2020 has been a very different year ….to start with, first the devastating bushfire crisis which impacted upon the lives of so many friends and associates, followed by the virus pandemic and the global impact upon everyone.
As they say in the classics – nil desperandum, and the research goes on, albeit in a different form.
Regular monitoring and fantastic data input has continued, thanks in particular to stalwart Dolphin Champions Sue and John Holman in their boat “Maggie” on Kangaroo Island, underpinned by ongoing land based monitoring and community data input in the region. The time which isolation has provided has given us the opportunity to progress the data review of nearly 14 ½ years of Citizen Science data in the region more energetically, with brilliant outcomes. A focus on the identification of female and calf Bottlenose dolphin pairs, life histories etc has confirmed the calving occurring in all 12 months of the year locally – a great result.
A brilliant collaboration with AusOcean www.ausocean.org has seen the digital acoustic recorders recently deployed, setting up acoustic monitoring stations to record whale and dolphin activity along the North Coast of Kangaroo Island. This will provide a fascinating insight into cetacean migrations and the Southern Right whales in particular. A brilliant concept realised thanks to AusOcean, and a long time in the making.
The Australian Ocean Lab – AusOcean are a fantastic environmental not-for-profit organisation with a difference. Their mission is to help our oceans through technology, partnering with other NPOs in the area of marine conservation. Developing and applying technology for solving ocean science and conservation challenges…how amazing is that!!
We are incredibly grateful for their wonderful expertise, enthusiasm, generosity and support.
Read all about their inspirational work through a range of exciting projects and their vital research at Smith Bay on Kangaroo Island on https://blog.ausocean.org
Looking ahead with optimism and hope as much as possible…… and sending good wishes with love to this wonderful world!
#citizenscience #Covid19 #dolphins #photographicidentification #acousticmonitoring #research #whales
#northcoast #kangarooisland #hopespot #thinkblue
