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Ocean Literacy

Don’t let it be out of sight, out of mind; support and uplift our marine mammal friends

All too often, when important issues and concerns are out of sight, they unfortunately can also become out of mind. For example, when was the last time you thought about threats to our oceans and the marine wildlife that reside within them? Where an individual or family is primarily located geographically may determine if they become aware of certain marine life conservation needs, or remain uninformed. A prime example of this is the Midwest region of the United States, which can be 1000 miles or more from the nearest ocean where most larger marine mammals call home. Fortunately, there are a few institutions in the region that provide valuable education and rehabilitation services for marine mammals and wildlife in need of care. These important aquatic institutions provide vital contributions toward ocean health and the safety and wellness of marine wildlife, however, more awareness, education and conservation actions are needed to help better protect and support them.

An important endangered marine mammal species, and perhaps not often thought of in areas like the Midwest region of the United States, are orca whales. Some pods of orcas, specifically the Southern Resident orcas in the Northwest region of North America, are in dire need of human intervention in order to reverse their population loss and help protect and uplift these amazing marine mammals.

Two orca whales breaching simultaneously with snow-capped mountains in background

Image from “Why don’t orca ever attack humans in the wild?” Newsweek article by (Georgiou, 2022).

Human Stressors and Challenges

Due to various issues, including human stressors such as vessel strikes and regular exposure to harmful contaminants, along with low food resources from overfishing, populations have unfortunately been declining. Orcas also become entangled in and ingest harmful plastics that end up in their habitat through irresponsible human activity by not recycling or improperly disposing of waste. PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are another very hazardous contaminant leading to poor health conditions found in orcas and they are known to be among the most PCB contaminated mammals found in the world (Desforges et al., 2018). Thankfully PCBs are not produced in the United States like they once were, but many consumer products such as electrical equipment, adhesives and tapes, oils used for motors, thermal insulation materials and several more household items need to be disposed of properly so they aren’t introduced into the oceans and reach marine wildlife through community rivers and streams such as the Ohio River and Missouri River that lead to the Mississippi River and ultimately flow into the Gulf of Mexico (American Rivers, 2025, Environmental Protection Agency, 2025). Responsible disposal of waste items such as these and regularly utilizing recycling practices for items that are recyclable is vital to help keep the environment safe for orcas and their natural habitat. The Southern Resident orcas are in desperate need of human intervention to help restore their near extinct population, the great news is that it is not too late for us to help revive the species (Williams et al., 2024).

Infographic showing PCB contamination sources in household products including paint, clothing, pesticides, and fluorescent lights

Image from article “What are PCBS?” by the (Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, 2016)

Conservation Ideas and Actions

Along with carrying out pro-environmental behaviors locally within our communities such as recycling and following proper waste disposal practices, there are multiple other ways we can help the Southern Resident orcas and other marine mammals through thoughtful conservation and species restoration efforts. One major conservation need is restoring the chinook salmon population that is the preferred prey of fish eating orca. A bountiful chinook salmon population provides proper nutrition for the current pods members as well as aids in restoring their dwindling population by nurturing successful birthing by pregnant females. The shortage of their preferred prey is believed to be a major contributor to fewer success rates due to a lack of proper nutrition for the offspring (Wasser et al., 2017). It is unclear how these pollutants and changes to their environment such as habitat degradation and negative interactions with sea vessels are impacting their behaviors in the wild. Some scientists believe that interactions with these human stressors are not only negatively impacting an orca’s physical well being but also psychologically, leading to unexpected and not previously displayed behaviors such as the prior perceived boat attacks reported in Gibraltar around the Iberian Peninsula (Jelluma, 2024). What is clear is that we have an opportunity to improve the habitats for orcas, and our conservation efforts can help reverse the harmful effects that have already taken place. Making their environment safer to live in through careful conservation planning and action to help restore their population, and hopefully avoid a sorrowful extinction of a vital and amazing species within the dolphin family.

School of adult Chinook salmon swimming underwater in hatchery

Image of adult Chinook salmon in the Priest Rapids Hatchery. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “Potential closure of fall-run Ocean Chinook season off the Oregon Coast affects tribes, fishermen.” Oregon Public Broadcasting (DiCarlo, 2023).

Orca whale surfacing near blue fishing boat in Gibraltar Strait waters

Image captured by Patty Tse/Alamy, an orca seen near the boats of Moroccan fishermen in the Strait of Gibraltar in 2015. “Orcas sink fourth boat off Iberia, unnerving sailors.” The New York Times (Kwai, 2023).

Ways we can help our marine mammal friends and their natural habitat:

The following are suggestions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): How can you help our ocean?

At Home:

  • To reduce wastewater and excess runoff from flowing into our oceans – conserve and use less water.
  • Choose nontoxic cleaning products and properly dispose of pesticides/herbicides will help reduce pollutants entering oceans. For more information about pesticides and how to properly dispose of them follow this link: Earth action dispose of pesticides
  • Recycle what you are able to and cutting down what you throw away will help reduce waste.

Out and about:

  • Be a smarter shopper by purchasing less plastic, bring reusable bags to carry your items, and choose sustainable seafood.
  • Invest and use a fuel efficient vehicle, carpool or ride a bike to reduce air pollution. As oceans absorb more CO2 (atmospheric carbon dioxide) their pH levels are lowered and they become more acidic, also known as ocean acidification, which leads to warmer ocean temperatures and other hazardous conditions for sea life (NOAA, 2025, Feely et al., 2008).
  • Use energy efficient light bulbs and maintain a reasonable temperature on your thermostat to save energy.

When on water:

  • Be a responsible fisherman by following proper “catch & release” practices to keep more fish alive.
  • Follow safe boating practices by adhering to “no wake” zone regulations (areas commonly near marinas and bridges) where boats must operate at the slowest speed possible while maintaining steerage and forward motion, typically known as idle speed. These zones are designed to protect people, property, wildlife, and the environment.
  • Respect natural habitats and treat them with care, healthy habitats and survival go hand in hand.

Volunteer for cleanups while on your next beach vacation! Get involved in protecting your community watersheds too! Your local watersheds are equally important as they all lead to ocean waters.

Southern Resident orca whale swimming underwater showing distinctive black and white coloration

Image from a photo captured by drone in the Salish Sea near San Juan Island, WA courtesy of John Durban/NOAA Fisheries/Southwest Fisheries Science Center (2017). “New fishing rules increase limits on warm-water fish to indirectly help orcas.” Puget Sound Institute (Dunagan, 2020).

Written By: Todd Shank

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