The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced seven grants totaling more than $1.1 million to increase the availability of priority prey (Chinook salmon) of orcas, also known as killer whales; reduce sound and vessel disturbance in their habitat, and monitor the health of Southern Resident orcas in the coastal waters of Washington. 

Awarded through the Killer Whale Research and Conservation Program (KWRCP)—a partnership with SeaWorld, BNSF Railway, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—the grants will generate $1.3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $2.4 million. Projects supported by the grants will address two prioritized threat categories: the decreasing access to Chinook salmon, the preferred prey of Southern Resident killer whales, and reducing human-caused sounds that impact both their ability to hunt and their social behaviors. Three grants will support efforts to enhance habitat, increase abundance, and bolster early life-stage survival of the migrating salmon. The other four grants will focus on monitoring whale body condition and compliance with regulations in place to increase the whales’ ability to hunt in the Salish Sea and educating local students and boaters on why these efforts are important. 

“We are very fortunate to have such a diverse group of funding partners that bring a variety of expertise and interests to the conservation and recovery of this iconic population,” said NFWF executive director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. “This collaborative effort provides new opportunities for our grantees to address complex challenges throughout the killer whale’s food web.” 

For a complete list of recipients, see the NFWF website. 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/slowmotiongli)