The Great South Channel region contains unusually abundant populations of three endangered whale species: right, humpback and fin whales. The South Channel Ocean Productivity Experiment (SCOPEX) will look at the physical oceanographic and biological/ecological mechanisms responsible for these aggregations. Using both aerial and ship-based surveys, the distribution and abundance of right whales in the region will be determined. Detailed distributional and behavioral observations of these animals, including data from intensive sonar and radio-tagging studies will provide tests of hypotheses on how the aggregations form and are maintained. A model of the energetics of right whales with regard to r=feeding and diving behavior will be analyzed.
