Thousands of fifth-graders will cycle through Camp Orkila on Orcas Island this summer to engage with our marine ecosystem. As we round the corner into Spring, the counselors who will guide those kids (5,800 total!) are deep in preparation and training.
Last week, our team was honored to lead a low-tide beach walk at Camp Orkila to train this year’s Orkila staff. All of the counselors received a signed copy of our best-selling (and award-winning!) book for fifth graders, Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids.
As I write this, sitting in The Woods taproom where Southern Resident is brewed, Two Beers has donated more than $15,000 in support of the SeaDoc Society’s collaborative work to save Southern Residents.
Not to mention the story they’ve helped tell on thousands of boxes and cans sold throughout the Pacific Northwest over the last five years. In that initial creative design phase, their team was insistent that the whales’ story and SeaDoc’s mission be clear and prominent on the packaging.
For decades, fish-eating killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have been observed harassing and even killing porpoises without consuming them—a perplexing behavior that has long intrigued scientists.
A study published today in Marine Mammal Science, co-led by Deborah Giles of Wild Orca and Sarah Teman of the SeaDoc Society, a program of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, looked at more than 60 years of recorded interactions between Southern Resident killer whales and porpoises in the Salish Sea to better understand why they exhibit this behavior.
On a recent research dive near San Juan Island, SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos captured video of a large fishing net clinging to the rocky ocean floor. We immediately reported the net to the on-line, no fault reporting hotline so they can begin the process of removal, which is a complex and dangerous job - even for trained professionals.
Nora Nickum is Senior Ocean Policy Manager with the Seattle Aquarium and author of the new book, Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest. She’s an extremely valuable person to have in the larger effort to save this species, both in her policy work and in writing this book, which will no-doubt help shape the next generation of PNW conservationists.
“Full of scientist and activist heroes, including Nickum herself, Superpod will captivate readers and inspire them to become change makers,” said SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos, whose field work is featured in an excerpt of the book below this short Q&A.
Kelly, Klinger and Meyer are marine biologists. The real deal. They’ve spent most of their lives exploring and studying beaches and oceans. But their recent book, Between the Tides in Washington and Oregon, isn’t for pointy headed marine ecologists who study the minute details of riotous complexity of life that graces the coastline in this region. While scientifically on-point and detailed enough for a young marine biology student studying intertidal ecology, this book is really aimed at the average Joe. The non-expert. The newcomer or the dad or mom that want to explore the “why” with their kids as they journey to the ocean. This book won’t tell you the names of the thousands of plants and animals you’ll find at the shoreline. It’s bigger than that. This book will help you be a shoreline detective and increase your happiness index while at the beach.
We’re so excited to introduce our newest Research Assistant, Catherine Lo!
Cat’s predecessor, Sarah Teman, started her PhD program at the University of Washington this fall and we can’t wait to watch her bright future unfold! Like Sarah, Cat will work alongside Joe Gaydos on all things science and research here at SeaDoc Society. She joins us on Orcas Island this fall and has hit the ground running!
“Cat comes to SeaDoc with strong research skills and experience in data collection, data analysis, project management, scientific writing, and field work,” said SeaDoc Science Director Joe Gaydos. “Plus she loves the ocean and is a delightful person to work with. What’s not to like about that?”
When a big male Steller sea lion was spotted near San Juan Island with a plastic packing strap slicing deep into his neck, the only chance to save him was to launch a risky rescue mission. Today, footage of that dramatic operation is being made public for the first time.
The latest episode of Salish Sea Wild – a wildlife documentary series about the Salish Sea produced by the SeaDoc Society – puts you out on the water with the team as they work to sedate and free the 500-pound animal while battling huge tides, dangerous currents and jagged rocks.
While conducting research up in British Columbia last month, our Science Director Dr. Joe Gaydos got some quality hang time with a bald eagle. You could call this an animal attack, but we’ll call it a nice little going-away present before the beautiful raptor sails off into the horizon soon after the bite. Subscribe and you’ll be first to watch the full episode, coming soon!
Last week marked the release of the highly anticipated State of the Salish Sea Report, authored by Kathryn L. Sobocinski of Western Washington University. SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos has served on the advisory committee for the project since 2016.
