This year, the California Killer Whale Project is partnering with Ocean Wise, a conservation nonprofit, to study orcas in Monterey Bay during the gray whale migration using eDNA, a new technique to learn more about the 200 individuals in the local population.
The researchers aim to collect as many biological samples as possible using eDNA, a method never before utilized to study the skin microbiome of marine mammals, with fall sample analysis determining its viability as a less invasive alternative to blubber biopsy.
Killer whales play a crucial role socially, environmentally, and economically, being essential to indigenous culture, top-down predators contributing to the carbon cycle, and supporting a whale-watching industry reliant on their healthy population.
Understanding killer whales through eDNA sheds light on their behavior, relationships, and health, with Ocean Wise Research Technician Gary Sutton simplifying the collection process by sampling the flat patch of water left by orcas diving, known as a flukeprint.
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