Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre
Encyclopedia
The Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre or AMMRC was established in 1996 as a co-operative centre of the University of Sydney
and the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales
.
The Centre’s research program includes the impacts of climate change, the spatial, haul-out and foraging behaviour of leopard seal
s, population monitoring of Antarctic
marine mammals, and the development of non-invasive techniques that will allow researchers to monitor the hormones of wild populations (whales, dolphins and seals) without having to restrain the animals.
The researchers, behavioural ecologists and veterinarians, work on numerous projects including:
The research is being supported by such organisations as the (Australian) Defence Science and Technology Organisation
(DSTO).
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales
Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales
The Taronga Conservation Society is a Government of New South Wales agency responsible for Taronga Zoo and the Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia. The board is a part of the Australian Regional Association of Zoological Parks. It sponsors a number of research centers, such as the...
.
The Centre’s research program includes the impacts of climate change, the spatial, haul-out and foraging behaviour of leopard seal
Leopard Seal
The leopard seal , also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic...
s, population monitoring of Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
marine mammals, and the development of non-invasive techniques that will allow researchers to monitor the hormones of wild populations (whales, dolphins and seals) without having to restrain the animals.
The researchers, behavioural ecologists and veterinarians, work on numerous projects including:
- SealsPinnipedPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
of the Antarctic pack ice, - Cetaceans in the coastal waters of New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, - Seal and cetacean populations in Australian waters, and
- Comparing southern and northern hemisphere endangered populations of cetaceans.
The research is being supported by such organisations as the (Australian) Defence Science and Technology Organisation
Defence Science and Technology Organisation
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation is a branch of the Australian Department of Defence which researches and develops technologies for use in the Australian defence industry....
(DSTO).