Learn About San Juan County Orca Recovery Efforts

Thursday, August 2, 7 p.m., The Whale Museum

— from Jenny L. Atkinson for The Whale Museum —

On August 2, Frances Robertson, the Marine Program Coordinator for San Juan County, will present “San Juan County Orca Recovery Efforts.” This lecture will be held at The Whale Museum at 7 p.m., Thursday, August 2, as part of The Whale Museum’s Science Lecture Series.

An overview of San Juan County’s (SJC) and the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee efforts regarding Southern Resident Killer Whales’ (SRKW) recovery efforts will be presented, including the Whale Warning Flag Pilot Study. Frances will discuss what SJC has achieved in the past, what they are working to do currently, and what they have planned for coming years. Frances is a wildlife biologist with over a decade of experience studying how marine mammals interact with, and respond to human activities and changes within their environment. She has studied boat impacts on the SRKWs, the impacts of fish farm acoustic alarms on harbor porpoise distribution, the effects of seismic surveys on bowhead whales, and the behavioral responses of harbor porpoise, harbor seals and Steller sea lions to tidal turbine operational noise. She is currently the Co-PI of the Northeast Pacific Minke Whale Project.

The Science Lecture Series is dedicated to providing our local community and visiting public with knowledge and wonder of the natural world. The lectures are given by local or visiting experts in their field. Join us as they share their recent research projects, stories, and experiences. Each lecture is free and held at The Whale Museum. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, call (360) 378-4710 ext.30. The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N. Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales through education and research. The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.