Whales and ships within a British Columbia fjord system: assessing behavioral response and risk of strikes

As whales recover from the past centuries of whaling and as global trade compels shipping traffic to increase, we expect negative whale-ship interactions such as fatal strikes and noise disturbance to become an increasingly serious issue. To develop cost-effective and broadly applicable methods of assessing the risks of ships to whale feeding grounds, I propose to work with the partner organization to initiate a land-based visual survey of whales and ships within a fjord system of northern British Columbia that is slated for increased shipping traffic. I will analyze the data we collect to assess the risk of ship strikes and compare the behavioral response of two whale species, humpback whales and fin whales, to passing ships. The methods we develop will inform mitigation measures in our study site and facilitate similar studies elsewhere.

Faculty Supervisor:

Natalie Ban

Student:

Partner:

World Wildlife Fund Canada (Toronto, ON)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Life Sciences (not health); Environmental Science and Technology; Aboriginal Affairs

University:

University of Victoria

Program: