Killer whales in the coastal waters of British Columbia are swimming against the current.
Affected by marine contaminants, overfishing and the incessant thrum of boat traffic, several populations of these ecologically critical apex predators now face uncertain futures. Particularly dire is the southern resident killer whale ecotype, whose declining headcount numbers just 73.
But a new lab in West Vancouver is using a bottom-up method to shed light on their cousins, the northern resident killer whales, in hopes of finding ways to avoid a similar fate.
While no one would consider research conducted at the site to be second rate, the lab in fact specializes in No. 2.
Near the centre of the maze-like collection of corridors and rooms that is the Pacific Science Enterprise Centre on Marine Drive, a fridge door is opened by Adam Warner of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Inside, racks of chilly shelves are stacked with vials. Some contain liquids 鈥� others are crowded with tangles of hair. All of them are poop.
But the excrement is just a means to an end. Inside the samples are DNA, from the predators themselves, and what they鈥檝e been eating. With that information, Warner can determine where cetaceans and other coastal carnivores like wolves have been finding their meals, and help assess the group鈥檚 overall health.
Before the whale scat is dropped off at the lab, Raincoast scientists tail the cetaceans in boats to scoop their leavings.
On a genetic level, research from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shown that the southern residents are highly inbred, and how that inbreeding is likely contributing to their continued decline.
Northern residents have been steadily adding numbers over the past 50 years, rising to 341 in 2022 from less than 125 in 1973. Part of Raincoast's research is to determine if northern residents have the same level of inbreeding.
鈥淲e looked at the northern resident killer whale populations 鈥� they鈥檙e also salmon eating 鈥� but they are actually doing pretty well,鈥� Warner said.
A thin genetic pool is just one piece of the puzzle.
鈥淭here are all these other issues that they face like noise pollution,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey rely on echolocation for feeding 鈥� Even a small boat can make a lot of noise underwater.鈥�
Despite pressures, other killer whale populations have been bouncing back in recent years too. Transient killer whales, also called Bigg鈥檚 killer whales, have been shown to be highly contaminated with pollutants, Warner explained, 鈥渨hich should be really bad.鈥�
鈥淏ut because their food source has become so abundant 鈥� a lot of seals, but then also some sea lions 鈥� they鈥檝e actually been doing quite well,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a good example of, even though that鈥檚 really bad that they鈥檙e so heavily contaminated with these forever chemicals, if they have a lot of food, the population can still have a bit of a boom,鈥� Warner added.
The hope is that, by taking action to boost the cetaceans鈥� food sources while reducing environmental stressors, populations can recover despite negatives like contamination and unfavourable genetics.
Extinction of killer whale populations would be devastating, researcher says
Policy decisions like the distancing of whale watching boats and restricting fishing in some areas have shown progress, Warner said.
鈥淔rom the killer whale fecal work, if we can see that they鈥檙e feeding on a specific run of salmon, maybe there can be some regulations that would go into effect to provide a bit more of that, at least when they鈥檙e in the area, rather than heavily fishing it at the same time,鈥� he added.
Warner points to government-supported projects that boost salmon populations, the primary menu item for resident killer whales. In 2022, Rainforest Conservation Foundation partnered with the Musqueam Indian Band to construct a breach of the North Arm Jetty of the Fraser River estuary.
鈥淚t really helps juvenile salmon get out into the estuary and get food early on,鈥� Warner said.
After his current genetic research wraps up near the spring, Warner will work with his team to publish their findings, which will be presented to the Canadian and U.S. governments in hopes of driving policy changes.
If measures aren鈥檛 taken, and one day the top of the food chain is removed, the consequences would be widespread, Warner said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to even think about how bad that would be,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ny time you get rid of an apex animal in an ecosystem, it really has a devastating effect on everything else there.鈥�
The fallout from such a drastic change could also damage B.C.鈥檚 tourism industry, Warner said, which generates upwards of $13 billion in revenue for the province each year.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have to hope that it doesn鈥檛 get that bad,鈥� he said.
