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Yanyuwa Sea Country Marine Wildlife Surveys

Yanyuwa Sea Country Marine Wildlife Surveys. Objective of the project. To gather and record information on where dolphins, dugongs and turtles are found in the Yanyuwa Sea Country . Why is this project important?. Dolphins are an important part of the marine ecosystem.

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Yanyuwa Sea Country Marine Wildlife Surveys

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  1. Yanyuwa Sea Country Marine Wildlife Surveys

  2. Objective of the project • To gather and record information on where dolphins, dugongs and turtles are found in the Yanyuwa Sea Country

  3. Why is this project important? • Dolphins are an important part of the marine ecosystem. • There is limited written knowledge about dolphins in Yanyuwa Sea Country. • Snubfin dolphins are only found in Australia, including Yanyuwa Sea Country, and thus are of high conservation value. • Increased knowledge of dolphins will help TOs and Sea Rangers protect them. • In other areas, dolphins are accidentally killed in fishing nets and speed boats, and may be shifted from their preferred areas by coastal development and noisy boats. • Local sea rangers are training so that they can continue to monitor dolphins in Yanyuwa Sea Country. • Dolphins are only one part of the natural system that the rangers are monitoring to help protect Yanyuwa Sea Country.

  4. Combination of Methods Traditional and local knowledge Scientific knowledge

  5. Methods – existing knowledge

  6. Dolphin Locations

  7. Dugong Locations

  8. Seagrass beds

  9. Methods – scientific survey Boat Line Transect Survey Survey Team

  10. Sampling Training CyberTracker r x X = r sin() 

  11. Dolphin ID: Waliki wundumarlamarla a-bumirri miriyi

  12. What did we see? Bottlenose dolphins (1 group) Snubfin dolphins (2 groups) Dugongs (21) Humpback dolphins (4 groups) Turtles (37)

  13. Conclusions • Dolphins occur throughout much of the Yanyuwa Sea Country. • Dolphins appear to occur in low numbers in Yanyuwa country, but further surveys during different seasons are required. • The area supports a large density of turtles and dugongs. • Dolphins were very secretive compared to dolphins in other areas – could not get close to them.

  14. Telling people about the work • Posters • Community meetings • Reports to Government • Scientific articles

  15. What next? • Researchers will apply for more money to continue dolphin monitoring. • Rangers are keen to continue training to enable them to conduct surveys on their own. • Current results will assist the rangers and TOs with sea country planning and management.

  16. Acknowledgements • Assistance and participation of the li-Anthawirriyarra Sea Rangers was critical for the success of the boat surveys. • Partner organisations included: • James Cook University • Flinders University • Monash University • Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport • NAILSMA provided assistance in the use of CyberTracker and a Nomad unit to record data. • Carol Palmer provided assistance in developing Marine Wildlife-Tracker CyberTracker sequence

  17. Summary the Dolphin Project Existing Knowledge Survey Knowledge 2009

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