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Sarah Wotherspoon, environment reporter
03jan06
WHILE the Japanese whaling fleet continued its hunt for
more than 930 minke whales in the Southern Ocean, researchers
sailed for Antarctic waters yesterday to record the songs
of the minke for the first time.
More 60 scientists from 12 nations, including Japan, are
taking part in a $7 million research voyage aboard the
Australian Antarctic Division's Aurora Australis.
They will survey more than one million square kilometres
of the Southern Ocean in one of Australia's biggest marine
science projects.
Whale, krill, seabird and phytoplankton populations in
Australian Antarctic waters will be measured as part of
research for Australia's Antarctic program.
The scientists will also study ocean currents and the
effects of climate change.
The survey will cover an area about 320km off Antarctica's
coastline between 30 and 80 degrees east, in a region
overseen by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living Resources.
Voyage leader Dr Stephen Nicol said this part of the
Antarctic coastline had not been surveyed in 25 years.
"This will provide a complete picture of Antarctica's
ecosystem in this region," Dr Nicol said.
"From that you can start building models of how
the system works."
Dr Nicol said researchers would study everything from
viruses to whales in the waters to get an accurate picture
of Southern Ocean marine life.
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Herald
Sun -
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