Join us for episode 17 of Cetacean Sessions: Emerging contaminants in Southern Residents and Transient orcas. In this episode, we will discuss the results of a recent publication in Environmental Science and Technology with our special guest and lead author of the study, Kiah Lee.

Kiah is currently a masters student studying toxicology and environmental sciences at the University of Oslo. As part of her undergraduate research at the University of British Columbia, she recently published a paper on contaminants of emerging concern in killer whales, including endangered Southern Residents, inhabiting the Northeastern Pacific Ocean (NEP). The team found that per- and poly-fluroalkyl substances (PFAS), alkylphenols, and new persistent organic pollutants including hexabromocyclododecane (HBCCD), PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS, were prevalent in these killer whales. They also found efficient and preferential maternal transfer of such chemicals. This research provides preliminary research and baseline data on emerging contaminants in NEP sentinel marine mammals. Kiah continues to study killer whales throughout her masters thesis by enhancing the understanding of Norwegian killer whale diets and foraging specializations.

Presentation and discussion will be followed by live Q&A with the audience.

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Cetacean Sessions is a bi-weekly seasonal webinar series where we discuss impactful recently published scientific research on cetaceans with those conducting it around the world. Season 3 is focused exclusively on early-career researchers' publications. Cetacean Sessions is informal, educational, interactive, and geared towards those working with or interested in cetaceans. You can register for sessions and follow our channel for free with no account creation necessary.

Whale Scientists is a science communication platform created by two PhD students, Anaïs Remili and Naomi Mathew. It aims to share scientific knowledge with the public in a fun, entertaining way, to share tips with aspiring marine mammalogists on how to become whale scientists, and to share the incredible journeys of early-career researchers. You can find more info at: https://whalescientists.com/

Bay Cetology enables conservation and understanding of cetacean populations that are data deficient or threatened by climate change and human development. Our marine biologists and research technicians use various expertise to conduct field studies, analyze data, and communicate findings. Bay Cetology was founded by Jared Towers in 2017 and is based out of Alert Bay (Home of the Killer Whale) in the unceded traditional territory of the ‘Namgis First Nation, British Columbia, Canada. See more about our previous work and current projects at https://baycetology.org

Cetacean Sessions #17