Joe’s involvement began when Bert Webber, who led the charge to name the Salish Sea, and Ginny Broadhurst of the Salish Sea Institute, invited him onto the 8-person committee.
Salmon are born in freshwater and migrate to sea, where they feed and grow before returning to their mother stream to breed and die. Along the way they feed everything from endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales to bugs, bears and the forest itself.
Salmon are the cornerstone of our ecosystem, but many runs are in grave danger, particularly the wild Chinook. In this episode of Salish Sea Wild, Dr. Joe Gaydos takes a swim up the Skagit River to get a close-up look at these amazing fish. Written and produced by Bob Friel and SeaDoc Society.
River otters are a fairly common sight along the coastlines of the Salish Sea. Cute and curious, we have a pretty good idea of what they eat, how they behave, and what role they place in the near shore ecosystem. Unfortunately, we don’t know a whole lot about why they die, which makes it hard to fix any of our actions that might contribute to their demise.
When studying mortality in marine mammals, scientists often depend on data gathered from stranded animals, but river otter carcasses are difficult to find. To put it plainly, river otters tend to move out of sight when sick.
Pathology reports on more than 50 killer whales stranded over nearly a decade in the northeast Pacific and Hawaii show that orcas face a variety of mortal threats — many stemming from human interactions.
A study analyzing the reports was published today (Dec. 2) in the journal PLOS ONE. The study findings indicate that understanding and being aware of each threat is critical for managing and conserving killer whale populations. It also presents a baseline understanding of orca health.
The study was conducted by a team of marine mammal specialists led by a veterinary pathologist with the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and coordinated through SeaDoc Society, a Washington-based program of the University of California, Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine. The study received guidance and support from Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the United States’ NOAA Fisheries, the two federal agencies that manage this species.
The whales include those from healthy populations as well as endangered species, such as the southern resident whales regularly sighted off the coasts of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.
Of 53 whales stranded between 2004 and 2013, causes of death were determined for 42 percent. For example, one calf died from sepsis following a halibut hook injury. Another starved from a congenital facial deformity. Two whales died from the blunt force trauma of vessel strikes. Additional causes of death include infectious disease and nutritional deficiencies.
The 18-year-old male southern resident killer whale, J34, stranded near Sechelt, British Columbia, on Dec. 21, 2016. Postmortem examination suggests he died from trauma consistent with vessel strike. (Paul Cottrell/Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
‘We can do better’
Despite there being no singular common cause of death, the study found a common theme: Human-caused deaths occurred in every age class — from juveniles to subadults and adults.
“Nobody likes to think we’re directly harming animals,” said SeaDoc Society Director Joe Gaydos, a wildlife veterinarian with the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “But it’s important to realize that we’re not just indirectly hurting them from things like lack of salmon, vessel disturbance or legacy toxins. It’s also vessel strikes and fish hooks. That humans are directly killing killer whales across all age classes is significant; it says we can do a better job.”
Gaydos and lead author Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, co-developed a standardized killer whale necropsy protocol in 2004. Revised in 2014 with help from Judy St. Leger, a pathologist working for SeaWorld, this guide helped improve examinations of deceased whales.
“The results from systematic necropsies of dead killer whales in this review is unique and will establish critical baseline information to assess future mitigation efforts,” Raverty said. “This work contributes to a better understanding of the impacts that ongoing human activities and environmental events have on killer whales.”
The authors acknowledge the report is an incomplete picture of orca health and mortality. Necropsies can only be performed on whales found in an adequate state to receive them, and even then, the cause of death cannot always be determined. But the report offers one of the most comprehensive looks yet at the multitude of human and environmental threats affecting killer whales and can help inform strategies to better protect them.
Additional co-authors include scientists from a wide range of institutions including Cornell University, NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services, Marine Mammal Pathology Service in Maryland, UC Davis One Health Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cascadia Research Collective, University of Illinois-Brookfield, Portland State University, and Oregon State University.
