Biodiversity survey results show Woodside blasted in close proximity to endangered whales

06 Jun 2025 – Seismic blasting for a new Woodside gas project was carried out in waters where endangered and rare marine species – including the pygmy blue whale – are present off Western Australia’s north coast.

The revelation comes as one of Australia’s biggest fossil fuel developments is set to continue operating for another 45 years after Woodside gained preliminary approval for an extension for its giant North West Shelf project even as concerns about climate change intensify.

Those concerns – as well as rising ocean temperatures and the destructive fishing practices that are driving marine ecosystems to breaking point – are set to be canvassed at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC), to be held in France this month.

A delegation of scientists from Minderoo Foundation led by Dr Andrew Forrest AO, spent several days off Australia’s north-west coast in late 2023 observing Woodside’s seismic testing for its $16.5 billion Scarborough gas project.

Minderoo carried out its own testing, including environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis and passive acoustic monitoring.

The Minderoo team retrieved traces of DNA from seawater samples that mapped to the false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), Fraser’s dolphin (Lagenodelphis hosei), Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), and the pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda).

“The pygmy blue whale is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List and WA’s Biodiversity Conservation Act, while false killer whales are globally classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List,” Professor Michael Bunce, Director of Minderoo’s OceanOmics program, said.

“This area of Australia’s marine estate is relatively underexplored, and we need baseline monitoring to fully understand the species that live or travel through the area.”

Dr Forrest – who will be advocating for greater ocean protection measures at UNOC next week – said extending high-emitting projects like the North West Shelf would perpetuate the strain on the world’s oceans.

“Our ocean regulates climate, produces oxygen, and feeds billions - but it’s under threat,” he said. “Climate change and destructive fishing practices are driving marine ecosystems to a tipping point. We must move away from fossil fuels and towards real zero to give our oceans a fighting chance.”

Among the marine mammals identified in Minderoo’s acoustic data were the dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) and Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris).

“These species could be best described as cryptic,” Prof. Bunce said. “We know comparatively little about them given their elusive behaviour and preference for remote, deepwater environments.

“In Australia, they are classified as Data Deficient, which means we don’t know enough about the populations to even assign them with a conservation listing. This lack of knowledge could potentially lead to us underestimating risks that they face.

“One of the fundamental issues we are trying to address with the OceanOmics program is developing ecosystem intelligence to address these data deficiencies.”

Woodside’s seismic blasting came on the heels of global leaders at COP28 agreeing that the world must move away from fossil fuels.

“Over its total lifetime, the cumulative emissions of the Burrup Hub (of which the Scarborough project is part) could soar to 13 times Australia’s annual carbon output,” Dr Forrest said.

“Woodside uses seismic blasting to detect gas deposits, releasing soundwaves to the bottom of the ocean every 8-15 seconds and can last for months on end. The blasting occurs in an important migratory habitat for pygmy blue whales – an endangered species that needs our protection.

“Pygmy blue whales communicate at low frequencies, so the noise from offshore gas operations has the potential to mask the sounds they need to communicate with each other. It can also mask other natural sounds in the ocean that these whales rely on for navigation.

“Our scientists, alongside many experts in marine science, are concerned about the short-term, long-term and cumulative effects on marine life of seismic blasting.”

At UNOC, Minderoo will be advocating for a global 30x30 target – protecting 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 – through greater investment in biodiversity monitoring, using eDNA, more no-take marine parks, innovative financing for lasting ocean protection, and an end to destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling.

“Ocean recovery is possible within our lifetime – but only if we act now,” Dr Forrest said. “When we protect marine ecosystems, science shows they bounce back. And when the ocean thrives, so do we.”

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