The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced 10 grants totaling $1.8 million to restore and enhance critical Southern Resident killer whale habitat in the Pacific Northwest.

Awarded through the Killer Whale Conservation Program, grants will increase important food sources for orcas, most notably Chinook salmon, a significant prey resource of endangered Southern Resident killer whales, with five of the grants to support projects that enhance habitat, increase abundance, and bolster early life-stage survival of these migrating salmon. Additional awarded projects will reduce disturbance in killer whale habitat from both commercial shipping and recreational boating so the whales can be more successful in hunting and support the management of the population through an orca version of an online patient medical record. Grants will generate more than $1.7 million in matching contributions from grantees, for a total conservation impact of more than $3.5 million.

“Killer whales play a key role in the ecological and cultural fabric of the Pacific Northwest, but this iconic species has seen significant declines in recent decades, even with increased management protections,” said NFWF executive director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. “With the support of a diverse group of public and private partners, the grants announced today will help to tackle the complex challenges these whales face.”

For a complete list of grants awarded through the program, see the NFWF website.

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SlowmotionGLI)