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Killer Whale Ecotypes in the Juneau Area

Project Details

Keywords: killer whale, ecotype, Juneau
Student Investigator:
Emma Luck
Faculty Mentor: Heidi Pearson, Ph.D.

Abstract

The goal of this project was to identify the most common killer whale ecotype in the Juneau area. Over 400 photographs of killer whales taken from the years 2012-2015 were collected from Juneau photographers and marine naturalists on various whale watching boats. The photos were analyzed and the killer whales were identified as either resident, transient, or offshore based on morphological characteristics. Additionally, the individual whales were compared to published killer whale identification catalogs and identified when possible.

Selected Resources & Publications

Killer Whale Ecotypes in the Juneau Area
Final report