Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessels: Recent Science and Future Trends

Streaming Media

Presentation Abstract

Vessels in the Salish Sea are sources of noise and disturbance that adversely affect southern resident killer whales. Among other things, vessel types, distances from the whales, and speeds are known to influence the nature and likelihood of adverse responses by the whales, particularly with regard to their foraging time, efficiency, and overall success. Such effects have biological and demographic consequences when they alter the condition of individual whales and undermine the population’s vital rates (reproduction and survival). Avoiding or minimizing such vessel effects requires an immediate response by the pertinent management authorities, but it also requires a long-term vision and perspective on the health of the Salish Sea. We propose a panel presentation to describe (1) the cascading effects of vessel noise and disturbance on the whales’ behavior, with special attention to recent scientific findings, (2) the consequences for the individuals in the population, including changes in condition, reproduction, and survival, (3) expected human population trends in the Salish Sea, which will determine the nature and extent of future threats to the whales, and (4) the long-term trends expected for vessel traffic to provide a basis for vessel management to moderate their impact on the whales and the population’s potential for recovery.

Session Title

Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessel Science (Panel)

Conference Track

SSE5: Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessel Impacts

Conference Name

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)

Document Type

Event

SSEC Identifier

SSE-panels-432

Start Date

27-4-2022 9:45 AM

End Date

27-4-2022 11:15 AM

Type of Presentation

Oral

Genre/Form

conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)

Subjects – Topical (LCSH)

Killer whale--Effect of human beings on--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Killer whale--Conservation--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Planning; Ships--Environmental aspects

Geographic Coverage

Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.

Type

Text

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Apr 27th, 9:45 AM Apr 27th, 11:15 AM

Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessels: Recent Science and Future Trends

Vessels in the Salish Sea are sources of noise and disturbance that adversely affect southern resident killer whales. Among other things, vessel types, distances from the whales, and speeds are known to influence the nature and likelihood of adverse responses by the whales, particularly with regard to their foraging time, efficiency, and overall success. Such effects have biological and demographic consequences when they alter the condition of individual whales and undermine the population’s vital rates (reproduction and survival). Avoiding or minimizing such vessel effects requires an immediate response by the pertinent management authorities, but it also requires a long-term vision and perspective on the health of the Salish Sea. We propose a panel presentation to describe (1) the cascading effects of vessel noise and disturbance on the whales’ behavior, with special attention to recent scientific findings, (2) the consequences for the individuals in the population, including changes in condition, reproduction, and survival, (3) expected human population trends in the Salish Sea, which will determine the nature and extent of future threats to the whales, and (4) the long-term trends expected for vessel traffic to provide a basis for vessel management to moderate their impact on the whales and the population’s potential for recovery.