Dear MARMAM colleagues, Rob Harcourt and I are pleased to announce the following publication now available online: Opportunistic sightings of blue whales off Sydney, Australia Pirotta and Harcourt (2021). Opportunistic sightings of blue whales off Sydney, Australia. Australian Zoologist; doi: https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2021.020 Abstract: Two subspecies of blue whale occur in Australian waters, (1) the pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) and (2) the Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia). Understanding blue whale presence in Australian waters is critical to ensuring Australia’s protection of these marine mammals as both subspecies were heavily exploited during historical whaling. This short note documents pygmy blue whale sightings in New South Wales waters over the last 18 years. Observations were opportunistically made via citizen science and verified by scientists. Sightings in this note contribute to our limited knowledge of pygmy blue whale distribution along the east coast of Australia and may help understand the migratory movements of New Zealand pygmy blue whales off Australia and in the Tasman Sea. Overall, information presented in this note contributes to Australia’s national and international conservation efforts to protecting blue whales as a migratory and threatened species. Best regards, Vanessa Pirotta Dr. Vanessa Pirotta Marine Predator Research Group Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science and Engineering Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia Twitter: @vanessapirotta Superstar of STEM 2021-2022 Watch my TEDx talk here<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXgFoTtwi0> [cid:5c866b6c-8e1b-4f84-9b5f-0f88d72eeaf8]
