A-Pod Cast For Killer Whales

Dawn Noren is a federal research biologist with NOAA. She studies the physiology of the Southern Resident killer whales, specifically focused on blubber and body condition. She has worked on several high profile cases, including the historic intervention staged to save the young ailing J50, who eventually disappeared and is presumed dead...

Snohomish County and the Tulalip Tribes survey fish four times a month around the Snohomish River estuary by setting a net and counting the fish it catches. They measure size, record species, and look to see if Chinook salmon are recovering in light of habitat restoration projects. Chinook salmon are the preferred food of the Southern Resident killer whales, the 76 orcas on the brink of extinction. Since the fish aren't doing well, the whales are starving...

Linda Rhodes is a microbiologist with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Science Center who studies how parasites in human sewage and animal waste may be hurting the Southern Resident killer whales. The amount of human sewage that ends up in the Salish Sea will shock you. It creates parasites that can enter the whales through their blow holes when they come up for air. Remnants of sewage have also been detected deep within the water column...

Tim Ragen spent 15 years as a research biologist for NOAA, coordinated stellar sea lion recovery efforts, and then worked for 13 years with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. He has invaluable insight into what it takes to recover a species on the brink of extinction like the Southern Resident killer whales...

For thousands of years, the Lummi Nation has been performing ceremonial feedings for killer whales, and continue that tradition today with the Southern Resident killer whales, who are now facing the real possibility of extinction.  The Lummi believe the orcas are their ancestors. They recently assisted in a historic intervention to save the ailing calf, J50, who eventually died. Kurt Russo is with the Lummi Nation's Sovereignty and Treaty Protection office. 

Lanni Johnson is a 71-year old grandmother from Snohomish, Washington who starved herself for 17 days to raise awareness of the plight of the 75 Southern Resident killer whales who are on the brink of extinction. In this episode, she talks about what it was like to go 17 days without eating and why she says she had to do it. 

Brad Hanson is a wildlife biologist with NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center and one of the scientists most intimately acquainted with the decline of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). After 15 years of studying them using satellite tags among other techniques, Hanson believes the SRKW are likely dying from disease not starvation, as has been widely publicized. He says they're likely more susceptible to pathogens because they don't have enough food to eat...

Josh McInnes is Research Coordinator for Marine Life Studies and an expert on transient killer whales. He recently had a surprise encounter with L124 or "Lucky", the newest calf born to the Southern Resident Killer Whales on the brink of extinction.

Greg Ruggerone and his team recently published research they believe shows a connection between pink salmon and the decline of Southern Resident killer whales. The endangered orcas primarily eat Chinook salmon and Ruggerone believes pink salmon are somehow interfering with the whales' ability to forage.

Josh McInnes studies transient killer whales, a group of orcas that has rebounded from dwindling numbers. They differ from the fish-eating Southern Resident killer whales because they eat marine mammals. McInnes discusses reasons for their comeback and why he still has hope for the Southern Residents.