Funding was provided by NOAA Fisheries and multiple grants from the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program. Additional support came from Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Vancouver Aquarium Research Program; SeaDoc Society; SeaWorld; Animal Health Center of the BC Ministry of Agriculture; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; and numerous First Nations, Alaska Native and Inuit communities.
Media contacts
Stephen Raverty, BC Ministry of Agriculture, 778-839-6916, Stephen.Raverty@gov.bc.ca
Joe Gaydos, UC Davis SeaDoc Society/Wildlife Health Center, 360-914-1083, jkgaydos@ucdavis.edu
Kat Kerlin, UC Davis News and Media Relations, 530-752-7704, 530-750-9195, kekerlin@ucdavis.edu
Dave Townsend, BC Ministry of Agriculture, 250-889-5945, Dave.H.Townsend@gov.bc.ca
A recent tracking study published by Samantha Sangster and Dr. Martin Haulena of the Vancouver Aquarium, and Co-authored by SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos, shed some new information on the post-release outcome of rehabilitated harbor seals.
The study, titled “Interannual differences in postrelease movements of rehabilitated harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina richardii) in the Salish Sea” and published in the June 2020 issue of Marine Mammal Science, built upon a study published by the SeaDoc Society in 2012 that looked at one year of wild and rehabilitated harbor seal weaned pup movements. The new study compares rehabilitated harbor seal movement over multiple years, telling a more nuanced story.
Last week, our Science Director, Joe Gaydos, presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission about an upcoming decision they face concerning new whale watching guidelines.
Like most of SeaDoc's science-based work, our efforts are integrated and layered to be more effective at driving conservation. Here’s how how something like this presentation (which you can read in full here) comes about and how it can help drive change:
Last week our Science Director, Joe Gaydos, shared a message of compassion and hope during this time of social distancing and COVID-19. It can be difficult to think about anything right now besides the pandemic that has is staying in place. In Joe’s message, he suggested the ocean as a place to send your mind in search of natural beauty and inspiration.
We want to know: What are you thinking about to maintain hope during these times? What are you doing each day that might inspire others? Submit your thoughts below and we’ll compile them in our next newsletter. Stay safe!
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the stress related to the fear and anxiety surrounding the health, social, and economic implications of this pandemic, is real. One thing they suggest to combat this is to spend time focusing on something positive. We recommend the ocean.
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Ruckelshaus, first and fifth head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Deputy Attorney General of the U.S., acting Director of the FBI, a Member of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, founding Chair of the Puget Sound Partnership and the recipient of the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He served four Presidents and three Governors and was mentor and friend to both me and the SeaDoc Society.
I first met Bill when he played an instrumental role in setting up Washington’s Puget Sound Partnership under Governor Gregoire. Over the years, I was so impressed that a person of his stature and intellect always graciously took time to answer my questions and guide be on policy and process needed to improve the health of the Salish Sea for the benefit of people, wildlife and our economy.
Team SeaDoc witnesses the Pacific Northwest’s most awesome wildlife spectacle as more than 100 million spawning herring lure the greatest annual gathering of Salish Sea predators to the Strait of Georgia. Join us for front-row seats above and below the water as thousands of marine mammals and seabirds, hundreds of hungry raptors, and packs of killer whales assemble for the feast.
SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos received the Local Hero award at the Friday Harbor Film Festival over the weekend for his work with the SeaDoc Society and his involvement in the San Juan Islands community. He took a moment to thank the local supporters who have made SeaDoc’s work possible. For those who weren’t able to attend, we offer Joe’s thanks in this post.
In this episode, Team SeaDoc works with scientists trying to save the Salish Sea’s most iconic and endangered species: the Southern Resident killer whale. The goal is to collect critical health and diet data from each of the 73 surviving animals. So how does a wildlife veterinarian make a house call to do non-invasive medical tests on 10-ton killer whales in the open sea? It takes sharp eyes and a fine mesh net.
Our Science Director, Joe Gaydos, will be honored with the Local Hero Award at the Friday Harbor Film Festival on San Juan Island this fall! The award will be presented at 7pm on October 27th, the final night of the festival. If you’re interested in attending the event, which takes place at the Whittier Theatre at the San Juan Community Theatre, check out their website for ticket information.
