Originally published Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Comments (0)
E-mail article
Print view
Study: Sound orcas eating more toxic salmon
A new study suggests that Puget Sound killer whales appear to be more contaminated than northern orcas because they're eating salmon that is more toxic.
A new study suggests that Puget Sound killer whales appear to be more contaminated than northern orcas because they're eating salmon that is more toxic.
Researchers measuring the presence of toxic chemicals in chinook salmon, a prime food for the whales, found higher levels in salmon from Puget Sound than from British Columbia waters.
Canadian and Washington scientists found that chinook from Puget Sound had lower fat content and were less nutritious than salmon tested further north.
Researchers think the low fat content is leading Puget Sound orcas to eat 50 percent more salmon, leading to more toxic exposure.
The researchers tested adult salmon and smolts from the Duwamish River in Seattle and the Tumwater Falls Hatchery on the Deschutes River near Olympia. They also tested salmon from the Johnstone Strait and the mouth of the Fraser River in British Columbia.
Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company
E-mail article
Print view Share:
Digg
Newsvine
![]()
Property taxes: Appeals shoot up is King, Snohomish Counties
Hard times for tourist towns means good deals for travelers
Landmark Smith Tower mostly vacant
Tukwila residents rally against light-rail noise
Seattle safety project: A snake shelter on Beacon Hill

Tribal Fireworks Rivalry
The Fourth of July marks a long-standing fireworks rivalry between two clans of a Native-American family in Suquamish.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Tax tips for new independent professionals
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new SUV? Weigh the impact your choice will have on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
- Fourth of July festivals and fireworks in Seattle, the suburbs and beyond
- The Blotter | Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
- Russell Branyan, Mariners fight off the Red Sox
- Former NFL MVP McNair killed
- Desert-lobster dispute turns pair into sagebrush heroes
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Woman accuses Sounders FC player Nate Jaqua of sexual assault, seeks more than $10 million
- Rob Johnson's double in 11th powers Mariners past Red Sox, 7-6
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
755 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/04 game thread
244 - Reports: NKorean missile arrives at launch site
100 - Woman accuses Sounders FC player Nate Jaqua of sexual assault, seeks more than $10 million
99 - Palin's Declaration of Independence
73 - Hatred for the NBA runs deep, but don't take it out on the players
59 - Mariners score unlikely win over Red Sox in battle of bullpens
58 - Former NFL MVP McNair killed
51 - Man pistol-whipped after argument at nightclub
41 - Plasma and LED beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
27
- Plasma and LCD beware; OLED screens ready to go mainstream
- Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
- Close-up | Prison guards intercept carrier pigeon with a cellphone
- Concert Review | Green Day blasts off 4th weekend with KeyArena show
- Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low
- Pre-grill drill: marinate steaks
- Yakima teacher reprimanded for sending 5-year-old student home with bag of feces in backpack
- Art and conversation flow from hands and heart of artist Mandy Greer
- Amtrak cleared for 2nd daily train to Vancouver, B.C.
- Fire danger already here in parched NW forests





