indicative of avoidance estimated at 1 km. Similar trials with captive fishes showed a generic fish 'alarm' response of swimming faster, swimming to the bottom, tightening school structure, or all three, at an estimated 2Ð5 km from a seismic source. Modeling the fish ear predicted that at ranges < 2 km from a seismic source the ear would begin a rapid increase in displacement parameters. Captive fish exposed to short range air gun signals were seen to have some damaged hearing structures, but showed no evidence of increased stress. Captive squid showed a strong startle response to nearby air gun start up and evidence that they would significantly alter their behaviour at an estimated 2Ð5 km from an \ approaching large seismic source.

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Noad, M.J., Cato, D.H., Bryden, M. M., Jenner, M-N. & Jenner, K. C. S. (2000).
Cultural revolution in whale songs. Nature 408, 537

ABSTRACT
The song patterns of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) depend on where they live, with populations inhabiting different ocean basins normally singing quite distinct songs. Here we record a unique and radical song change in the song of humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean off the Australian east coast. Their song was replaced rapidly and completely by the song of the Australian west coast population from the Indian Ocean, apparently as a result of the introduction of only a small number of 'foreign' singers. Such a revolutionary change is unprecedented in animal cultural vocal traditions and suggests that novelty may stimulate change in humpback whale songs.

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K. C .S. Jenner, Wilson, S. G, Hunt, Y. M., Jenner, M-N. (2002).
Evidence Of Blue Whale Feeding In The Perth Canyon, Western Australia . Unpubl. note.

No abstract.

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McCauley, R., Bannister, J., Burton, C., Jenner, C., Rennie, S., Kent, C. (2004).
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN EXERCISE AREA BLUE WHALE PROJECT - 2004 SUMMARY REPORT. Unpubl. report.

ABSTRACT
A group of Western Australian researchers has been studying the presence of blue whales, presumed to be primarily pygmy blue whales, Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda, in the Perth Canyon area west of Fremantle, WA, from summer 1999-2000 to summer 2003-2004. The Canyon lies within a larger area of importance to the Australian Navy, the Western Australian Exercise Area (WAXA). The Canyon is a steep sided feature at its eastern end which dissects the continental shelf and runs west to reach the abyssal plain. Based on aerial survey and acoustic detections, blue whales arrive in the Canyon as early as November, with the numbers of animals steadily increasing to a peak in the following March – May. From aerial survey line transect analyses, and allowing for ‘missed’ animals, an average of 30 (95% CI 15 - 58) blue whales are present at the peak season. After May the number of whales drops, so that by late June most animals have left, although a few acoustic detections are made into July. There is evidence that early in the season......

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