The Whale Museum is pleased to welcome Michael Weiss as part of the 2016 Summer Lecture Series on Monday, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Michael will present “The Multidimensional Social Structure of the Resident Killer Whales: Linking Environment, Social Structure and Culture.” Killer whales live in tight matrilineal families, with pods having distinct acoustic dialects. However, despite these strong social ties, social structure in the Southern Residents is dynamic, with associations shifting from year to year, sometimes resulting in strong associations between members of different pods. Based on long term studies of SRKW social dynamics and recent insights, this talk will explore the drivers of social change and the cultural consequences of these changes, and discuss the future of research into the temporal dynamics of killer whale culture.

Michael Weiss is the lead researcher for the Orca Behavior Institute, which he co-founded in 2015 with Monika Wieland. He graduated with a degree in biology from Reed College in 2016, where he completed a senior thesis on the social structure and vocal dialects of Southern Resident killer whales.

The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, call (360) 378-4710 ext. 30. The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N. Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also provides programs including the Marine Naturalist Training, Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline. The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.