Recent and Ongoing Research

Southern Resident Killer Whale Research Plan

Genetics

• Hoelzel, R. 2004. Report on killer whale population genetics for the BRT review on the status of the southern resident population. Unpubl. report submitted to the NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• Reeves, R.R., W.F. Perrin, B.L. Taylor, C.S. Baker and M.L. Mesnick (eds.). 2004. Report of the Workshop on Shortcomings of Cetacean Taxonomy in Relation to Needs of Conservation and Management, 30 April to 2 May, La Jolla, California. NOAA-Technical Memorandum-NMFS-SWFSC-363, 94pp.

Population Dynamics

• Ward, E.J., E.E. Holmes, and K.C. Balcomb. 2009. Quantifying the effects of prey abundance on killer whale reproduction. Journal of Applied Ecology, 46(3):632-640.
• Ward, E.J., E.E. Holmes, K. Parsons, KC Balcomb, and JKB Ford. 2009. The role of menopause and reproductive senescence in a long-lived social mammal. Frontiers in Zoology, 6(4).

Contaminants and Health

• Krahn, Margaret M, M. Bradley Hanson, Gregory S. Schorr, Candice K. Emmons, Douglas G. Burrows, Jennie L. Bolton, Robin W. Baird, Gina M. Ylitalo. 2009. Effects of age, sex and reproductive status on persistent organic pollutant concentrations in "Southern Resident" killer whales. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58: 1522–1529.
• Herman, David P, Gina M.Ylitalo, Craig O. Matkin, John W. Durban, M. Bradley Hanson, Marilyn E. Dahlheim, Janice M. Straley, Karen L. Tilbury, Margaret M. Krahn. 2008. Assessing the age-distributions of killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations from the composition of endogenous fatty acids in their outer-blubber layers. Mar. Eco. Prog. Ser. 372: 289–302.
• Krahn,, M.M., M.B. Hanson, R.W. Baird, R.H. Boyer, D.G. Burrows, C.K. Emmons, J. K.B. Ford, L. L. Jones, D. P. Noren, P. S. Ross, G. S. Schorr, T.K. Collier. 2007. Persistent organic pollutants and stable isotopes in biopsy samples (2004/2006) from Southern Resident killer whales. Mar. Poll. Bull. 54 (2007) 1903–1911.

Prey

• Hanson, M.B., R.W. Baird, J.K.B. Ford, J. Hempelmann-Halos, D. M.Van Doornik, J.R. Candy, C. K. Emmons, G. S. Schorr, B. Gisborne, K. L. Ayres, S. K. Wasser, K. C. Balcomb, K. Balcomb-Bartok, J. G. Sneva, and M. J. Ford. 2010. Species and stock identification of prey consumed by endangered “southern resident” killer whales in their summer range. Endangered Species Research 11: 69–82.
• Williams, T.M., Dunkin, R., Yochem, P., McBain, J., Fox-Dobbs, K., Mostman-Liwanag, H., Maresh, J. 2008. NWFSC Contract Report: Assessing Stable Isotope Signature Variation in Cetaceans: An evaluation of skin sampling techniques and correlations with diet for bottlenose dolphins and killer whales.
• Au, W. Au, W. W. L., Horne, J. and Jones, C. (2010). Basis of acoustic discrimination of Chinook salmon from other salmons by echolocating Orcinus orca. J. Acoust. Soc. Am.

Energetics

• Williams, R. and Noren, D.P. (2009) Swimming speed, respiration rate and estimated cost of transport in adult killer whales. Marine Mammal Science 25: 327–350.
• Noren, D.P. (2010) Estimated field metabolic rates and prey requirements of resident killer whales. Marine Mammal Science. 27:60–77

Distribution and Habitat

• McCluskey SM (2006) Population trends and movement complexity patterns of southern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in relation to Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the inland waters of Washington State and British Columbia. M.Sc. Thesis, School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Washington
• Hanson, M.B., D. P. Noren, T.F. Norris, C.A. Emmons, T. Guy and J. Zamon. 2008. Pacific Ocean killer whale and other marine mammals Distribution survey, March 2006 (PODs 2006) conducted aboard the NOAA ship McArthur II. Unpubl. Rept, NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• Hauser DDW (2006) Summer space use of Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) within Washington and British Columbia inshore waters. M.Sc. Thesis, School of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle WA.
• Ashe, E., Noren, D.P., Williams, R. (2010) Animal behaviour and marine protected areas: Incorporating behavioural data into the selection of marine protected areas for an endangered killer whale population. Animal Conservation 13:196–203.

Vessel Interactions

• Bain, DE., J. Smith and R. Williams.2004. Contract Report for Land-based Southern Resident Killer Whale Vessel Interaction Study. Unpubl. Contract Rept, NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• Bain, DE., J. Smith and R. Williams. 2006. Effects Of Vessels On Behavior Of Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus Spp.) Unpubl. Contract Rept, NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• Bain, DE., J. Smith and R. Williams. 2006. Effects Of Vessels On Behavior Of Southernresident Killer Whales (Orcinus Spp.) 2003-2005. Unpubl. Contract Rept, NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• Lusseau D, Bain DE, Williams R, Smith JC (2009) Vessel traffic disrupts the foraging behavior of southern resident killer whales Orcinus orca. Endangered Species Research 6:211–221.
• Noren, D.P., Johnson, A.H., Rehder, D., Larson, A. (2009) Close approaches by vessels elicit surface active behaviors by Southern Resident killer whales. Endangered Species Research 8:179–192.
• Williams, R. and Ashe, E. (2007) Killer whale evasive tactics vary with boat number. Journal of Zoology 272:390–397.
• Williams, R., Bain, D.E., Smith, J.C., Lusseau, D. (2009) Effects of vessels on behaviour patterns of individual southern resident killer whales Orcinus orca. Endangered Species Research 6:199–209.

Noise Effects

• Hildebrand, J.A., M.A. McDonald, J. Calambokidis, and K. Balcomb. 2006. Whale Watch Vessel Ambient Noise in the Haro Strait. Unpubl. rept., Joint Institute for Marine Observations, Report on cooperative agreement NA17RJ1231:MPL TM-490 August 2006. Marine Physical Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
• Veirs, V. and S. Veirs. 2006. Average levels and power spectra of ambient sound in the habitat of southern resident orcas. Unpubl. Rept. to the NWFSC, Seattle, WA.
• CTC. 2005. Underwater Acoustic Habitat Technical Memorandum. Unpubl. rept submitted to NWFSC, Seattle, WA. Contract No. NBCHD020034 Task No. 0017 to Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Bremerton, WA.
• Jones, C.D., and M.A. Wolfson. 2006. Acoustic Environment of Haro Strait: Preliminary Propagation Modeling and Data Analysis. Unpubl. Technical Memorandum APL-UW TM 3-06, July 2006, for NOAA Contract AB133F-04-SE-1218. Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington Seattle, Washington.
• Holt, M. M., D.P. Noren, V. Veirs, C.K. Emmons, and S. Veirs. 2008. Speaking up: Killer whales (Orcinus orca) increase their call amplitude in response to vessel noise. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 125 _1_, January 2009, JASA Express Letters
• Holt, M.M. 2008. Sound exposure and Southern Resident killer whales (Orcinus orca): A review of current knowledge and data gaps. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-89, 59 p.

last modified 04/18/2011
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