/channels/taxonomy/term/27456/all en /channels/channels/news/little-known-and-threatened-orcas-north-atlantic-359516 <p>Anaïs Remili, PhD(AgEnvSc)'23, an ecotoxicologist and postdoctoral researcher, tracks contaminants that threaten the health of North Atlantic orcas. While Pacific orca populations are well studied, little is known about those that swim off the Canadian and European east coasts, and they are less protected.</p> Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:01:15 +0000 webfull 202484 at /channels /channels/channels/news/anais-remili-receives-presidents-prize-unparalleled-commitment-science-communication-whale-diets-356739 <p><small>Photo: Anaïs Remili (centre), winner of the Prize for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows, with Valérie Orsat, Acting Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and McGill President, Deep Saini</small></p> Thu, 11 Apr 2024 19:09:49 +0000 webfull 199371 at /channels /channels/channels/news/prize-winning-scholars-advocate-immigrant-women-killer-whales-and-balanced-society-356262 <p>Ï㽶ÊÓƵ is pleased to announce the winners and runners-up of the 2024 <a href="/newsroom/faculty-and-staff/principals-prize">President’s Prize for Public Engagement through Media</a>. The Prize was created to recognize outstanding achievement among those who share their knowledge on a vast range of subjects with the media and the public. This year, there were applicants from 11 of the 12 faculties, a sign that sharing knowledge and a love of learning continue to be embedded in McGill’s DNA.</p> Thu, 21 Mar 2024 19:01:26 +0000 webfull 198753 at /channels /channels/channels/news/killer-whales-diet-more-important-location-pollutant-exposure-study-says-352197 <p>Both elegant and fierce, killer whales are some of the oceans’ top predators, but even they can be exposed to environmental pollution. Now, in the largest study to date on North Atlantic killer whales, researchers in the American Chemical Society’ <i>Environmental Science & Technology</i> report the levels of legacy and emerging pollutants in 162 individuals’ blubber. The animals’ diet, rather than location, greatly impacted contaminant levels and potential health risks — information that’s helpful to conservation efforts.</p> Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:38:07 +0000 webfull 194166 at /channels /channels/channels/news/you-are-what-you-eat-and-orcas-thats-bad-news-351786 <p>Researchers have known for decades that orcas across the North Pacific have harmful pollutants in their system.</p> Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:56:36 +0000 webfull 193712 at /channels /channels/channels/news/analyzing-fat-killer-whales-reveals-what-they-eat-347890 <p>Scientists are studying the diets of the oceans’ top predators as they change in response to their environments. This is because how much and what they eat can affect how ecosystems function.</p> <p>And while researchers know that killer whales, also known as orcas, are the oceans’ apex predators, our understanding of their diet — particularly the quantity of each species they consume — remains incomplete. This is especially true for remote populations that cannot be observed year-round.</p> Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:16:35 +0000 webfull 189128 at /channels /channels/channels/news/tastes-differ-even-among-north-atlantic-killer-whales-347500 <p>Killer whales (also known as orcas) are intelligent predators. While it’s known that killer whales in the Pacific Northwest exploit widely different food types, even within the same region, we know much less about the feeding habits of those found throughout the North Atlantic. Thanks to a new technique developed by a research team led by Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, it is now possible to quantify, for the first time, the proportion of different prey that killer whales in the North Atlantic are eating by studying the fatty acid patterns in their blubber.</p> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 13:14:46 +0000 webfull 189002 at /channels /channels/channels/news/expert-right-whale-population-continued-decline-2021-343017 <p>The population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales continued to decline in 2021, according to the latest estimate that puts the surviving population at 340. (<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/north-atlantic-right-whale-population-decline-continues-1.6628003" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">CBC News</a>) </p> <p>Here is an expert from Ï㽶ÊÓƵ who can provide comment on this topic:  </p> Tue, 25 Oct 2022 15:59:02 +0000 webfull 183915 at /channels /channels/channels/news/killer-whales-invading-arctic-unlocking-secrets-their-blubber-340252 <p>Killer whale populations are invading the Arctic, creating major disruptions to an ecosystem already severely impacted by climate change.</p> Thu, 07 Jul 2022 15:53:58 +0000 webfull 180824 at /channels /channels/channels/news/remili-recognized-pricipals-prize-runner-339537 <p>Whether it was by creating access to self-care, working to eliminate stigma in women’s health, or providing thoughtful commentary on topics ranging from the spread of COVID-19 to how the government spends its money, McGill researchers have once again gone above and beyond to share their knowledge and be of service to society this academic year.</p> Tue, 10 May 2022 19:33:20 +0000 webfull 180089 at /channels