Georgina’s PhD studies on Sunshine Coast dolphins

Noosa Oceanrider is collaborating with University of the Sunshine Coast PhD student, Georgina Hume, to assist her in gathering data on dolphins in the Sunshine Coast region.

Georgina’s PhD project aims to collect information on how connected the dolphin populations are between the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay. Currently, dolphins on the Sunshine Coast have never been studied! However, if you ask any of the local surfers, fishermen or eco-tour groups, all of them will tell you how often they see dolphins in the region, which is where the idea for the project came from. Also, the research conducted in Hervey Bay was over ten years ago, so Georgina’s project aims to provide information on which dolphin species are present on the Sunshine Coast, update the population estimates up in Hervey Bay and see how the dolphins are connected across the whole region.

Georgina will be joining Noosa Oceanrider Whale Watching and Dolphin Safari tours to gather data on the resident Noosa dolphins for her project. On board the vessel, Georgina will be photographing the dolphins to identify resident individuals in Noosa and how many groups are present in the region.