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Professor
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Department of Zoology
On leave until December 31, 2023
Director, Marine Mammal Research Unit
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Contact Information
Email: a.trites@oceans.ubc.ca
Office phone: 604-822-8182
Location: Rm. 246, Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory (AERL) Building, 2202 Main Mall, UBC
Website: Marine Mammal Research Unit; North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Research Consortium
Research Unit
Marine Mammal Research Unit
Research Interests
Dr Trites oversees the Marine Mammal Research Unit and a research program that involves captive and field studies of seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins.
His research is primarily focussed on pinnipeds (Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, and harbor seals) and involves captive studies, field studies and simulation models that range from single species to whole ecosystems. His research spans the fields of ecology, nutrition, physiology, and animal behaviour—and is designed to further the conservation of marine mammals. It is also designed to further the conservation and understanding of marine mammals, and resolve conflicts between people and marine mammals. The research program includes researchers, students, technicians, and support staff. The training of students, and the collaboration between researchers specializing in other disciplines (such as nutrition, ecology, physiology and oceanography) is central to the success of his research program.
- biology of marine mammals
- population dynamics
- bioenergetics
- fisheries
- data analysis
Publications
Refereed publications
Related stories:
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Killer whales are in the news for sinking boats off the coast of Spain.
Grey whales face many threats ranging from entanglements and ship strikes, to loss of habitat and reduced prey availability. Researchers are collecting data this summer needed to quantify and mitigate these threats.
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Researchers reported that Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea in summertime are four to six times more abundant for southern resident killer whales than northern resident killer whales.
More than 50 years of studying Steller sea lion behaviour has yielded one of the most complete life history descriptions for any species of marine mammal.
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Thirteen years of photo-identification data of killer whales observed in California and Oregon provide new insights into the distribution and population structure of mammal-eating killer whales in the eastern North Pacific Ocean.
Looking for predators that ate salmon, an Indigenous biologist suggested looking at heron. Discarded tags proved Pacific great blue herons could be scooping up as many as 3-6% of all juvenile salmon.
In August 2020, Marine Mammal Research Unit (MMRU) researchers set sail to determine whether there are enough chinook salmon to support southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea.
