Alexandra Morton
Encyclopedia
Alexandra Bryant Hubbard Morton is a Canadian American marine biologist best known for her 30-year study of wild killer whales in the Broughton Archipelago
in British Columbia
. Since the 1990s, her work has shifted toward the study of the impact of salmon farming
on Canadian wild salmon
.
. In her memoir, Listening to Whales, she said of her birthplace, "I can't imagine a more whaleless environment."
Her father was an artist and her sister, Woodleigh Hubbard, is a children’s book illustrator. Hubbard said that her passion for animals came from the time when she would explore the woods with her brother.
In 1977, she started working with psychonaut John C. Lilly
as a volunteer in the Human/Dolphin Society. She catalogued 2,000 audio recordings of bottlenose dolphin
s. She then graduated Magna cum Laude from the American University
with a Bachelor of Science.
. In 1986 however, her husband drowned after his diving equipment failed. Morton decided to continue her study alone. In 1997, Morton became a Canadian citizen while keeping her American citizenship.
, Morton started studying the communications of dolphins at the now-defunct Marineland of the Pacific
in Palos Verdes
. When she realized there were too many individuals and that bottlenose dolphins are too quick to record their behaviour, Morton decided to shift her study toward Marineland’s pair of orcas, Orky and Corky, whom she had previously called “boring”. At that time, Corky had been pregnant many times and Morton was interested in studying how baby orcas picked up new language. However, no calf survived more than 45 days and Morton recorded from Corky a behaviour somewhat close to mourning. She also discovered that orcas invented games to distract themselves. One of them, the Double Layout consisted in Orky and Corky laying on their backs, putting their flukes on the platform next to the tank and raising their right flipper.
who told her Corky and Orky had come from A5 Pod
in British Columbia. She spent her summer there and found A5 pod as well as other orca families. The next summer, she returned to British Columbia and met future husband Robin Morton. Alexandra Morton’s study gradually shifted toward wild orcas. While continuing her study of Orky and Corky at Marineland of the Pacific, she started recording the sounds of northern resident pods in the summer, living on a boat called The Blue Fjord. To support their work, Morton and her husband rented out their boat for tourists and researchers. In 1984, while following the A12 matriline
in Northeastern Vancouver Island
, Morton discovered the village of Echo Bay
in the Broughton Archipelago
. She and her husband decided to settle there to pursue their study of wild killer whales.
system which consists in photographing the dorsal fin and saddle patch of each individual killer whale. Starting in 1975, Bigg and his colleagues began assembling catalogues containing the genealogical tree of every killer whale family in British Columbia and an ID photo of each individual orca. Since arriving in the Broughton Archipelago, Morton has been one of the main contributors to theses catalogues, providing ID photos of northern resident as well as of transient killer whales.
s which had come back to the archipelago three years prior.
, which included sending 10,000 letters to various levels of government paid off in 2001 when salmon farmers withdrew the use of AHDs. However, the killer whales haven’t come back yet to the Archipelago. Moreover, Morton has been studying the effects of sea lice on wild salmon populations. By collaborating with international scientists, Morton has documented the loss of the whales, thousands of escaped farm salmon, lethal outbreaks of sea lice, and antibiotic resistance near salmon farms. She has called for further efforts to limit the spread of sea lice
and move salmon farms further offshore so they have no impact on wild salmon.
A complete list of Morton's awards is available at Salmonaresacred.org.
Broughton Archipelago
The Broughton Archipelago is a group of islands on the northeastern flank of the Queen Charlotte Strait on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The largest islands in the group, which includes numerous smaller islets, are Broughton Island, North Broughton Island, Eden Island, Bonwick Island and...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Since the 1990s, her work has shifted toward the study of the impact of salmon farming
Aquaculture of salmon
Salmon, along with carp, are the two most important fish groups in aquaculture. In 2007, the aquaculture of salmon and salmon trout was worth US$10.7 billion. The most commonly farmed salmon is the Atlantic salmon. Other commonly farmed fish groups include tilapia, catfish, sea bass, bream and...
on Canadian wild salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
.
Early life and education
Alexandra Bryant Hubbard was born on 13 July 1957 in Lakeville, ConnecticutLakeville, Connecticut
Lakeville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Salisbury in Litchfield County, Connecticut, on Lake Wononskopomuc. The village includes Lakeville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district represents about of the village center...
. In her memoir, Listening to Whales, she said of her birthplace, "I can't imagine a more whaleless environment."
Her father was an artist and her sister, Woodleigh Hubbard, is a children’s book illustrator. Hubbard said that her passion for animals came from the time when she would explore the woods with her brother.
