From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Satellite tracking of southbound East Australian humpback whales 2008/09

Created 18/11/2025

Updated 18/11/2025

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Tracking spring and summer migration of humpbacks from Eden NSW, Australia to Antarctica. Dataset can be found here: https://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/argos/display_campaign.cfm?campaign_id=70 Satellite tags were deployed on adult humpback whales with a modified version of the Air Rocket Transmitter System (ARTS, Restech) and a purpose-designed projectile carrier at a pressure of 7.5 – 10 bar. A custom-designed, 80mm anchor section is attached to a stainless steel cylindrical housing containing a location-only transmitter (SPOT-5 by Wildlife Computers, Redmond, Washington, USA and Kiwisat 202 Cricket by Sirtrack, Havelock North, New Zealand). This superseded anchor design resulted in the anchor section disarticulating upon deployment in order to achieve improved tag retention times while minimising impact. The tags were sterilised with ethylene oxide prior to deployment and implanted up to 290mm into the skin, blubber, interfacial layers and outer muscle mass of the whale. Tags were programmed to transmit to the Argos satellite system at various duty cycles and repetition rates for a maximum of 720 transmissions per day. These transmissions are relayed to processing centres which calculate the transmitter’s location by measuring the Doppler Effect on transmission frequency.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Satellite tracking of southbound East Australian humpback whales 2008/09
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/8cef196a-d2b9-4f47-bb20-47869bc43ca0
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
metadata@aad.gov.au
Reference Period 20/08/2008 - 28/04/2009
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        -165.0,
        -71.0
      ],
      [
        100.0,
        -71.0
      ],
      [
        100.0,
        -35.0
      ],
      [
        -165.0,
        -35.0
      ],
      [
        -165.0,
        -71.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Satellite tracking of southbound East Australian humpback whales 2008/09". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/satellite-tracking-of-southbound-east-australian-humpback-whales-2008-091