No apparent shortage of prey for southern resident killer whales in Canadian waters during summer
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.
Getting a step closer to understanding how Chinook salmon live
Stable isotope analysis can peel back the curtain to give scientists a view of where fish spend their time, what they’ve been eating, and how they are interacting with other species.
The Killers of California and Oregon
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.
PROFILE: Finding novel ways to use modelling to solve oceans, fisheries and social problems
GOM took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving online, and connecting with researchers from 29 countries.
Blue herons identified as a significant juvenile salmon predator
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.
Orca Quest 2020: In Search of Killer Whales
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.
Feast and famine for juvenile salmon as they navigate BC’s complex coastal waters
Zooplankton communities are profoundly shaped by BC’s complicated coastlines, creating a mosaic of foraging conditions for the juvenile salmon that depend on them for sustenance.
STUDENT PROFILE: Samantha Ramirez
I’m creating a model that will predict the hypoxic conditions of freshwater streams years from now. This will help governmental organizations know where to focus their conservation efforts in terms of which streams are going to be the most impacted by our changing environment, said Ramirez.
What’s Killing Killer Whales?
Despite there being no singular common cause of death, the study found a common theme: Human-caused deaths occurred in every age class — from juveniles to subadults and adults.
SPOTLIGHT: Marine Mammal Energetics and Nutrition Lab carries on with research despite COVID-19 setbacks
“It just means we have to be creative to keep research going,” said David Rosen, assistant professor and principal investigator