A team of Australian and New Zealand researchers will join the ship’s crew, an expedition doctor and a documentary maker aboard the RV Tangaroa for the Antarctic Whale Expedition. Using the best non-lethal research techniques, the researchers will focus on gathering data to improve the understanding of the population structure, abundance, trends, distribution, and ecologicalrole of whales in the Southern Ocean.
The team will work from the Tangaroa itself, and from two smaller 6-metre rigid inflatable boats. A team of four or five researchers will crew each of these boats, with each person taking a role as either skipper, satellite tagger, biopsy sampler, data recorder or photographer.
Tangaroa crew
The ship’s crew comprises 15 NIWA vessels staff, and one New Zealand Navy officer. The crew have made eight trips to Antarctica in Tangaroa, each trip averaging between 40-50 days. The ship’s captain is Andrew Leachman.
Australian Researchers
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New Zealand Researchers
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Nick is the lead scientist on the Antarctic Whale Expedition. He will lead the science on one of the small boat teams, and will perform the role of satellite tagger as part of that team.
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Stephane will look at the distribution and abundance of pelagic organisms, particularly krill, using the acoustic systems from the Tangaroa.
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Mike will lead the second of the small boat teams as part of this expedition. His main role as part of this team will be to collect tissue samples from whales, using a biopsy rifle.
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Onboard Tangaroa, Paul Sagar will be observing seabirds.
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Anthony is the Voyage Leader for the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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Dylan is the electronics technician and general fix-it person, and will assist with experiments onboard the ship.
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Sarah is the Deputy Voyage Leader for the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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Rochelle will work as part of one of the small boat teams on the Antarctic Whale Expedition, primarily data recording and photographic identification.
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On the Antarctic Whale Expedition, Simon will work as part of one of the small boat teams, his primary role being to collect tissue samples from whales, using a biopsy rifle.
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On board the Tangaroa, Paul Ensor will be running sitings data. He will be stationed in the bridge, recording all whale sitings for the Expedition.
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Jason will use passive acoustic techniques to research whales from the Tangaroa.
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Jean-Benoit will help out on the small research vessels on the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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Curt will be the skipper for one of the small research boats as part of the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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Catriona will manage data: looking after data curation and backup as well as data communications for the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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David will be the skipper of one of the small research boats as part of the Expedition.
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Natalie will work as part of one of the small boat teams with the Antarctic Whale Expedition. Her primary roles will be to record data, and whale photo-identification.
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Michael Woosey is the voyage doctor for the Antarctic Whale Expedition.
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