Student
Brianna Wright
Name: Brianna Wright
Email: b.wright@fisheries.ubc.ca
Program: Zoology, MSc
Thesis: How do fish-eating killer whales find their primary prey, Chinook salmon?
Degree Held: BSc, Biology & Anthropology double major (University of Victoria, 2008)
Biography
I am addressing the following questions:
1) I will quantify the basic characteristics (e.g. depth, dive duration, body orientation) of foraging dives made by northern resident killer whales.
2) How do foraging dives differ between males and females? Subadults and adults? How are foraging dives different from dive patterns during other activities (e.g. resting)?
3) Do killer whales’ search patterns for salmon fit any existing mathematical models of optimal search theory?
4) What are the physical properties of killer whale foraging habitat that could influence salmon capture success rates?
For more information, please visit my profile on the Marine Mammal Research Unit website.
Selected Publications
Ford, J.K.B., Wright, B.M., Ellis, G.M. and Candy, J.R. 2009. Chinook salmon predation by resident killer whales: seasonal and regional selectivity, stock identity of prey, and consumption rates. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2009/101. 43 pages.
Presentations
Wright, B.M. 2011. Quantifying the movement and echolocation behaviour of a selective predator, the northern resident killer whale. Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy Annual Meeting. Vancouver, BC.
Wright, B.M. 2010. Quantifying foraging behaviour of northern resident killer whales: Insights from Digital Acoustic Recording Tags (DTAGs). BC Marine Mammal Symposium. Vancouver, BC.
Ford, J.K.B., Ellis, G.M. and Wright, B.M. 2009. Kin-directed food sharing and extreme natal philopatry in a population of fish-eating killer whales. The Society for Marine Mammalogy 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Quebec City, QC.
