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IMAGE: Endangered Southern Resident killer whales prey on salmon throughout the year, diversifying their diet when salmon presence declines.
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Credit: Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries and reference NMFS permit number 16163
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales prey on a diversity of Chinook and other salmon. The stocks come from an enormous geographic range as far north as Alaska and as far south as California's Central Valley, a new analysis shows.
The diverse salmon stocks each have their own migration patterns and timing. They combine to provide the whales with a "portfolio" of prey that supports them across the entire year. The catch is that many of the salmon stocks are at risk themselves.