Meet a Scientist
with Colleen Weiler
Telephone: +1 508 746 2522
Mobile: +1 810 813 1643
Skype: cmweiler
whales.org
What is your role for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation organization (or whichever organization) and what do you specialize in?
"I am the Jessica Rekos Fellow for Orca Conservation and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) which means I specialize in protecting and recovering wild orca populations. I do this by using science and research to identify effective conservation and management strategies for orcas."
What do you personally hope to accomplish at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (or whichever organization that is for your career)?
"I hope to create long-term changes to protect orcas, especially the highly endangered Southern Resident orca population (the only endangered orca population in the United States), and reduce threats currently facing wild orcas."
Why are we eager to protect killer whales? What role do they play in the ecosystem?
"People love orcas! Orcas are one of the most well-known and iconic species in the world, and have very deep connections to Native cultures here in the Pacific Northwest. Humans have a strong kinship to orcas because their societies mirror our own – they are long-lived, live in family groups, and offspring stay with their mothers for life. Their families are a lot like ours. Orcas are apex predators, which means they are important to the long-term health and functionality of their ecosystems. They are indicator species, so their health reflects that of their home. When orcas are in trouble, our shared waters are in trouble, and that has implications for human health. The uniqueness of different orca populations means that each have a niche to fill in their specific ecosystems – for example, the Southern Resident orcas are the only Resident orca population (fish-eating orcas) in the California Current ecosystem."
What do you think about killer whales kept in captivity for entertainment purposes (like SeaWorld)? Are you for or against it, why or why not?
"WDC opposes holding orcas, and all whales and dolphins, in captivity. Ending captivity is one of the primary goals of our organization. Orcas are highly intelligent, have complex societies, and have lives in the wild that are impossible to duplicate in captivity. They do not thrive living in tanks. Orcas held captive have shorter lifespans, are more stressed and susceptible to disease and illness, and live in artificial groups very different from the families they have in the wild. They lack space to swim, have very little stimulation, and may be subjected to aggression by other orcas. In the wild, orcas can swim up to 100 miles and dive up to 850 feet in a day, and experience constant changes in their environment. They navigate and forage by using echolocation, and stay in constant communication with their pod mates. In captivity, orcas are limited by tiny tanks, a constant environment, and all of their food and activities are regulated by their human caretakers.
See more at: http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/fate-of-captive-orcas and http://www.seaworldfactcheck.com/"
What laws or regulations would you like to implement for the killer whale?
"WDC is working to have more of the Southern Resident orcas’ home protected through an expanded critical habitat designation (http://us.whales.org/blog/2018/03/southern-resident-orca-critical-habitat-where-are-we-now). We have also developed a list of actions that can help this endangered population by addressing the primary threats to their survival: prey depletion, toxic contamination, and acoustic and physical disturbance. These include:
Restoring their primary prey – Chinook salmon – through fish habitat restoration and by removing barriers to fish migration.
Regulating emergent chemicals that impact orcas, their prey, and their habitats; removing toxins present in the system; improving wastewater treatment and implementing new technologies to prevent more toxins from entering their habitat.
Identifying key foraging areas and protecting those areas from harvest and noise.
Developing guidelines to reduce noise from vessel traffic (go-slow zones, limiting number of large vessels in an area or small boats around orcas)
Banning the Kinder Morgan pipeline"
