Link to full episode on YouTube: Click Here!
Episode Sources:
⇢Felix, Fernando, and Johana Novillo. “Structure and Dynamics of Humpback Whales Competitive Groups in Ecuador.” Animal Behavior and Cognition, vol. 2, no. 1, 1 Feb. 2015, pp. 56–70, https://doi.org/10.12966/abc.02.05.2015. Accessed 25 Apr. 2019.
⇢Castellini, Michael A, and Jo-Ann Mellish. “Thermoregulation.” CRC Press EBooks, 13 May 2023, pp. 93–116, https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003297468-5.
⇢Dunlop, Rebecca A., et al. “Non-Song Acoustic Communication in Migrating Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae).” Marine Mammal ⇢Science, vol. 24, no. 3, July 2008, pp. 613–629, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00208.x. Accessed 25 Apr. 2019.
⇢Kavanagh, Ailbhe S., et al. “Evidence for the Functions of Surface-Active Behaviors in Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae).” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 33, no. 1, 21 Nov. 2016, pp. 313–334, https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12374.
⇢Hill, Heather M., et al. “Learning to Play: A Review and Theoretical Investigation of the Developmental Mechanisms and Functions of Cetacean Play.” Learning & Behavior, vol. 45, no. 4, 4 Aug. 2017, pp. 335–354, link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13420-017-0291-0, https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-017-0291-0.
⇢Heath, M. E., and S. H. Ridgway. “How Dolphins Use Their Blubber to Avoid Heat Stress during Encounters with Warm Water.” American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, vol. 276, no. 4, 1 Apr. 1999, pp. R1188–R1194, https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.1999.276.4.r1188.
⇢Gentle, Louise. “Five Ways Reindeer Are Perfectly Evolved for Pulling Santa’s Sleigh | Arctic Focus.” Arctic Focus, 2021, www.arcticfocus.org/stories/five-ways-reindeer-are-perfectly-evolved-for-pulling-santas-sleigh/.
⇢Werth, Alexander J. “Adaptations of the Cetacean Hyolingual Apparatus for Aquatic Feeding and Thermoregulation.” The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, vol. 290, no. 6, 2007, pp. 546–568, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.20538.
⇢Molé, Paul A. “Impact of Energy Intake and Exercise on Resting Metabolic Rate.” Sports Medicine, vol. 10, no. 2, Aug. 1990, pp. 72–87, link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-199010020-00002, https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199010020-00002.
⇢Clapham, Phil. “Why Do Baleen Whales Migrate?.” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2001, pp. 432–436, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2001.tb01289.x.
⇢Heyning, John . “Thermoregulation in Feeding Baleen Whales: Morphological and Physiological Evidence.” Aquatic Mammals, vol. 27, no. 3, 2001, pp. 284–288
⇢“CWTG - NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide - All Coastal Regions Table.” Www.ncei.noaa.gov, www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/coastal-water-temperature-guide/all_table.html#npac.
⇢Koski, William R, et al. “Bowhead Whale Reproductive Strategies.” Springer EBooks, 1 Jan. 2023, pp. 521–541, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_22. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
⇢Pitman, Robert L., et al. “Skin in the Game: Epidermal Molt as a Driver of Long‐Distance Migration in Whales.” Marine Mammal Science, vol. 36, no. 2, Apr. 2020, pp. 565–594, https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12661.
⇢Weiss, Michael N., et al. “Manufacture and Use of Allogrooming Tools by Wild Killer Whales.” Current Biology, vol. 35, no. 12, June 2025, pp. R599–R600, www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00450-6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.021.
⇢Rommel, Sentiel A., et al. “Anatomical Evidence for a Countercurrent Heat Exchanger Associated with Dolphin Testes.” The Anatomical Record, vol. 232, no. 1, Jan. 1992, pp. 150–156, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.1092320117.
⇢Rommel, Sentiel A., et al. “Functional Morphology of the Vascular Plexuses Associated with the Cetacean Uterus.” The Anatomical Record, vol. 237, no. 4, Dec. 1993, pp. 538–546, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.1092370414. Accessed 16 May 2020.
