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The
Cetacean Research Program at the Pacific Biological Station
conducts scientific studies
on whales, dolphins and porpoises in waters off Canada’s west
coast. It was formally established
in 2001, when the Station’s long-term research on killer whales
was expanded to include other cetaceans considered Endangered or
Threatened under the new Species-at-Risk Act.
There are 25
species of cetaceans recorded from the waters of British Columbia.
Although some of these are commonly observed in nearshore waters,
many are rarely seen, either because they are naturally uncommon
in the area, they are found in offshore habitats, or they were
depleted by commercial whaling. Our current field studies are
focused on assessing the conservation status of North Pacific
right whales, blue whales, sei whales, humpback whales, and killer
whales. These studies involve a variety of field methodologies,
including photo-identification using natural markings, ship-based
visual surveys, and remote underwater acoustic monitoring.
The
following are specific projects described in more detail on this
web site:
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