Dr Brian Miller: BSc (Hons), PhD
Research interests
I am a marine mammal acoustician, and this means that I develop and use specialised underwater listening devices and software to detect and locate sounds produced by marine mammals. I started working in this field in 2003 at Boston University’s Hearing Research Center by investigating the mechanics of cetacean (dolphin and whale) auditory systems.
For my PhD at Otago University, I conducted 3D acoustic tracking of sperm whales in Kaikoura, New Zealand, and I also developed passive acoustic software for measuring individual growth in sperm whales. Since 2011 I have been working at the Australian Antarctic Division as part of the Australian Marine Mammal Centre. My work is focused on understanding the role and recovery of large whales throughout the Southern Ocean. In addition to Antarctic research, I also provide scientific advice on the effects of man-made underwater noise on marine mammals around Australia and Antarctica.
My main acoustic research tools in the Southern Ocean are sonobuoys and autonomous moored-acoustic recording devices (also known as whale recorders). I use sonobuoys to locate and track blue and fin whales in real-time during vessel-based surveys. These acoustic tracking methods, which we developed for the IWC-SORP Antarctic Blue Whale Project, provide a reliable and efficient way to find and study critically endangered Antarctic blue whales.
Moored acoustic recorders provide continuous sound recordings for an entire year for each deployment at each recording site. These long-term underwater recordings can give us insight into the distribution, habitat usage, and seasonal trends in vocal behaviour of more than a dozen Antarctic marine mammal species – each known to produce distinctive underwater sounds. These long-term recordings are especially useful for learning about blue, fin, and sperm whales, since these species are very vocal, but are otherwise not frequently encountered.
Current projects
- #4636: Sustainable Management of Antarctic Krill and Conservation of the Krill-based Ecosystem
- #4600: Conservation and management of Australian and Antarctic whales – post-exploitation status, distribution, foraging ecology and their role in the Southern Ocean ecosystem