Identification of long term datasets on southern hemisphere baleen whales with potential utility in climate change research

Datasets that are valuable for studying the effects of climate change in ecological systems must be more than long term. Although the overall duration of a study is of fundamental importance, the data must be collected at appropriate spatial and temporal scales to inform research into the impacts of a rapidly warming climate. This paper focuses on long term datasets on southern hemisphere baleen whales. We highlight datasets for estimating trends and abundance that were thoroughly described in Leaper et al. (2008). We identify a few additional datasets that reach into other areas of cetacean research, such as life history and animal health. Finally, we evaluate each dataset with respect to its potential utility in climate change research.