Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Southern resident killer whales are a major conservation concern in Washington. They evoke strong public opinions, but policy decisions are not always consistent with killer whale ecology. In this project we will use social science methods to improve our understanding of the relationship between killer whale ecology, policy, and decision-making, and inform state and federal managers to help improve outcomes for both people and killer whales.