An Update on Orca Recovery in the Salish Sea

Lynne Barre

Branch Chief in the Protected Resources Division of NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region

Lynne Barre is the Southern Resident killer whale recovery coordinator for NOAA Fisheries. She has been with the Protected Resources Division in Seattle for over nineteen years. She has worked on the endangered listing of the Southern Resident killer whales, designated critical habitat, finalized a Recovery Plan and carried out actions to conserve and recover the whales, including vessel regulations. Lynne also supports recovery of Puget Sound rockfish, salmon, and other aspects of the marine mammal program, such as the stranding network. Lynne has a BS in Biology from Georgetown University and an MS in Animal Behavior from San Diego State University. 

Tara Galuska

Orca Recovery Coordinator at the Washington Governor's Salmon Recovery Office

Tara was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee as the state's orca recovery coordinator in May 2021. Before that she worked in salmon recovery at RCO and led the Salmon Section. She has also worked on aquatic planning and science at the Washington departments of Ecology and Natural Resources. Tara received her BS in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California at Berkeley and her Master’s Degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia.

Sonja Henneman

Manager, Clean Water Program at Transport Canada

Sonja Henneman is the Manager and Senior Policy Advisor, West Coast and Arctic Whale Protection Policy, at Transport Canada. The group that Sonja manages are responsible for developing and implementing management measures to address acoustic and physical disturbance from vessels impacting endangered whale species. Prior to 2017, Ms. Henneman worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at Environment and Climate Change Canada in the Climate Change International Division. Sonja received her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Government from Carleton University.

Kendra Moore

Acting Regional Manager, Marine Mammals at Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Kendra is the Acting Regional Manager for Marine Mammals with Fisheries and Oceans Canada based on the west coast. Her team supports the development and implementation of the Southern Resident Killer Whale management measures, marine mammal scientific and response licensing, and coordination of responding to marine mammals in distress, including Southern Resident Killer Whales. In past roles, Kendra supported the North Atlantic right whale management measures, national marine mammal response coordination, and studied Gray whale acoustics and small vessel impacts for her Master’s research. Kendra has a Bachelor’s Degree in marine biology and environmental studies from the University of Victoria and a Master’s Degree in marine management from Dalhousie University.

Tli’nuk’dzwidzi

Althea Wilson is a Lummi tribal member and works in the Office of Government Affairs and Treaty Protection for the Lummi Business Council. She is also a documentary filmmaker who focuses on the Lummi Nation’s connection to the natural world. Her most recent film, Revitalizing Cultural Knowledge and Honoring Sacred Waters: The Documented Oral History of Life on the Nooksack River was supported by the National Science Foundation. Ms Wilson earned her bachelor’s degree in Native Environmental Science at the Northwest Indian College.