SeaDoc Society convenes meeting to discuss Orca deaths

On November 18th, the SeaDoc Society helped the Puget Sound Partnership bring together and moderate a meeting of killer whale and salmon scientists to evaluate the recent loss of 7 Southern Resident killer whales. Chinook salmon comprise roughly 80% of the summer and fall diet of Southern Resident killer whales and there is a strong suspicion that reduced Chinook salmon abundance could have been a major contributing factor in this year's loss of 7 animals, leaving the population at 83. The story is not as simple as starvation, however. We know that decreased food availability causes killer whales to metabolize fat stores, releasing contaminants into their system, which can reduce their ability to fight off disease. Although many efforts are already underway to recover this endangered killer whale populations, post meeting efforts will re-examine Chinook harvest in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. They also will increase focus on reducing other stressors such as harmful contaminants and boat noise, which could complicate the killer whale's ability to capture prey.

Read more about the meeting in a Kitsap Sun article by Christopher Dunagan.