Cetacean Research Lab Publications
All studies listed on this page were partially or entirely funded by the Vancouver Aquarium Wild Killer Whale Adoption Program
Riesch, R., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ellis, G.M., Ford, J.K., Deecke, V.B. 2012 Cultural traditions and the evolution of reproductive isolation: ecological speciation in killer whales? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 106: 1-17. [link]
Filatova, O.A., Deecke, V.B., Ford, J.K., Matkin C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Guzeev, M.A., Burdin, A.M., Hoyt, E. 2012. Call diversity in the North Pacific killer whale populations: implications for dialect evolution and population history. Animal Behaviour 83: 595-603. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L. 2011. Killer Whale Evolution: Populations, ecotypes, species, oh my. Whalewatcher (Journal of the American Cetacean Society) 40(1) 48-53. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L., & Heise, K. 2011. Killer Whale Conservation: The perils of life at the top of the food chain. Whalewatcher (Journal of the American Cetacean Society) 40(1) 58-62. [link]
Lachmuth, C., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Steyn, D.Q., Milsom, W.K. 2011. Estimation of southern resident killer whale exposure to exhaust emissions from whalewatching vessels and potential adverse health effects and toxicity thresholds. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62: 792-805. [link]
Ford, J.K.B., Ellis, G.M., Matkin, C.O., Wetklo, M.H., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Withler, R.E. 2011. Shark predation and tooth wear in a population of northeastern Pacific killer whales. Aquatic Biology 11: 213-224. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Matkin, C.O., Saulitis, E.L., Ellifrit, D., Durban, J.W. 2011. Predation of Gray Whales and Prolonged Feeding on Submerged Carcasses by Transient Killer Whales at Unimak Island, Alaska. Marine Ecology Progress Series 421: 229-241. [link]
Vergara, V., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Michaud, R. 2010. What can captive whales tell us about their wild counterparts? Identification, usage, and ontogeny of contact calls in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) International Journal of Comparative Psychology 2010: 23, 278-309. [link]
Yurk, H., Filatova, O, Matkin, C.O. Barrett-Lennard, LG, Brittain, M. 2010 Sequential habitat use by two resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) clans in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, as determined by remote acoustic monitoring. Aquatic Mammals 16: 67-78. [link]
Deecke, V., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Spong, P., Ford, J.K.B. 2010 The structure of stereotyped calls reflects kinship and social affiliation in resident killer whales (Orcinus orca). Naturwissenschaften 97: 513-518. [link]
Leung, E.S., Vergara, V., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. 2010 Allonursing in captive belugas. Zoo Biology 29: 1–5. [link]
Kuker, K., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. 2010 A re-evaluation of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) population decline in the Aleutian Islands shows little evidence for killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation. Mammal Review 40: 103-124 [link]
Durban, J., Ellifrit, D., Dahlheim, M., Waite, J., Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ellis, G., Pitman, R., LeDuc, R., Wade, P. 2010. Photographic mark-recapture analysis of clustered mammal-eating killer whales around the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. Marine Biology 157: 1591-1604. [link]
Noël, M., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Guinet, C., Dangerfield, N., Ross, P.S. 2009 Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in killer whales (Orcinus orca) from the Crozet Archipelago, southern Indian Ocean. Marine Environmental Research 68:196–202. [link]
Heise, K., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ford, JKB. 2009. Update COSEWIC assessment and status report on killer whales Orcinus orca in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa. vi + 68pp. [link]
Heise, K. and L.G. Barrett-Lennard. 2008. The calm before the storm: the need for baseline acoustic studies off the central and north coasts of British Columbia, Canada. Bioacoustics 17: 248-250. [link]
Vergara, V., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. 2008. Vocal development in a beluga calf. Aquatic Mammals 34(1):123-143. [link]
Guinet, C., Domenici, P., de Stephanis, R., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Verborgh, P. 2007 Killer whale predation on bluefin tuna: exploring the hypothesis of the endurance-exhaustion technique. Marine Ecology Progress Series 147:111-119. [link]
Wade, P.R., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., et al. 2007. Killer whales and marine mammal trends in the North Pacific – a re-examination of evidence for sequential megafauna collapse and the prey-switching hypothesis. Marine Mammal Science 23:766-802. [link]
