Associations between oceanographic processes and humpback whale entanglement in Southeast Queensland shark-control nets

.............................................................................................................................................. i Table of contents ................................................................................................................................ ii List of figures .................................................................................................................................... iv List of tables ...................................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations and acronyms ............................................................................................................ vii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... viii Author’s declaration .......................................................................................................................... ix Presentations and conferences attended .............................................................................. ix Chapter I General prelude ............................................................................................................. 1 Rationale ............................................................................................................................... 1 Structure ................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter II Literature review .......................................................................................................... 3 Humpback whale migration ecology and interactions with oceanographic processes: a review ....... 3 1.1. Humpback whale ecology ........................................................................................................... 3 1.2. Migration ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.3. Navigation ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.1. Anthropogenic threats to humpback whales .............................................................................. 11 2.2. Entanglements in fisheries gear .................................................................................... 13 3.1. Shark-control programs ............................................................................................................. 15 3.2. Queensland Shark Control program ............................................................................. 17 4. East Australian Current ................................................................................................................ 18 5. Oceanographic predictors of entanglement in shark-control nets ................................................ 20 6. Conclusions and recommendations for future work ..................................................................... 22 7. References .................................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter III Manuscript ................................................................................................................ 33 A current affair: Associations between the East Australian Current and humpback whale entanglement in Southeast Queensland shark-control nets .............................................................. 33