Linking Acoustics and Behavior in Southern REsident Killer Whales

Led by Michael Weiss, Center for Whale Research

Southern resident killer whales use specific areas for key behaviors, including socializing and foraging. Our understanding of southern resident habitat use outside of their core habitat is primarily based on data from passive acoustic monitoring, which cannot currently provide information on whale behavior. This significantly inhibits our ability to determine what coastal areas may be key for protecting this population. This project will combine acoustic and behavioral data to create statistical models capable of determining killer whale behavior from hydrophone recordings, which can then be used to identify behavioral use of habitat from acoustic recordings.