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The world’s top scientists warn that biodiversity is in a free fall. Puget Sound’s endangered resident orcas are just the latest victims of short-sighted human actions that are causing an ecological crisis.

Captured 40 years ago as an infant, the orca known as Lolita symbolizes the movement to free captive animals.

More salmon have returned to the Elwha River over the past two months than at any time in at least 20 years.

Entire runs of salmon are losing out to a system of dams, pumps and diversions that take the flow of life from rivers along America’s West Coast.

Something special is swimming in Puget Sound—84 unique whales found nowhere else on earth, who might have disappeared altogether if not for Earthjustice’s work to protect them from a far-distant threat. Early this month, the government rejected a misguided proposal to strip protections from this dwindling species: Southern Resident orca whales. Visitors to the Pacific…

Puget Sound’s majestic Southern Residents targeted but prevail

Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas targeted

A far right anti-environmental group based in Sacramento, California is trying to get federal Endangered Species Act protections removed from a small extended west coast family group of killer whales. This group of killer whales, or orcas, is known as the southern residents because they spend much of their time residing in coastal waters between…

This is the second in a series of Q and As on Earthjustice’s oceans work, which works to prevent habitat loss and overfishing as well as reduce the impacts of climate change on the ocean. In early 2000, Patti Goldman, Earthjustice’s VP of Litigation, spearheaded efforts to protect the Puget Sound’s threatened orca whale population.…

Judge denies standing to farm, development interests

Conservationists view designation and recovery plans as important steps toward revival of the orca population

Whales protected by court order over resistance from the Bush administration

Conservationists hail decision to protect orcas, demand Congress protect Endangered Species Act.

Judge gives government a year to reconsider protecting resident orcas under the ESA

Conservationists fight determination that southern residents are “Not Significant”

Proposals would allow Navy ships to blast harmful sonar at will

Orcas are known for their intelligence, agility and playfulness. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the Pacific Northwest, where the resident orca pods attract tourists and scientists from around the world. As of 2014, this critically endangered population of killer whales has been reduced to only 80 individuals. These unique marine mammals have been…