What's new // Cetacean Conservation Research Program
The paper highlights the importance of bridging different ways of knowing, emphasizing that Indigenous Knowledge encompasses more than ‘data,’ and includes holistic expertise on culture, society, language, ethics, relationships, practices, and more.
We created this map to emphasize the relationship between the recovery of Southern Resident killer whales and the recovery of wild Chinook salmon.
As charismatic mega-predators, killer whales have no equal. Historically feared, respected, in some cultures revered, we now know them to be intelligent and highly social. They also have fascinatingly strong ideas about what constitutes food, with different populations having vastly different preferred prey. Not surprisingly, then, the plight of the critically endangered salmon-eating Southern Resident…
The endangered Southern Resident killer whale population isn’t getting enough to eat, and hasn’t been since 2018, a new study has determined.
Can drones disturb the animals that we strive to understand?
Our research helps us better understand their susceptibility to anthropogenic threats and the impact of those threats, and develop practical and effective measures to reduce them.
Belugas, nicknamed “sea canaries”, are one of the most loquacious cetacean species, producing an impressive array of sounds for a variety of purposes, such as social communication, group cohesion, maintaining mother-calf contact, navigating, and detecting prey.
“Dot is back!” exclaims Jaclyn from atop our beluga observation tower. We photo-identified this female beluga during our second field day. “That dimple below her dorsal ridge isn’t just a charming beauty mark, it’ll help us re-sight her over the summer…and hopefully next summer too!” – Jaclyn tweeted. Now, only a day later, Dot is…
Beluga whales produce a multitude of sounds for a variety of functions. To date, calls used for group cohesion and for mother-calf contact, known as ‘contact calls’, are the best understood 4,6,8,11,13,14. The fact that contact calls sound nothing like the typical chirps and whistles that are common in the beluga vocal repertoire, but instead…
Senior Scientist and Co-Director of our Cetacean Conservation Research Program, Dr. Valeria Vergara, is teaching the course, which is part of the SFU’s Continuing Studies Program.
he Year of the Salish Sea initiative will highlight stewards, artists, storytellers, and both in-person and virtual events happening from June 2022-2023 in the Salish Sea ecosystem region.
Exploring why belugas care for each other’s offspring.