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The majority of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) undertake an annual migration from high latitude feeding grounds to tropical/subtropical breeding grounds. Suitable calving habitat for this species includes warm (typically 19°C to 28°C), shallow, sheltered waters in tropical and subtropical waters. Here, we investigated occurrence of calving beyond the primary recognised breeding grounds (16° to 24°S) of the east Australian humpback whale population (E1). We examined location, depth (m), and SST (⁰C) associated with newborn observations in Gold Coast Bay, in southern Queensland, Australia from 2013 to 2016. A total of 74 newborns were recorded in the study area, with the majority observed in July and August. These findings may signify that the Gold Coast Bay provides an apparently suitable habitat for calving for this humpback whale population. As the area has not been classified as calving habitat, these findings will assist conservation managers in making informed management decisions regarding this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, quick, inexpensive and easily reproduced thin-layer chromatographic method for the separation and quantitation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) was developed using an aluminum oxide plate, which was developed in a triethylamine: hexane solvent, with steam and U.V. treatment for visualization. The recoveries reported are mostly in the range of 90 to 100%. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) were first noted by Reisborough1 as materials present in wildlife samples that could give rise to interference in analysis of organochlorine pesticides. Of late analysis of PCB's has become as important as analysis of the pesticides. In both groups of materials many individual components exist and separation of the two groups by some method prior to the generally used gas-liquid chromatographic methodology is essential. Early separation methods were based on liquid-solid chromatography on florisil, silicic acid-celite, alumina, silica-gel and charcoal2,3,4,5,6. Careful activation conditions had to be followed and reports on unsuccessful attempts to duplicate work have appeared. Thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) methods have been used to separate these two groups of materials. The bulk of the T.L.C. methods however are only semiquantitative or confirmatory. We wish to describe a thin-layer separation technique that we have developed which separates PCB's and the common organochlorine pesticides. Elution of spots and analysis of the eluants by gas liquid chromatography indicated the method is quantitative. Further studies using untrained personnel indicated that the method is easily reproduced. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]