Who We Are:
The mission of the Center for Whale Research is to develop, promote, and conduct benign studies of free-swimming Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises) for the purpose of conserving their populations and informing governments and the public of their ecosystem needs. Our emphasis is on non-invasive research methodologies such as passive acoustic monitoring and photo-identification.
What We Do:
Although the Center for Whale Research is involved with various research projects, our central focus is the Orca Survey project, now in its 35th year. Orca Survey is a photo-identification study of the killer whales (Orcinus orca) that reside in the inland marine waters of Washington state and southern British Columbia. The focal point of the project is a group known as the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Both the U.S. and Canada have now designated this population as endangered. Our primary objective is to determine population size and trends each year. The Center for Whale Research operates under a contract with the NOAA Fisheries to collect and provide this information for management and conservation purposes. Our long-term studies have provided the bulk of the natural history information on killer whales including growth rates, social organization, spatial distribution, and prey preference. Orca Survey is a model study that illustrates the depth of information that can be learned through patient observation, and we hope that our work will continue for many more years to come.
Internship Program
The Center hosted its first ever internship program in the 2011 filed season. The internship program was designed to give prospective biologists an opportunity to gain experience in the field as well as to serve as a pilot for future programs. The 2011 internship was undoubtedly a success. However, because of changes in our budget and our organizational objectives, we do not currently have plans to continue the program.
We apologize to all of you who are interested in participating in the work we do that the Center.
There is a possibility that we will be able to continue our internship program in the future, in which case there will be notification on our web site as well on our Facebook page. Additionally an email will be sent out to anyone who has previously expressed interest.
Please do not send us a resume or CV.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Center occasionally has opportunities for volunteers to help us on site with a variety of projects. Volunteer positions are for varying lengths of time, with preference to those who live on San Juan Island and/or will be available for the duration of the field season. As our office is essentially closed for the winter, we will not be assessing our 2012 volunteer needs until late April. If you have not already contacted us regarding an internship or volunteer-ship and would like to be on our email list for future
opportunities please send an email to: erin@whaleresearch.com.
Students
For students interested in collaborating with the Center for Whale Research, please contact us in April 2012 with a brief proposal of your research project: info@whaleresearch.com
For information on our 2011 Internship Program please click here: 2011 Internship
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