In 1977, she started working with psychonaut John C. Lilly
John C. Lilly
John Cunningham Lilly was an American physician, neuroscientist, psychoanalyst, psychonaut, philosopher and writer....
as a volunteer in the Human/Dolphin Society. She catalogued 2,000 audio recordings of bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
s. She then graduated Magna cum Laude from the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
with a Bachelor of Science.
Personal life
Hubbard married Canadian wildlife filmmaker Robin Morton in 1981. The couple had a son, Jarret, who now works as a rocket scientist for NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. In 1986 however, her husband drowned after his diving equipment failed. Morton decided to continue her study alone. In 1997, Morton became a Canadian citizen while keeping her American citizenship.
Study of captive orcas
While in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Morton started studying the communications of dolphins at the now-defunct Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific
Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s...
in Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
. When she realized there were too many individuals and that bottlenose dolphins are too quick to record their behaviour, Morton decided to shift her study toward Marineland’s pair of orcas, Orky and Corky, whom she had previously called “boring”. At that time, Corky had been pregnant many times and Morton was interested in studying how baby orcas picked up new language. However, no calf survived more than 45 days and Morton recorded from Corky a behaviour somewhat close to mourning. She also discovered that orcas invented games to distract themselves. One of them, the Double Layout consisted in Orky and Corky laying on their backs, putting their flukes on the platform next to the tank and raising their right flipper.
Arrival in British Columbia
In 1979, Morton contacted pioneering killer whale researcher Michael BiggMichael Bigg
Michael Bigg was a Canadian marine biologist who is recognized as the founder of modern research on killer whales. With his colleagues, he developed new techniques for studying killer whales and conducted the first population census of the animals...
who told her Corky and Orky had come from A5 Pod
A5 Pod
A5 pod is a name given to a group of orcas found off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the northern resident population of orcas - a name given to the fish-eating orcas found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island up through the Queen Charlotte Islands of British...
in British Columbia. She spent her summer there and found A5 pod as well as other orca families. The next summer, she returned to British Columbia and met future husband Robin Morton. Alexandra Morton’s study gradually shifted toward wild orcas. While continuing her study of Orky and Corky at Marineland of the Pacific, she started recording the sounds of northern resident pods in the summer, living on a boat called The Blue Fjord. To support their work, Morton and her husband rented out their boat for tourists and researchers. In 1984, while following the A12 matriline
A1 pod
A1 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia. It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 22 members and is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern resident killer whale community...
in Northeastern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, Morton discovered the village of Echo Bay
Echo Bay
Echo Bay may refer to:* Echo Bay, British Columbia* Echo Bay, Nevada* Echo Bay, Ontario* Echo Bay, Saskatchewan-See also:* Echo Bay Mines* Port Radium, Northwest Territories, previously Echo Bay...
in the Broughton Archipelago
Broughton Archipelago
The Broughton Archipelago is a group of islands on the northeastern flank of the Queen Charlotte Strait on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. The largest islands in the group, which includes numerous smaller islets, are Broughton Island, North Broughton Island, Eden Island, Bonwick Island and...
. She and her husband decided to settle there to pursue their study of wild killer whales.
Photo-identification
In 1973, marine biologist Michael Bigg developed a pioneering photo identificationPhoto identification
Photo identification is generally used to define any form of identity document that includes a photograph of the holder.Some countries use a government issued card as a proof of age or citizenship.Types of photo ID cards include:*Passports...
system which consists in photographing the dorsal fin and saddle patch of each individual killer whale. Starting in 1975, Bigg and his colleagues began assembling catalogues containing the genealogical tree of every killer whale family in British Columbia and an ID photo of each individual orca. Since arriving in the Broughton Archipelago, Morton has been one of the main contributors to theses catalogues, providing ID photos of northern resident as well as of transient killer whales.
Transient Orcas
For many years, only resident orcas were intensely studied, as their predictable behaviour and their particularly stable social structure enabled researchers to follow them easily over a whole summer. Transients, on the contrary, have erratic route patterns and are thus difficult to study. However, the Broughton Archipelago was the home of many transient groups and since the mid eighties, Alexandra Morton has been conducting the study of this little known community. One of her main discoveries has been that the differences in feeding habits between residents and transients lead each community to different behaviours. She noted that transients, unlike residents, are mostly silent. As their mammalian prey have very good hearing, vocalizing could alert them of the predators approaching. Moreover, the seals and sea lions’ good eyesight and their ability to teach their offspring make it imperative for transients to swim as stealthily as possible by taking longer dives than residents and hiding their breaths among other noises. One transient Morton knew well even used to hide behind her boat to avoid being detected by potential prey. In 1987, Morton expanded her study to Pacific white-sided dolphinPacific White-sided Dolphin
The Pacific White-sided Dolphin is a very active dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean.-Taxonomy:...
s which had come back to the archipelago three years prior.
