Environmental Factors and Ship Traffic Density Influencing Orca Habitat Preference in the Salish Sea
Presentation Abstract
This study examines resident and transient killer whales in the Puget Sound, and the environmental and anthropogenic factors which may influence their behavior and habitat preferences. By utilizing georeferenced data of killer whale sightings in the Puget Sound over the last twenty years, and analyzing it in ArcGIS, it is possible to generate geospatial and temporal correlations with numerical fluctuations in the populations of dietary species, tide and current data, sea surface temperature and seismic anomalies. Changes in killer whale habitat selection over time were also compared to evolving vessel traffic activity in the Salish Sea overall. The findings of this study are designed to illuminate changes in killer whale habitat selection preference over the last two decades, and correlate these changes with physical, environmental, and anthropogenic phenomena.
Session Title
General Habitat Topics
Conference Track
Habitat
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Killer whale--Behavior--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Killer whale--Habitat--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Killer whale--Effect of human beings on--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Puget Sound (Wash.); Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Environmental Factors and Ship Traffic Density Influencing Orca Habitat Preference in the Salish Sea
2016SSEC
This study examines resident and transient killer whales in the Puget Sound, and the environmental and anthropogenic factors which may influence their behavior and habitat preferences. By utilizing georeferenced data of killer whale sightings in the Puget Sound over the last twenty years, and analyzing it in ArcGIS, it is possible to generate geospatial and temporal correlations with numerical fluctuations in the populations of dietary species, tide and current data, sea surface temperature and seismic anomalies. Changes in killer whale habitat selection over time were also compared to evolving vessel traffic activity in the Salish Sea overall. The findings of this study are designed to illuminate changes in killer whale habitat selection preference over the last two decades, and correlate these changes with physical, environmental, and anthropogenic phenomena.
Comments
Authors: Coast Guard Academy Cadets 1/c Hailey Thompson & 1/c Sheila Dutt, Monika Wieland,
LT Christopher Verlinden