Draft - WAMSI 2 - Kimberley Node - 1.2.1 - Modelling the movement and spatial distribution of humpback whales in the nearshore waters of the Kimberley

Management of humpback whales in the waters of the Kimberley is hampered by a lack of integrated approaches to data acquisition and analysis. Extensive aerial and vessel survey and some tagging programs have been conducted over the last decade, predominantly focussed on providing estimates of seasonal abundance and distribution of humpback whales. There has been limited attempt to use these data to quantify the spatial distribution and identify critical habitat across the Kimberley; information that is urgently required to better inform management in an ecosystem that faces challenges of warming environments, massive industrial development and rapid growth of humpback whale populations (Hedley et al. 2009).

This project will directly address this need by collating and synthesising all existing data on distribution, abundance and movement patterns of humpback whales and associated environmental data collected across the north-west and in the Kimberley. We will use state-of-the-art analytical approaches to characterise and understand the movement behaviour of humpback whales and the environmental context in which they occur. We will use this synthesis to identify research gaps and where possible to construct predictive models of the present and future use of the Kimberley region by humpback whales.

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a better understanding of how humpback whales use the Kimberley including the environmental factors driving this pattern. The spatial and temporal distribution of young calves will be a key focus to better define critical habitat used as calving areas.