Salgado Kent et al. (2026). Building a National Picture of Southern Right Whales in Australia: Insights from the Australasian Right Whale Photo Identification Catalogue (ARWPIC) and Cross Regional Collaboration. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. Edith Cowan University.
Overview
This research report aims to inform ongoing monitoring, conservation, and management of southern right whales across Australian waters, including sea country and marine parks, and the ongoing sharing of knowledge to support sea country and marine park managers, Indigenous groups, the broader community, researchers, and government and industry decision making. Using more than 28,000 images collected between 1994 and 2024, the project enhanced the Australasian Right Whale Photo Identification Catalogue (ARWPIC), improving understanding of whale movements, habitat use, site fidelity, and population trends. Findings support previous evidence of limited exchange between eastern and western populations, important calving habitats and strong site fidelity in Western Australia, and highlight ongoing threats such as vessel strikes, entanglement, and disturbance. Building on previous and ongoing work, this report strengthens the knowledge base available to support evidence-based protection, recovery planning, environmental assessments, and adaptive management of southern right whale populations.
