Aquagreen

Within a  year and a half of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, both Southeast Alaska resident and transient killer whale populations experienced high death rates, 33% and 41% respectively (Matkin et al 2008).  Losing mothers and young makes it hard for populations to bounce back.  The resident AB pod still has not fully recovered to its original size and the transients have never recovered. Resulting in NOAA listing the SE Alaska transients as Depleted Stock (danger of extinction) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (NOAA 2012).