A deep learning approach to photo–identification demonstrates high performance on two dozen cetacean species

We thank the countless individuals who collected and/or processed the nearly 85,000 images used in this study and those who assisted, particularly those who sorted these images from the millions that did not end up in the catalogues. Additionally, we thank the other Kaggle competitors who helped develop the ideas, models and data used here, particularly those who released their datasets to the public. The graduate assistantship for Philip T. Patton was funded by the NOAA Fisheries QUEST Fellowship. This paper represents HIMB and SOEST contribution numbers 1932 and 11679, respectively. The technical support and advanced computing resources from University of Hawaii Information Technology Services—Cyberinfrastructure, funded in part by the National Science Foundation CC* awards # 2201428 and # 2232862 are gratefully acknowledged. Every photo–identification image was collected under permits according to relevant national guidelines, regulation and legislation.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The social and ecological significance of Hervey Bay Queensland for eastern Australian humpback whales (\u3cem\u3eMegaptera novaeangliae\u3c/em\u3e)

This study provides the first detailed long-term research on the seasonal pod characteristics, seasonal social behaviour and temporal segregation of different reproductive and maturational classes of humpback whales in Hervey Bay (Queensland, Australia). The overall aim was to investigate the importance of the Bay for particular classes of humpback whales. This study revealed that Hervey Bay is an important habitat for mature females accompanying immature whales early in the season and mothers with calves later in the season. Hervey Bay is neither a terminal destination nor a calving or breeding area but rather a stopover early in the southern migration

A southern right whale, (Eubalaena australis), in Hervey Bay, QLD and Ballina, NNSW

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Site-specific female-biased sex ratio of humpback whales during a stopover early in the southern migration

Previous research on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)), in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, has reported site-specific male-biased sex ratios in breeding grounds and along migratory corridors. However, one recent Southern Hemisphere study reported a female-biased sex ratio in a feeding area within a coastal migratory corridor, indicating that females may preferentially occupy some habitats. We investigated the classes and relative seasonal timing of humpback whales using Hervey Bay as a stopover early in the southern migration. Modeling and analyzes were undertaken using data from resighting histories of 361 individually identified whales between 1992 and 2009. The data consisted of 2,131 sightings categorized by either sex, age, reproductive or maturational status. A female-biased sex ratio of 2.94:1 indicates that Hervey Bay is a preferential stopover for females. The data revealed that the bay is important for mature females who co-occur with immature males and females during August. While during September and October mothers with calves accompanied by a few escorts dominate the Bay. Immature males and females socialize with mature females during August and September. The data support the hypothesis that habitat preferences and differential migration of females and males provides a plausible explanation for site-specific sex-bias in breeding grounds, migratory stopovers and along migratory corridors.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Movement of two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) satellite-radio tagged off Eden, NSW and matched by photo-identification with the Hervey Bay catalogue

Photo-identification studies of humpback whales off eastern Australia show low levels of movement between eastern Australia and New Caledonia whales. Some eastern Australian humpback whales migrate through the southern waters of New Zealand on route to Antarctic feeding areas. Photoidentification studies have shown that the waters near the Balleny Islands, in Antarctic Area V, are a feeding area for some eastern Australian humpback whales. However, such studies provide no details of the routes taken between New Zealand and Australia and to and from Antarctic feeding areas. Sixteen humpback whales were satellite-linked radio tagged off Eden NSW in 2008. The number and duration of the tag positions reported revealed complete migratory transits from Eden to Antarctic Area V and IV feeding areas. Photographs of the Eden humpback whales were compared to the Hervey Bay photo-identification catalogue and yielded two matches, identified from lateral body marks and dorsal fins. This study provides the first evidence that during the southern migration some humpback whales stopover at Hervey Bay and also migrate past Eden on the NSW coast. The tracks of the two whales from Eden showed that a male sighted in Hervey Bay in the same season moved southeast from Eden towards southern New Zealand. A female with site-fidelity to Hervey Bay in previous seasons, accompanied by a calf when the tag was deployed, moved down and around the coast of Victoria, across Bass Strait and then southwest into the Antarctic Area IV feeding area. Eden may be a migratory hub for humpback whales departing from and approaching the east coast of Australia. This study suggests that eastern Australian humpback whales may exhibit a more diverse range of feeding destinations, after leaving Australian coastal waters, than previously reported

Seasonal changes in pod characteristics of eastern Australian humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Hervey Bay 1992–2005

We investigated the characteristics and composition of 4,506 humpback whale pods observed in Hervey Bay between 1992 and 2005. We use these data to analyze and model the variability of pod size and composition, and to assess the importance of Hervey Bay for particular classes of humpback whales. Pods ranged in size from one to nine individuals. Pairs were the most frequent pod type (1,344, 29.8%), followed by mother-calf alone (1,249, 27.7%), trios (759, 16.8%), singletons (717, 15.9%), and 4+ whales (437, 9.7%). Of the 4,506 pods, calves were present in 40%, and 10.8% of all pods had one or more escorts present. Of the 1,804 pods observed with calves present, 1,251 (69.4%) were mothers alone with their calves. The size and composition of pods in the study area varied significantly as the season progressed. Pods with calves present were rarely recorded early in the season but dominated later in the season. A significant increase over years in larger groups may be related to social and behavioral changes as the population expands. The data indicate that Hervey Bay is important to immature males and females early in the season, to mature males and females in mid-season, and to mother-calf pairs (either alone or with escorts) in mid-to-late season

Migratory movements of individual humpback whales photographed off the eastern coast of Australia

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate long distances each year on a return journey from low-latitude breeding grounds to high-latitude feeding grounds. Migration is influenced by subtle and complex social behaviors and the assumption that whales transit directly through the migratory corridor off the east coast of Australia requires further investigation. From 2003 to 2005, we followed the movements of 99 individual whales within one migratory cycle from three locations, off Byron Bay during the whales\u27 northern migration and in Hervey Bay and at Ballina during the southern migration. The median sighting interval of whales between Byron Bay and Hervey Bay (n = 26) was 52 d (IQR = 42.5–75.5); between Byron Bay and Ballina (n = 21) was 59 d (IQR = 47.0–70.0); and between Hervey Bay and Ballina (n = 33) was 9 d (8.0–14.0). The overall pattern observed from these resightings suggests that Group E1 humpback whales spend approximately two months in the northern quarter of their range during the austral winter months. Intraseason resightings of whales at Ballina (n = 13, median sighting interval = 7 d) also suggest that some individuals, particularly adult males, may circle back north during their general southward journey along this part of the coast, perhaps in an attempt to increase mating opportunities

CETA: a new cetacean observation program in East Antarctica

The CETA program (Distribution des cétacés en Terre Adélie) was launched by the French Polar Institute (IPEV) in 2009 to carry out a first pilot study on cetacean distribution off Adelie Land (IWC Area V). An opportunistic survey conducted in January 2010 allowed the collection of 38 sightings on the continental shelf off the Adélie Land coastline, totalising a minimum of 84 individuals. True blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were identified for the first time in the Adélie Land region. Sightings of antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and killer whale (Orcinus orca) type A and C confirmed the presence of both species in this area. Photo-ID were realised on three blue whales and two humpback whales. One of the two humpback was previously photo-ID in Hervey Bay, East Australia in 2002. A biopsy was collected on one humpback whale. The presence of great whales (8 individuals of blue and humpback whales) in the Adélie Depression raised the issue of the importance of this area for such endangered species. The second year of this pilot study will be conducted in January 2011, after which data will combined to evaluate relative abundance of cetaceans in the region. This work is a part of the Southern Ocean Research Partnerships (SORP) on non-lethal whale research