02/03/2010: "The Karma Of Dogs & Whale Poop"

A recent study in the Journal of Parasitology reports a strain of the intestinal bug Giardia that is found in dogs is also being found in harbor seals. The study by the SeaDoc society found 50% of the harbor seals tested in the south Puget Sound were infected by the canine variety. It is hypothesized dog waste is being washed into the water and infecting sea life.

But man’s best friend is also using the other end of it’s body to help researchers measure the health of whales by finding whale poop floating in the water.

Katherine Ayres, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology will explain at a Tuesday (February 9 at 7:00 pm) lecture at Camp Orkila on Orcas how and why she is using tracker dogs to save endangered southern resident killer whales.

Finding whale poop in the water is not easy. But a trained scat detection dog can be a big help. The concept is the same as using tracker dogs to find people under rubble, or hidden drugs -even when packed inside of a can of gasoline.

Dogs have been trained to detect killer whale feces floating on the water at great distances. Ayers will talk about how detection dogs are being used and what valuable information can be gained from the scat, which unlike blubber biopsies, is collected without impacting already endangered animals.

The Marine Science Lecture Series was created to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free. Please park in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the talk is available before and after the lecture.