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.
Research into bowhead whales finds unique foraging behaviour
Understanding the needs of bowheads is a crucial first step taken to learn how they will respond to climate change.
STUDENT PROFILE: Ana Pozas
Focusing her research on the diets of California sea lions, Pozas enjoys working with the ‘dogs of the sea’, proving that the “ocean is not such a scary place and that there’s so much to learn still.”
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
New footage gives whale’s-eye view of northern and southern resident orcas
UBC and Hakai Institute researchers have just returned from a 30-day research trip in the northern and southern waters of Vancouver Island, where they gathered stunning new aerial and underwater footage of northern and southern resident killer whales that offers an unparalleled glimpse into the underwater lives of these whales. The research is part of […]
Swimming with the pod
For the past two weeks, Marine Mammal Research Unit (MMRU) researchers led by Dr. Andrew
Trites have been studying the feeding behaviours of northern resident killer whales.
Q&A with MSc student Zachary Sherker
Zachary is researching Pacific great blue herons in B.C., which prey on young salmon smolts migrating out of rivers, potentially limiting the salmon available for killer whales in the ocean.
Protecting Canada’s endangered whales through scientific research and collaboration
Dr. Andrew Trites will receive $1 million over five years for research on Southern Resident Killer Whales
Using sound to unravel how animal behavior in complex environments
MMRU Research Associate, Mei Sato, uses bio-acoustic data to study the interactions between Chinook salmon and killer whales
Drawing First Blood
Researchers publish first reference ranges for Steller sea lions