2022 Aerial Survey of Southern Right Whales Off Southern Australia

August 2022 aerial survey data monitoring the recovery of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) off the southern Australian coast from Perth to Ceduna. The survey recorded 526 whales, including 247 cow-calf pairs, 31 unaccompanied adults, and 1 yearling, contributing to an annual time-series that began in 1993. Data is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network under the NESP MaC 2.7 project.

Use Cases

• Modeling population growth rates based on the reported annual increase of ~5.3% for the 'western' population.
• Analyzing trends in unaccompanied adult sightings to investigate ecological or behavioral changes mentioned in the description.
• Assessing long-term recovery from historical whaling using the annual survey time-series data.
• Comparing population distribution and density between the 'western' and 'eastern' Australian populations referenced in the data.

Strengths

• Contains specific counts from the 2022 survey: 526 total whales, 247 cow-calf pairs, 31 unaccompanied adults.
• Part of a long-term annual time-series with consistent methodology since 1993, enabling trend analysis.
• Provides a population estimate (2675 whales) and annual growth rate (~5.3%) for the 'western' population.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for specific modeling tasks.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the aerial survey path between Perth and Ceduna.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Aerial surveys undertaken in coastal waters.

Time Range

Survey conducted August 12-19, 2022; time-series began in 1993.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:19:23.949770; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Australian coast from Perth, Western Australia to Ceduna, South Australia.