Event Title
Southern Resident Killer Whales and Vessels: Recent Science and Future Trends
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
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
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.
