The ‘crème de la crème' of humpback whale photos
'For two giant school bus-sized, blubbery whales, sometimes the weight of 40,000 kilograms, to have a coordinated jump at the same time ... is just fabulous' she said.
'We don't exactly know why they do it, but it most likely serves as a form of communication,' said Pirotta of the movement, often likened to dancing, which sees whales jump out of the water.
'The humpback whale really does get the reputation of being the most acrobatic marine animal because when they jump, you never know when it's going to happen. And sometimes they literally will put on a show for people viewing them, and it's a spectacular one.'
Marine mammal rescue charity the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said there had been a record number of whale sightings this year, with almost 6000 humpbacks spotted on the 26th Annual Whale Census on June 29.
Pirotta said this number may include repeat counts of the same whale, but praised the work of members of the public who report sightings.
'We as scientists rely on citizen scientists and non-scientists to do a lot of our observations because the Australian coastline is so large, and we are now connected more than ever thanks to social media.'
The images were taken off the coast of Lennox Head in northern NSW during a whale watching expedition with local tour boat operator Out Of The Blue Adventures.
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ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
First physical evidence of blast wave injury found in an Australian soldier's brain
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It's only after death when the brain is dissected that the unique pattern of scarring known as Interface Astroglial Scarring (or IAS) can be seen. The first Australian donor with that distinct pattern of brain scarring was a veteran with repeated exposure to blasts "over a long period of time", said Australian Veterans Brain Brain Bank director Michael Buckland. The brain scarring aligns with findings seen overseas. "There is a disturbing association with problems with mental health and [symptoms mirroring] Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with this brain pathology," Dr Buckland said. "Everyone I've spoken to in the neuropathology community understands that there is brain injury associated with blasts that needs to be actioned." The Australian finding is significant according to former Australian Army Special Forces officer and veterans' advocate Paul Scanlan, who has been campaigning to expose the impact of repeated low-level blasts on Australian soldiers for years. "I hope this helps it be recognised as an injury caused by service, opens up research and funding, and draws more attention to the plight of veterans here." Scientists at the US Department of Defense Brain Bank first discovered the unique pattern of star-shaped scarring between the white and grey matter in the brain known as IAS in 2016. Last year through interviews with dozens of military personnel, veterans and their families, New York Times reporter David Philipps pieced together what the US military had not: A group of elite Navy SEALs who died by suicide all had evidence of blast wave damage within their brains. "Many of the SEALs who died knew that something was going wrong in their head before they died." One of those that died went to great lengths to ensure the message got through. He wrote a suicide note describing his symptoms before killing himself in such a way as to preserve his brain, so it could be then analysed at a state-of-the-art Defense Department laboratory in Maryland. "He set out a stack of books that he had read on concussion and other types of brain injuries and he hoped that would be his legacy," Mr Philipps said. The determination to get their brains to the lab in the hours after their deaths was driven by the widows of the SEALs who suspected something was wrong with their husband's brains, Mr Philipps says. "They were talking to each other. They had learned about this research and this brain lab that had just been set up, and they had really taken it upon themselves to make sure these brains got there — and also make sure that other widows knew about this — often in the hours after their husband's death," Mr Philipps said. Despite all nine brains being analysed in a Defense Department lab, the information never made it back to the SEAL leadership, he said. "There should have been a red flashing light saying 'warning, warning, everyone we've looked at has a brain injury'. "But that just wasn't happening." Dr Buckland from the Australian Veterans Brain Bank has travelled to the US to present his findings and meet scientists from the brain bank there. "At this stage it is a numbers game. The more brains we're able to examine, the more clinical and medical histories we're able to analyse, the faster we're going to get answers," Dr Buckland said. "There is now, at least within the NATO community, consensus that this is an issue and something needs to be done sooner rather than later. "The first thing is trying to stop the injuries occurring in the first place — so regulating exposure, being able to accurately measure exposure — to try and minimise the risk." Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart told 7.30 he had been briefed on the AVBB's findings. "We're also working with the US who have over, I think it's about 450 brains in their brain bank. So in terms of being able to draw conclusions from a larger data set, we're very interested in that as well," General Stuart said. The Australian Army has been repeatedly criticised for failing to act swiftly on trials dating back over a decade that have repeatedly found Australian soldiers are at risk of brain injury from blast overpressure during training and combat. General Stuart says he wants to see baseline cognitive testing of soldiers at enlistment and deployment — as well as monitoring and recording their exposure to blasts during training. Both measures which are not yet happening across the ADF. "I'm really keen to make sure that we're doing everything we possibly can to prevent illness or injury wherever we can," Lieutenant General Stuart said. Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
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Aussie firms team up to send telescope, lasers to space
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The satellite will be manufactured in Adelaide by Inovor Technologies and will be operated by Optus from its base in Sydney's northern beaches. A SpaceX flight will be used launch the low-earth orbit satellite in late 2027 or early 2028 with two payloads on board, including a space telescope created by HEO. The 20cm Adler Imager telescope will capture images of space objects, HEO senior partnerships manager Joann Yap said, and could be used to track the performance of other satellites or identify potential space traffic problems. "It's a dedicated eye in orbit taking clear pictures of other satellites, rocket bodies and objects in space," Ms Yap said. "We believe Australia benefits immensely from having its own independent ability to monitor space for a wide variety of reasons but including for our national security and to support commercial space business." 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The satellite's second payload, developed by researchers at the University of South Australia and SmartSat, will use laser light to send and receive communications data to other satellites or earth. The addition could be used for defence communications or in rural and remote locations, Optus satellite and space systems head Nick Leake said. Future satellites delivered through the partnership could launch more Australian technology, he said, and discussions about future projects had already begun. "We're already thinking about two follow-on spacecraft and already in discussion with a number of parties around what types of payloads we could put on those spacecraft," he said. Australian organisations could build and launch a low-earth orbit satellite within two years as part of a $50 million project to boost national aerospace operations. 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The satellite's second payload, developed by researchers at the University of South Australia and SmartSat, will use laser light to send and receive communications data to other satellites or earth. The addition could be used for defence communications or in rural and remote locations, Optus satellite and space systems head Nick Leake said. Future satellites delivered through the partnership could launch more Australian technology, he said, and discussions about future projects had already begun. "We're already thinking about two follow-on spacecraft and already in discussion with a number of parties around what types of payloads we could put on those spacecraft," he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The ‘crème de la crème' of humpback whale photos
These images, by Sydney Morning Herald photo editor Danielle Smith, capture the 'crème de la crème' of humpback whale sightings – a double breach – says marine biologist Dr Vanessa Pirotta. 'For two giant school bus-sized, blubbery whales, sometimes the weight of 40,000 kilograms, to have a coordinated jump at the same time ... is just fabulous' she said. 'We don't exactly know why they do it, but it most likely serves as a form of communication,' said Pirotta of the movement, often likened to dancing, which sees whales jump out of the water. 'The humpback whale really does get the reputation of being the most acrobatic marine animal because when they jump, you never know when it's going to happen. And sometimes they literally will put on a show for people viewing them, and it's a spectacular one.' Marine mammal rescue charity the Organisation for Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said there had been a record number of whale sightings this year, with almost 6000 humpbacks spotted on the 26th Annual Whale Census on June 29. Pirotta said this number may include repeat counts of the same whale, but praised the work of members of the public who report sightings. 'We as scientists rely on citizen scientists and non-scientists to do a lot of our observations because the Australian coastline is so large, and we are now connected more than ever thanks to social media.' The images were taken off the coast of Lennox Head in northern NSW during a whale watching expedition with local tour boat operator Out Of The Blue Adventures.
