Influence of group health and prey sharing in the evolution of a killer whale social system

Off the coast of British Columbia, Resident Killer Whales are considered at-risk and increasing evidence points to a lack of food (salmon) as one of their main threats. Resident Killer Whales have a complex social structure, where family groups are stable, matriarchal, and form associations with other family groups. The family groups or “matrilines” forage for fish together, often sharing prey. Matrilines are made of varying ages and composition of males and females, with some family members acting as primary foragers and providing the majority of prey sharing between group members. We aim to understand how prey sharing under food limited conditions could influence formation of the stable family matrilines and association patterns seen in the Resident Killer Whale social system. In collaboration with Ocean Wise and Raincoast Conservation, this project will contribute to a long-term monitoring study of killer whale health in relation to prey fluctuations on our coast.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chris Darimont

Student:

Partner:

Ocean Wise

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation; Education; Other services (except public administration); Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program: