In the News
Sometimes our lab's work gets highlighted in the news, and when it does we'll share it here.
New research partnership to support southern resident killer whale diet research
The W.A.D.E. lab is excited to announce a new partnership with Wild Orca, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Rose Foundation in support of ongoing killer whale diet research in the Salish Sea. This work will complement the long-term diet dataset that has been curated and analyzed by scientists at NOAA , and will give us greater resolution to understand pod-level foraging behavior and diet preferences during non-summer months. Check back for updates on this research!
New paper alert:
Communication and masking in Cook Inlet beluga whales
We're excited to share a new paper from the W.A.D.E. lab, published by PhD Student Arial Brewer as her first lead-author paper (congrats Arial!). From this research, we've learned that many of the social calls used most commonly by this population may be masked by noise from large ships traveling through Cook Inlet.
Read a summary of this research in the UW News or NOAA Fisheries News, or check out an interview Arial did with Oregon Public Broadcasting. Photo courtesy Paul Wade/NOAA Fisheries.
In the Field
with Cook Inlet beluga
PhD Student Arial Brewer spent two weeks tracking Cook Inlet beluga in May of 2023, to support NOAA's efforts to conserve and manage this endangered population at the southern edge of beluga's range. Read more about her trip on the SAFS website! Photo by Arial Brewer, taken under NMFS Permit #25563.
UW News & Stories
Our lab's research was highlighted on UW Marine Biology's News and Stories website for World Whale Day 2023. We're excited to be an integral part of the marine mammal research taking place at UW!
New Class!
Announcing a new class that Amy will be teaching each spring, Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Mammals, designed for UW students who are majoring in Marine Biology or Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences and want to educate themselves about the ecological and evolutionary roles of marine mammals in our world's ocean.
New subspecies of short-finned pilot whale
In 2019 we published research supporting the elevation of the Naisa and Shiho short-finned pilot whales to two new subspecies globally, and our research was covered by multiple news organizations, including a comprehensive summary by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.