⇢Simmonds, Mark P., and Wendy J. Eliott. “Climate Change and Cetaceans: Concerns and Recent Developments.” Journal of the Marine ⇢Biological Association of the United Kingdom, vol. 89, no. 1, Feb. 2009, pp. 203–210, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-marine-biological-association-of-the-united-kingdom/article/climate-change-and-cetaceans-concerns-and-recent-developments/58335BBBE9EF44AC1DC9C533255B9603, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315408003196.
⇢“Climate Change.” WWF Protecting Whales & Dolphins Initiative, wwfwhales.org/climate-change.
⇢Fisheries, NOAA. “Whales and Climate Change: Big Risks to the Ocean’s Biggest Species | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA, 15 Feb. 2022, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/climate/whales-and-climate-change-big-risks-oceans-biggest-species.
⇢Rice, E., Dam, H. G., & Stewart, G. (2014). Impact of Climate Change on Estuarine Zooplankton: Surface Water Warming in Long Island Sound Is Associated with Changes in Copepod Size and Community Structure. Estuaries and Coasts, 38(1), 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-014-9770-0
⇢Österblom, H., Olsson, O., Blenckner, T., & Furness, R. W. (2008). Junk-food in marine ecosystems. Oikos, 117(7), 967–977. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2008.16501.x.
⇢Whitfield, John. “Does “Junk Food” Threaten Marine Predators in Northern Seas?” Science, vol. 322, no. 5909, 19 Dec. 2008, pp. 1786–1787, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.322.5909.1786. Accessed 8 May 2019.
⇢Wanless, S., Harris, M., Redman, P., & Speakman, J. (2005). Low energy values of fish as a probable cause of a major seabird breeding failure in the North Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 294, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps294001
⇢Jones, T., Parrish, J. K., Peterson, W. T., Bjorkstedt, E. P., Bond, N. A., Ballance, L. T., Bowes, V., Hipfner, J. M., Burgess, H. K., Dolliver, J. E., Lindquist, K., Lindsey, J., Nevins, H. M., Robertson, R. R., Roletto, J., Wilson, L., Joyce, T., & Harvey, J. (2018). Massive Mortality of a Planktivorous Seabird in Response to a Marine Heatwave. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(7), 3193–3202. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl076164.
⇢Tulloch, Vivitskaia J. D., et al. “Future Recovery of Baleen Whales Is Imperiled by Climate Change.” Global Change Biology, vol. 25, no. 4, 26 Feb. 2019, pp. 1263–1281, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14573.
⇢Ramp, Christian, et al. “Adapting to a Warmer Ocean—Seasonal Shift of Baleen Whale Movements over Three Decades.” PLOS ONE, vol. 10, no. 3, 18 Mar. 2015, p. e0121374, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0121374.
⇢“Tackling Toxics: Flame Retardants.” Wa.gov, 2019, ecology.wa.gov/blog/june-2014/tackling-toxics-flame-retardants. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
⇢BIRKELAND, C, and P DAYTON. “The Importance in Fishery Management of Leaving the Big Ones.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution, vol. 20, no. 7, July 2005, pp. 356–358, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2005.03.015.
⇢Hickson, Kevin. “Demise of the Kings.” Coastal Conservation Association, 27 Sept. 2021, www.joincca.org/demise-of-the-kings/.
⇢“Declining Salish Sea Salmon, Increasingly Absent Endangered Orcas.” Wild Orca, 28 Sept. 2023, www.wildorca.org/declining-salish-sea-salmon-increasingly-absent-endangered-orcas/.
⇢United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Chinook Salmon | US EPA.” US EPA, 14 Dec. 2018, www.epa.gov/salish-sea/chinook-salmon.
⇢Losee, James P., et al. “Changing Salmon: An Analysis of Body Mass, Abundance, Survival, and Productivity Trends across 45 Years in Puget Sound.” Fish and Fisheries, 27 June 2019, https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12385.
⇢Ohlberger, Jan, et al. “Demographic Changes in Chinook Salmon across the Northeast Pacific Ocean.” Fish and Fisheries, vol. 19, no. 3, 27 Feb. 2018, pp. 533–546, https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12272.
⇢Ricker, W. E. “Changes in the Average Size and Average Age of Pacific Salmon.” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, vol. 38, no. 12, 1 Dec. 1981, pp. 1636–1656, https://doi.org/10.1139/f81-213.
⇢Fisheries, NOAA. “Ocean’s Influence on Salmon Plays out in Varied Returns to Different Rivers and Regions | NOAA Fisheries.” NOAA, 7 Feb. 2022, www.fisheries.noaa.gov/news/oceans-influence-salmon-plays-out-varied-returns-different-rivers-and-regions.
⇢Heard, William R, et al. Chinook Salmon - Trends in Abundance and Biological Characteristics. 1 Jan. 2007.
⇢“Why Habitat Restoration?” North Olympic Salmon Coalition, 2020, nosc.org/restoration/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
⇢“Restoring Salmon Habitat Promotes the Long-Term Health of Pacific Salmon Populations.” Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2021, www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/campaign-campagne/pss-ssp/stories-articles/2024-habitat-rest-eng.html.
⇢Buonanduci, Michele S., et al. “Forest Restoration Can Bolster Salmon Population Persistence under Climate Change.” Biological Conservation, vol. 305, 27 Mar. 2025, p. 111099, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320725001363, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111099.
⇢HONEA, JON M., et al. “Evaluating Habitat Effects on Population Status: Influence of Habitat Restoration on Spring-Run Chinook Salmon.” Freshwater Biology, vol. 54, no. 7, July 2009, pp. 1576–1592, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02208.x. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.
Image Sources:
⇢Countercurrent Exchange Image 1: Berry, George. “How Does Blubber Keep Whales Warm? - Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA.” Whale & Dolphin Conservation USA, 27 Oct. 2012, us.whales.org/2012/10/27/how-does-blubber-keep-whales-warm/.
⇢Countercurrent Exchange Image 2: H.T. Lalremsanga. “Thermoregulation & Acclimatization.” ResearchGate, 20 Jan. 2021, www.researchgate.net/publication/348622117_Thermoregulation_Acclimatization, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22579.45606.
⇢Harbor porpoise & diver image: “Porpoise | Definition, Habitat, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/animal/porpoise.
⇢Humpback & elephant image: Britannica. “Humpback Whale | Size, Song, Habitat, Migration, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/animal/humpback-whale.
⇢Humpback whale growth figure: M. van Aswegen, et al. “Age-Specific Body Length, Mass and Energetic Cost of Growth in Humpback Whales.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, 25 July 2025, https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14937. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
⇢Killer whale growth illustration, used with written permission: Emma Luck: Northern Naturalist, Facebook.com, 2026, www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1518879670034820&set=pb.100057384052178.-2207520000&type=3. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
⇢Type B Antarctic Killer Whale image adapted from: Durban, J. W., et al. “Morphological and Ecological Evidence for Two Sympatric Forms of Type B Killer Whale around the Antarctic Peninsula.” Polar Biology, vol. 40, no. 1, 9 Apr. 2016, pp. 231–236, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1942-x.
⇢Countercurrent to reproductive organ image: Favilla, Arina B, et al. “Thermoregulation.” Elsevier EBooks, 1 Jan. 2024, pp. 29–47, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323905169000099, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-90516-9.00009-9.
⇢Phytoplankton Food Chain: Mahalski, Bruce, and New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. “Marine Food Chain.” Teara.govt.nz, teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/5137/marine-food-chain.
⇢Phytoplankton & Ocean acidification: “Shell Dissolves in Seawater.” Smithsonian Ocean, 18 May 2018, ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/temperature-chemistry/shell-dissolves-seawater.
⇢Urban Island Effect: “How Cities Can Combat Extreme Heat Using Nature-Based Solutions.” Development Asia, 30 Oct. 2024, development.asia/explainer/how-cities-can-combat-extreme-heat-using-nature-based-solutions.
⇢River Resilience: “MidCoast Watersheds Council.” MidCoast Watersheds Council , 2019, www.midcoastwatersheds.org/lwd. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
⇢Decline in Salmon body size: Oke, K. B., et al. “Recent Declines in Salmon Body Size Impact Ecosystems and Fisheries.” Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, 19 Aug. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17726-z.
⇢Ecotourism graphic 1: Buckley, Scarlett. “What Is Ecotourism?” Sustainable Travel International, 24 Nov. 2025, sustainabletravel.org/what-is-ecotourism/.
⇢Ecotourism graphic 2: Buckley, Scarlett. “Ecotourism Activities and Types.” Sustainable Travel International, 8 Jan. 2026, sustainabletravel.org/ecotourism-activities-types/.