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Southern Ocean Cetacean
Environment Program (SOCEP) |
The Southern Ocean Cetacean Environment Program (SOCEP) is one program within a multidisciplinary collaborative effort that has been initiated to monitor the dynamics of populations of Southern Ocean fauna, in order to be able to detect perturbations of the marine ecosystem through climate change and other large scale effects, human-induced or otherwise. The biological components of this scheme are linked to the collection of oceanographic and atmospheric data, which allow unprecedented insights into the functioning of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean marine ecosystems.
Click here for some sightings thus far...
Click here to see the Minke Skeleton
The cetacean component of the program is designed for long term monitoring of cetacean sightings on marine science voyages. These data are part of a unified program to understand cetacean distribution, abundance, and ecology which can be used by the International Whaling Commission and other marine management bodies (e.g. CCAMLR, and SO Globec) to make informed and effective management decisions relating to cetaceans and their prey in the Southern Ocean Ecosystem.
On V4 there are 4 WHALOS conducting surveys from the flying bridge and bridge. All sightings are recorded with a suite of environmental and behavioral observations that can then be linked with the ship's data for the time of each sighting. Both video and still cameras are used to capture ice conditions and behavior of animals with regards to the approaching ship. Your WHALOS are:
| Ari S. Friedlaender (Team Leader): Ari is a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His research focuses on bottlenose dolphin conservation, and using the spatial and temporal distribution of stranded animals to help elucidate stock structure and generate appropriate management strategies. Ari is also involved in several survey efforts to quantify and understand dolphin-gillnet fishery interactions in North Carolina. This is Ari's 3rd ANARE voyage to Antarctica. In preparation for his next marathon, Ari is calculating how many laps of the heli deck equates to 26.2 miles. |
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| Bec Donaldson: Bec is based at the vet school at Murdoch Uni in WA, researching the social behaviour and behavioural ecology of the bottlenose dolphins around Perth. She works part-time teaching Aboriginal students, driving trucks for army reserves, and writing about wildlife for a travel book series. |
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| Victor M. Peddemors: Dr. Vic Peddemors is a marine apex predator specialist presently employed by the Natal Sharks Board in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Over the past 16 years, his research interest has covered a wide array of fields; however, primarily revolves around ecological affects on animal behaviour, distribution and abundance. As such, Vic was invited to participate on V4 as part of the SOCEP aim of co-operative research within the southern hemisphere. Being a tropical creature, Vic is acclimatizing slowly to the Antarctic environment. |
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| Bec Pirzl: Bec has worked on marine mammal and seabird conservation with Environment Australia since 1995, with a focus on addressing management issues for the protection of whales and dolphins. She has been involved in a number of cetacean research projects and this is her second Antarctic voyage. A kite flying fanatic, Bec is awaiting the perfect polar gale. |
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Click here for some sightings thus far...
Click here to see the Minke Skeleton
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