Polar Whale Watch

Populations of baleen whales were decimated during the commercial whaling era, but in recent decades they have shown remarkable recovery. This recovery has relied on the large and relatively stable populations of their key food source – Antarctic Krill. However, modern pressures such as krill fishing are a potential threat to the stability of Antarctic krill populations, and thus baleen whales.

Polar Whale Watch (PWW) seeks to ensure the continued recovery of Antarctic baleen whales by developing and delivering abundance estimates to Antarctic Krill managers – CCAMLR. By partnering with a suite of IAATO-member Antarctic expedition tourist vessels, we have developed a cost-effective strategy to capture data on where and when baleen whales occur. Then, through detailed analysis and modelling, we develop reliable population estimates for baleen whales and highlight regions where overlap with Antarctic Krill fishing is most evident. By delivering these results to CCAMLR we can actively influence the future conservation of baleen whales and other krill predators such seals, penguins, and seabirds, and help to secure the prosperity of Antarctic Ecosystems for generations to come. 
               
We are grateful to our tourist company partners who offer free scientific berths onboard their vessels. However, there are many other costs associated with this research project. 100% of funds donated here are spent on deploying PWW observers on Antarctic tourist vessels, updating field equipment, coordinating data collection, conducting analysis, and delivering results to management.

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