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The NWFSC Scientific Publications Database serves as an archival repository of NWFSC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, technical memorandums, reports, or other information authored or co-authored by NWFSC or funded partners. As a repository, the SPD retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.

NOAA Fisheries Northwest Science Center Publication Details

CitationGaydos, J. K., H. H. Nollens, C. F. Lo, M. B. Hanson, K. Haman, M. Weiss, D. Giles, S. J. Thornton, T. R. Robeck, and C. Dold. 2025. Remotely Sensed Metrics for Evaluating Wild Killer Whale Health. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-204. (https://doi.org/10.25923/jftd-d217)
TitleRemotely Sensed Metrics for Evaluating Wild Killer Whale Health
Publication Year2026
Date03/02/2026
Keywordskiller whales, health assessment, remote sensing
AbstractTo improve understanding of the health of Southern Resident killer whales and contribute information to support recovery of this endangered population, a workshop was convened to discuss development of innovative methods for remotely assessing the health status of, and for remotely diagnosing and treating, individual animals. In addition to being able to promote recovery by improving health outcomes for individual animals, the collection of diverse data on the health of SRKWs may allow for improved detection of how interactive stressors are affecting population recovery. Detailed health data may also have the potential to help understand how subtle population changes, or lack thereof, have been affected by novel management practices. At a workshop, subject experts collectively identified 20 tools that are ready to deploy for routinely assessing the health of the Southern Resident killer whales, much like the tools a physician might use to evaluate a person’s health at their annual phys
Official CitationGaydos, J. K., H. H. Nollens, C. F. Lo, M. B. Hanson, K. Haman, M. Weiss, D. Giles, S. J. Thornton, T. R. Robeck, and C. Dold. 2025. Remotely Sensed Metrics for Evaluating Wild Killer Whale Health. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-204.
Links (https://doi.org/10.25923/jftd-d217)