John McCarthy – The Conversation

A Bryde’s whale. worldclassphoto/Shutterstock

February 28, 2023

A ‘recently discovered’ whale feeding strategy has turned up in 2,000‑year‑old texts about fearsome sea monsters

John McCarthy, Flinders University; Erin Sebo, Flinders University, and Matthew Firth, Flinders University

The gaping maws and great belch of the Norse ‘hafgufa’ may well have been a humpback whale simply engaging in trap-feeding.

WikiCommons/Illustration by Samuel Atkins

February 3, 2022

Has Captain Cook’s ship Endeavour been found? Debate rages, but here’s what’s usually involved in identifying a shipwreck

John McCarthy, Flinders University

I have worked on many shipwreck investigations and have been involved in the discovery of a couple of shipwreck sites of this period. Here’s what’s usually involved in identifying a ship.

Archaeologists and marine scientists must work together with Indigenous communities and policy makers to protect Australia’s cultural heritage above and below the sea. Sam Wright

August 31, 2021

Australia’s coastal waters are rich in Indigenous cultural heritage, but it remains hidden and under threat

Jonathan Benjamin, Flinders University; Chelsea Wiseman, Flinders University; John McCarthy, Flinders University; Peter Jeffreys, Indigenous Knowledge, and Sean Ulm, James Cook University

With 300 stone artefacts submerged on Australia’s continental shelf last year, Indigenous underwater cultural heritage needs to be prioritised in marine science and industry practices.

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