Raincoast Research Society and BASA
In 1981, Morton founded Lore Quest, later renamed Raincoast Research Society. Its original purpose was, according to its website, to "conduct year-round research on the acoustics of the orca of the British Columbia coast". Over the years, Raincoast Research has also been involved in making identification catalogues of the Pacific-White-Sided Dolphin population in British Columbia. Following the expansion of the salmon farming industry in the Broughton Archipelago, Raincoast Research has been involved in studies on the impact of salmon farming and has provided support for a number of field workers and scientists interested in this subject. In 1999, Morton established the Broughton Archipelago Stewardship Alliance (BASA) to hire and educate local people to assess, monitor, recommend restoration and restore small salmon-bearing creeks in the Broughton Archipelago.Later work
Net-pen salmon farms arrived in British Columbia in the 1970s but began to proliferate by the late 1980s. Since then, the salmon farming industry has grown, notably in the Broughton Archipelago. Starting in 1993, Morton began an active campaign against Acoustic Harassment Devices (AHD), which salmon farmers used to deter seals that approached the farms. Sound being killer whales’ main tool for foraging and travelling, most of them left the Broughton Archipelago. Morton’s campaign, which included sending 10,000 letters to various levels of government paid off in 2001 when salmon farmers withdrew the use of AHDs. However, the killer whales haven’t come back yet to the Archipelago. Moreover, Morton has been studying the effects of sea lice on wild salmon populations. By collaborating with international scientists, Morton has documented the loss of the whales, thousands of escaped farm salmon, lethal outbreaks of sea lice, and antibiotic resistance near salmon farms. She has called for further efforts to limit the spread of sea lice
Sea lice
The sea louse is a copepod within the order Siphonostomatoida, family Caligidae. There are 36 genera within this family which include approximately 42 Lepeophtheirus and 300 Caligus species...
and move salmon farms further offshore so they have no impact on wild salmon.
Awards
- 1991: Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Prize BC Book Prizes
- 2002: National Outdoor Book AwardNational Outdoor Book AwardThe National Outdoor Book Award was formed in 1997 as a US-based non-profit program which each year honors the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watters. Awards are presented in ten categories. The award is announced in early November...
(Honourable Mention, Nature and the Environment category), Listening to Whales - 2003: Environmental Contribution Award, Service on the Sea
- 2004: Animal Action Award - International Fund for Animal Welfare
- 2005: Winner BC Book Prize, Stain Upon the Sea
- 2005: Roderick Haig-Brown Conservation Award, Totem Flyfishers
- 2006: Murray Newman Award (Vancouver AquariumVancouver AquariumThe Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
) - 2007: Conservationist of the Year by BC Wildlife Federation
- 2008: Roland Michener Conservation Award Canadian Wildlife FederationCanadian Wildlife FederationThe Canadian Wildlife Federation is Canada’s largest nonprofit organization which is committed to protecting the plants, animals and habitats of Canada . The CWF is a non-governmental organization, however it remains closely tied with the Government of Canada in order to establish environmental...
- 2008: Eugene Rogers environmental Award
- 2010: Honourary PhD Science Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
- 2010: Wings WorldQuest
A complete list of Morton's awards is available at Salmonaresacred.org.
Books
- 1998 "Heart of the Raincoast." (with Billy Proctor). Horsdal and Schubart, Victoria.
- 2002 "Listening to Whales: What the Orcas have taught Us." Ballantine Books.
- 2004 "Beyond the Whales: The Photographs and Passions of Alexandra Morton." Heritage House Publishing, Victoria.
Children's books
- 1991 "Siwiti - A Whale's Story." Orca Books, Victoria.
- 1993 "In the Company of Whales, from the Diary of a Whale Watcher." Orca Books Victoria.
See also
- A1 PodA1 podA1 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia. It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 22 members and is the most commonly encountered pod in the Northern resident killer whale community...
- A4 PodA4 PodA4 pod is the name given to one of the best known killer whale families in British Columbia.It currently consists of 3 matrilines and 14 members and is most famous for being the family of young Springer, who was the first orca to be successfully reintroduced to the wild after being handled by humans...
- A5 PodA5 PodA5 pod is a name given to a group of orcas found off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the northern resident population of orcas - a name given to the fish-eating orcas found in coastal waters ranging from mid-Vancouver Island up through the Queen Charlotte Islands of British...
- List of Northern Resident Killer Whale Pods
- Michael BiggMichael BiggMichael Bigg was a Canadian marine biologist who is recognized as the founder of modern research on killer whales. With his colleagues, he developed new techniques for studying killer whales and conducted the first population census of the animals...