Dolphins & Estuaries

The dolphins accessing the estuarine and river systems of New South Wales are significant because of the dolphins' vulnerability to both the affects made by humans to their environment and naturally occurring environmental changes. River and coastal dolphins are one of the first cetaceans to suffer these impacts.

Research projects being undertaken at the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre include studying the impacts of increasing coastal development on dolphin communities and assessing the risk factors to dolphin survival and occupancy in estuaries of Australia. The research focuses on dolphin habitat use patterns, site fidelity and population dynamics of estuarine areas. Results on how flood events and water quality components affect the dolphins' use of estuaries have also been assessed.

Dolphin Communication Research

Dolphins have a complex and intricate visual, acoustic and chemical communication system. Dolphins are particularly reliant on their acoustic communication faculty to effectively and efficiently hunt, navigate, maintain contact between group members and advertise individual identity and activity.

Most species of cetaceans belonging to the family Delphinidae produce a large variety of acoustic signals that are generally categorized as whistles, clicks and broad band signals. Little is know about the specific functions and ecological significance of these complex sounds produced by delphinid species.

Our work examining dolphin communication aims to assess the intra- and inter-species use and function of communicative tonal calls of coastal dolphins. Through the development of innovative research techniques, this study will investigate the ecological significance of acoustic signals used by dolphins in the wild. This knowledge will significantly advance our understanding of dolphin ecology and their requirements for survival.

Influence of Vessels on the Acoustics & Behaviour of Dolphins

This project is focused on studying human-dolphin interactions in protected areas and promoting sustainable commercial tourism practices. Tourism based on marine mammals is increasing very rapidly, including in protected areas such as marine parks. Conservation management agencies are increasingly concerned about how to sustain this industry without harming marine mammals.

The focus of this project is to assess the effects of short and long-term vessel interactions on the social structure and group cohesion of inshore bottlenose dolphins. Because dolphins rely on acoustic transmissions to effectively forage, navigate and communicate between individuals, the increase in human generated ambient noise in the marine environment is of particular concern.

Updated: 25 July 2010