The Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre or AMMRC was established in 1996 as a co-operative centre of the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

and the

Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales The Taronga Conservation Society is a Government of New South Wales agency responsible for Taronga Zoo Sydney and the Taronga Western Plains Zoo in New South Wales, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sove ...

. The centre’s research program includes the impacts of climate change, the spatial, haul-out and foraging behaviour of

leopard seal The leopard seal (''Hydrurga leptonyx''), also referred to as the sea leopard, is the second largest species of seal in the Antarctic (after the southern elephant seal). Its only natural predator is the orca. It feeds on a wide range of prey incl ...

s, population monitoring of

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and other ...

marine mammals Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean and other marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as seals, whales, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their relia ...

, 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 projects including: *

Seals Seals may refer to: * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impress an emblem, used as a means of a ...

of the Antarctic pack ice, *

Cetaceans Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel them ...

in the coastal waters of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

, * Seal and cetacean populations in Australian waters, * Comparing southern and northern hemisphere endangered populations of cetaceans. The research is supported by such organisations as the (Australian)

Defence Science and Technology Organisation The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is part of the Australian Department of Defence dedicated to providing science and technology support to safeguard Australia and its national interests. The agency's name was changed from Defence ...

(DSTO).

References

New marine mammal research centre an Australian first
from the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage.
The Action Plan for Australian Seals

External links

2002progreports/SC-54-ProgRep%20Australia.pdf Project report for 2002
{{authority control Research institutes in Australia Biological research institutes Cetacean research and conservation Marine mammal rehabilitation and conservation centers

See also

References

External links