Prey items and predation behavior of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Nunavut, Canada based on Inuit hunter interviews

Results detail local knowledge of killer whale prey items, hunting behaviour, prey responses, distribution of predation events, and prey capture techniques. Inuit TEK and published literature agree that killer whales at times eat only certain parts of prey, particularly of large whales, that attacks on large whales entail relatively small groups of killer whales, and that they hunt cooperatively. Inuit observations suggest that there is little prey specialization beyond marine mammals and there are no definitive observations of fish in the diet. Inuit hunters and elders also documented the use of sea ice and shallow water as prey refugia.By combining TEK and scientific approaches we provide a more holistic view of killer whale predation in the eastern Canadian Arctic relevant to management and policy. Continuing the long-term relationship between scientists and hunters will provide for successful knowledge integration and has resulted in considerable improvement in understanding of killer whale ecology relevant to management of prey species. Combining scientists and Inuit knowledge will assist in northerners adapting to the restructuring of the Arctic marine ecosystem associated with warming and loss of sea ice.In recent years there has been significant interest in the role of killer whale (Orcinus orca) predation in shaping marine ecosystems and regulating prey populations [1]. Killer whales are widespread in world oceans and are the top predator in all regions where they occur [2-4]. The species consumes a wide variety of prey items, ranging from small schooling fish to large baleen whales [5], and there has been considerable debate over the role of killer whale predation in trophic cascades and prey species dynamics [6-8]. Killer whale predation can limit small prey populations [9-11], but more information on the species and number of prey consumed is needed to better address this issue [12]. Researchers have determined that in many areas killer whales with diffe