Cetacean Observations from the 2021 TEMPO Antarctic Voyage

621 sightings of approximately 1,609 cetaceans were recorded during the 2021 TEMPO research voyage off the Australian Antarctic Territory. The data was collected by four trained observers from the Marine National Facility RV Investigator between 29 January and 24 March 2021. Combined survey effort totaled 3,612 km of formal line-transects, 153 km of informal effort, and 1,115 km of bridge-only effort.

Use Cases

• Modeling humpback and fin whale distribution based on line-transect sightings.
• Analyzing cetacean abundance relative to krill survey effort mentioned in the voyage's primary objective.
• Studying observation conditions based on recorded weather and sea state data.
• Comparing formal and informal survey methodologies based on the described effort segments.

Strengths

• 621 distinct cetacean sightings documented.
• Survey effort is quantified with specific distances: 3,612 km of formal transects.
• Observations were conducted by four trained personnel using standardized protocols.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, Marine National Facility RV Investigator.

Collection Method

Line-transect distance sampling from Deck 05 using naked eye and binoculars, with data logged in PAMGUARD.

Time Range

29 January to 24 March 2021 (AEST).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 13:04:36.990652; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Voyage from Hobart (TAS) to Hobart, off the Australian Antarctic Territory.