Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the release of the following publication in Endangered Species Research:
Riera A, Pilkington JF, Ford JKB, Stredulinsky EH, Chapman NR (2019) Passive acoustic monitoring off Vancouver Island reveals extensive use by at-risk Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations. Endang Species Res 39:221-234.
The paper is Open Access and can be downloaded via the following link:
http://bit.ly/esr_39_221
PDF copies are also available upon request to:
ariera@uvic.ca
ABSTRACT:
Two sympatric populations of fish-eating Resident killer whales inhabit the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada: Southern and Northern Resident killer whales. These populations are listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA)
as ‘endangered’ and ‘threatened’, respectively. Relatively little is known about their habitat use outside of the sheltered waters along the east coast of Vancouver Island, especially during the winter. SARA requires the identification of critical habitat
for these populations. High densities of Chinook salmon—their primary prey—are found around Swiftsure Bank, an area identified as potential critical habitat for Southern Residents. However, it is a difficult area to survey for whales using conventional small-boat
approaches. Here, we used 2 yr of data collected from an autonomous acoustic recorder deployed at Swiftsure Bank from 2009-2011 to assess the year-round habitat use of this area by Resident killer whales. Overall, Resident killer whales were detected on 244
of 680 monitored days (36%). Southern Residents were heard in all months, with activity peaking during the summer. Northern Residents were also heard throughout the year, but were mostly detected in the spring and fall, which indicates the 2 populations may
differ in their strategies for using this common foraging area. High levels of use by both of these populations highlights the importance of Swiftsure Bank to both, supporting the expansion of Resident killer whale critical habitat to include this site.
Sincerely,
Amalis Riera
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