The AMMC hosts the National Marine Mammal Data Portal. This portal collates and protects data that facilitates data-driven management and conservation decisions, as well as assisting with reporting obligations to the IWC. The AMMC also leads Australia's scientific commitment to the Commission’s Southern Ocean Research Partnership (IWC-SORP). This is an integrated, collaborative consortium for non-lethal whale research, which aims to maximise conservation outcomes for Southern Ocean whales through an understanding of the post-exploitation status, health, dynamics and environmental linkages of their populations, and the threats they face. The IWC-SORP has developed six multi-national themes on whales in the Southern Ocean that address key IWC research needs. Australia provides in-kind support to the IWC-SORP through hosting the Secretariat, and has been involved in all six research programs.
The Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP) funds biodiversity and climate science to assist decision makers understand, manage and conserve Australia’s environment. This has included funding four projects in 2017 and 2018 which focus on cetacean conservation and management:
• Estimation of population abundance and mixing of ‘Southern’ Right Whales in the Australian and New Zealand regions
• Monitoring the population dynamics of the south-west population of Right Whales.
• Quantification of risk from shipping to large marine fauna across Australia
• Characterising anthropogenic underwater noise to improve understanding and management of acoustic impacts to marine wildlife
The Australian Government’s Australian Marine Mammal Centre (AMMC) is based in Hobart, Tasmania. The Centre leads on providing scientific research and advice to inform and support Australia’s marine mammal conservation priorities.