Dr Kasey Stamation

I am a marine mammal scientist who has been involved in whale research for over 20 years. I work for the Arthur Rylah Research Institute for Environmental Research (ARI) –  a leading centre of applied ecology research that sits within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

I am passionate about research that provides important information to help protect threatened species and ensure that they are around for a long time to come. A key project I am involved in is the monitoring of the endangered Southern Right Whale in Victorian waters, through photo-identification.

All southern right whales have a unique pattern of white features (called callosities) on their head. By studying these we can identify and follow individual whales. This can provide important information about their movements, breeding patterns and how well the population is recovering (post whaling). We collect photos from a variety of sources including drones (flown under a wildlife research permit), fixed-winged aircraft and from the wonderful whale-watching community who send in their photos (via our online platform called WhaleFace)

If you would like to hear more about the southern right whales that visit Victoria, the work my colleagues and I are doing at DEECA and/or how you can join the WhaleFace community, please come and hear my talk during the Island Whale Festival weekend or send me an email Kasey.stamation@delwp.vic.gov.au.