EWC Environmental Series "Tracking the Health of Endangered Orcas"

Taken under NMFS permit #26288.

Tracking the Health of Endangered Orcas: Science, Scat, and the Future of our Southern Residents

The Edmonds Waterfront Center is honored to welcome Dr. Deborah Giles, a killer whale scientist with the nonprofit SeaDoc Society, as the featured speaker in Annie Crawley’s Environmental Speaker Series. The event takes place Thursday, March 12, 2026, with doors opening at 6:00 PM and the presentation beginning at 6:30 PM.

Despite being one of the most intensively studied animal populations on Earth, the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) continue to decline, even after being on the Endangered Species List for over two decades. In this timely presentation, Giles will share how cutting-edge, non-invasive science is helping researchers better understand the physiological health—and mounting challenges—facing these iconic whales of the Salish Sea.

Giles’ work focuses on translating real-time biological data into actionable knowledge for both the public and policymakers. From on-the-water field research to collaborative conservation science, her research reveals how nutrition, stress, man-made chemicals, and environmental change intersect to influence the survival of Southern Resident killer whales.

Taken under NMFS permit #26288.

You will also meet Eba the whale dog. Eba is no ordinary canine. Her propensity for high play makes her a great scat sniffing dog and research assistant. After being rescued from the streets of Sacramento, Eba moved to the Salish Sea with Giles. Since 2019, Eba has been working as a valuable member of the whale scat detection team working to save the endangered Southern Residents.

Drawing on more than a decade of leadership in whale health monitoring, Giles will provide an overview of SeaDoc Society’s SRKW Health Monitoring Program, including its innovative use of fecal sample analysis, as well as drone captured breath samples, to assess hormone levels, stress indicators, and overall whale health. She will also highlight collaborative research projects involving some of the most respected scientists and institutions in marine wildlife conservation—work that together paints a near real-time picture of orca health and informs urgent management decisions aimed at reversing population decline.

Taken under NMFS permit #26288.

Taken under NMFS permit #26288.

About Dr. Deborah Giles

Dr. Deborah Giles is a killer whale scientist with the nonprofit SeaDoc Society and a leading expert on the health and conservation of SRKW. She earned her PhD from the University of California, Davis in 2014, where her dissertation focused on this federally listed endangered population. From 2009 to 2021, Giles served as program lead and vessel captain for the University of Washington’s Whale Scat Program, which pioneered the use of a scat-detection dog to locate floating killer whale feces and assess whale health through hormone and physiological analysis. In 2022, the killer whale health assessment program transitioned to the nonprofit Wild Orca, which formally joined forces with SeaDoc Society in 2025.

Giles is a resident scientist and lecturer at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories, where she teaches Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea and Marine Biology. She also serves as a scientific adviser to the Orca Salmon Alliance, a program advisor for Killer Whale Tales, and is a co-founder of the San Juan Island Naturalist Program.

About Annie Crawley

Annie Crawley—known as Ocean Annie—is an award-winning filmmaker, underwater photographer, author, and educator who connects people to nature through visual storytelling, education, and ocean advocacy. A member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, she leads the Our Ocean and You campaign and curates this Environmental Speaker Series, bringing science and storytelling together to inspire environmental stewardship. Learn more at www.AnnieCrawley.com and www.YouTube.com/AnnieCrawley

Subtitles and Closed Captioning will be provided for our guests who are deaf and hard of hearing. The EWC also offers Assistive Listening devices available to check out or connect with your smart phone.

Reserve your seat online ~ walk-ins are welcome the night of the event based on available seating.

ONLINE TICKET SALES END AT 4pm ON THURSDAY, MARCH 12

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