Krahn, M.M., Herman, D.P, Matkin, C.O., Durban, J.W., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Burrows, D.G., Dalheim, M.E., Black, N., LeDuc, R.G., Wade, P.R. 2007. Use of chemical tracers in assessing the diet and foraging regions of eastern North Pacific killer whales Marine Environmental Research 63:91-114. [link]
Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Yurk, H., Ellifrit, D, Trites, A.W. 2007. Ecotypic variation and predatory behavior of killer whales in the eastern Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Fisheries Bulletin 105:74-87. [link]
Thomas L., Williams R., Sandilands D. 2007. Designing line transect surveys for complex survey regions. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 9:1-13. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Heise, K. 2006 The Natural History and Ecology of Killer Whales: Foraging Specialization in a Generalist Predator. In Estes, J.A., Brownell, R.L., DeMaster, D.P., Doak, D.F., Williams, T.M. Whales, whaling and ocean ecosystems. University of California Press, Berkely, C.A. pp. 163-173. [link]
Herman, D.P., Burrows, D.G., Wade, P.R., Durban, J.W. Matkin, C.O., LeDuc, R.G., Barrett-Lennard, L.G. Krahn, M.M. 2005. Feeding ecology of eastern North Pacific killer whales from fatty acid, stable isotope, and organochlorine analyses of blubber biopsies. Marine Ecology Progress Series 302: 275-291. [link]
Rayne, S., Ikonomou, M.G., Ellis, G.M., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ross, P.S. 2004. PBDEs, PBBs, and PCNs in three communities of free-ranging killer whales (Orcinus orca) from the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Environmental Science and Technology 38: 4293-4299. [link]
Heise, K., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Saulitis, E.L., Matkin, C.O., Bain, D. 2003. Examining the evidence for killer whale predation on Steller sea lions in British Columbia and Alaska. Aquatic Mammals 29:325-334. [link]
Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ellis, G. 2002. Killer whales and predation on Steller sea lions. In Demaster, D., Atkinson, S. (eds) Steller Sea Lion Decline: Is it Food II? 61-66. University of Alaska Sea Grant College Program, Volume AK-SG-02-02. [link]
Yurk, H., Barrett-Lennard L.G., Ford, J.K.B. and Matkin C.O. 2002. Cultural transmission within maternal lineages: Vocal clans in resident killer whales in Southern Alaska. Animal Behaviour 63:1103-1119. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Deecke, V.B., Ford, J.K.B., Yurk, H. 2001. A sound approach to the study of culture. Behavioural and Brain Sciences. 24:325-326. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Ellis, G.M. 2001. Population structure and genetic variability in northeastern Pacific killer whales: towards an assessment of population viability. Canadian Scientific Advisory Secretariat, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Document 2001/065. [link]
Guinet, C. Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Loyer, B. 2000. Coordinated attack behaviour and prey sharing by killer whales at Crozet Archipelago: strategies for feeding on negatively-buoyant prey. Marine Mammal Science 16:829-834. [link]
Ross, P.S., Ellis, G.M. Ikonomou, M.G., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Addison, R.F. 2000. High PCB concentrations in free-ranging Pacific killer whales, Orcinus orca: effects of age, sex and dietary preference. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 40:504–515. [link]
Saulitis, E.L., Matkin, C.O., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Heise, K., Ellis, G.M. 2000. Foraging strategies of sympatric killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Marine Mammal Science 16:94-109. [link]
Ford, J.K.B., Ellis, G.M., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Morton, A.B., Palm, R.S., and Balcomb, K.C. 1998. Dietary specialization in two sympatric populations of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Coastal British Columbia and adjacent waters. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76:1456-1471. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Smith, T.G., and Ellis, G.M. 1996. A cetacean biopsy system using lightweight pneumatic darts, and its effect on the behaviour of killer whales. Marine Mammal Science 12:14-27. [link]
Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Heise, K.A., and Ford, J.K.B. 1996. The mixed blessing of echolocation: differences in sonar use by fish-eating and mammal-eating killer whales. Animal Behaviour 51:553-565. [link]
Books
Francis, D., Hewlett, G. 2007. Operation Orca: Springer, Luna and the Struggle to Save West Coast Killer Whales. Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, B.C., Canada. 280 pp.
Matkin, C.O., Ellis, G.M., Saulitis, E.L., Barrett-Lennard, L.G., Matkin, D. 1999. Killer whales of Southern Alaska. Phantom Press, Nanaimo, and North Gulf Oceanic Society, Homer, Alaska. 96 pp.