Project Information

Title: Long‐term killer whale monitoring in Prince William Sound/Kenai Fjords 23120114-N

Project Year and Number: 2023: 23120114-N

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2024: 24120114-N, 2022: 22120114-N , 2021: 21120114-N, 2020: 20120114-N, 2019: 19120114-N, 2018: 18120114-N, 2017: 17120114-N, 2016: 16120114-M, 2015: 15120114-M, 2014: 14120114-M, 2013: 13120114-M, 2012: 12120114-M

Principal Investigator (PI): John Durban (North Gulf Oceanic Society), Craig Matkin (North Gulf Oceanic Society)

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: None

Project Website: https://gulfwatchalaska.org/monitoring/pelagic-ecosystem/killer-whales/

Research Location: Gulf of Alaska

Restoration Category: Monitoring, Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Killer Whales

Abstract:

The Killer Whale Monitoring Project was initiated in 1984 and has provided one of the few time series with pre-spill data. We primarily use non-invasive photo-identification to track the life history of individual killer whales and monitor their pods and populations. The structure of these populations has been elucidated by studies of their genetics and acoustics, and their ecological role studied through ongoing research on diet and distribution. We have documented the spill to have clear, long-term and continuing effects on killer whales that were exposed. The AB pod of southern Alaska Resident killer whales has not recovered and the AT1 Transient population is headed for extinction. AB pod was on 30+ year recovery trajectory since the spill, but, along with other Resident pods, has declined following the recent marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska. This demonstrates the need to continue monitoring to assess recovery potential, and to understand the influence of environmental drivers. In 2021 the Science Panel recommended that our valuable datasets could be used to facilitate a broader ecosystem understanding. In response, we proposed new field and analytical methods to build on our existing time series. Specifically, we are now using non-invasive drone photogrammetry to track short-term changes in body condition and growth, and are linking these health metrics to demography to help understand longer-term population changes. Importantly, this will allow us to better integrate with synthesis efforts by the Gulf Watch Program as our photogrammetry measurements directly relate to killer whale nutritional health, which is relevant to the status of lower trophic levels in the food web on which these apex predators depend.


Proposal: View (1,168 KB)

Reports:
FY23 Annual Report: View (1,299 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available

Resolutions: