The members of MUCRU work on both applied and empirical conservation-based research projects. This includes assessing abundance and habitat use of a variety of dolphin populations. Analysing cetacean social structure and mitigating against dolphin by-catch are also tackled in our research. Other areas of research include foraging ecology, population genetics and assessment of anthropogenic impacts on cetaceans through development and tourism.
Sept 2008: Lars Bejder is visiting US NOAA in Hawaii to help design a long-term study to evaluate possible impacts of human activities on spinner dolphins off Hawaii. Lars will present four public presentations during his visit.
July 2008: PhD candidate, Kristel Wenziker, joined MUCRU to study the ecology of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and bottlenose dolphins in Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia.
July 2008: : Research assistant, Deirdre McElligott, joined MUCRU and is working on a literature review pertaining to impact assessment studies relevant to the Population Consequences of Acoustic Disturbance (PCAD) model
May 2008: : MUCRU Research Fellow Simon Allen commences a new contract working with WA Dept of Fisheries and the Pilbara Finfish Trawl Interim Managed Fishery to reduce dolphin by-catch.
April 2008: New publication on compliance to a dolphin watching voluntary code of conduct in Port Stephens, NSW by Allen et al.
