Tippets: Killer Whales Starving for Salmon, Study Finds Larger Fish Produce More Offspring

September 19, 2018 By: Erin Block

  • “The southern resident killer whale, as the apex predator of our Salish Sea, is the canary-in-the-coal-mine of our local waters,” writes Dylan Tomine. There are only 75 southern resident killer whales left, and part of their dwindling population can be tied to salmon populations. “If we want to save the last of our southern resident killer whales, we need both short- and long-term solutions. In the short term, simply put, the whales need more king salmon to eat. Right now.” Read more via Hatch Magazine.
  • New research published in the journal Science reveals that bigger fish produce more offspring pound for pound than smaller fish. These findings of reproduction “could reinforce the importance of marine protected areas, where fishing is limited or banned. And where it’s been shown that fish live longer and larger,” reports Christopher Joyce via NPR.