The Ever-Growing Threat
PCB Toxicity in Killer Whales
This infographic uncovers the danger of toxic chemical bioaccumulation and biomagnification in marine ecosystems, revealing how these human-made pollutants put killer whales—one of the ocean’s most iconic predators—at serious risk. As these chemicals move up the food chain, they accumulate in whale populations, threatening their survival and impacting the delicate balance of marine life.
Designed to inform and inspire curiosity, this visual piece is tailored for science enthusiasts, students, and educators who are eager to explore environmental issues. I aimed to spark interest and encourage viewers to dive deeper into the critical challenges facing killer whales and the future of our oceans.
Roles: Research, Content Writing, Drafting, Digital Rendering, Compositing
Audience: Science-interested highschool students and educators
Clients: Professor Jodie Jenkinson
Communication Objective: Educate the viewer on what PCBs are, how they threaten killer whales, and what biomagnification and bioaccumulation are.
Medium: Web, 3D Illustration
Presentation: Website, digital article
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Procreate
Initial Notes and Sketches
Moodboard
Final Infographic
A Rough Composition Draft
References
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Conserving the southern resident killer whales. Visual.ly. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://visual.ly/community/Infographics/animals/conserving-southern-resident-killer-whales
Desforges, J.-P., Hall, A., McConnell, B., Rosing-Asvid, A., Barber, J. L., Brownlow, A., De Guise, S., Eulaers, I., Jepson, P. D., Letcher, R. J., Levin, M., Ross, P. S., Samarra, F., Víkingson, G., Sonne, C., & Dietz, R. (2018). Predicting global killer whale population collapse from PCB pollution. Science, 361(6409), 1373–1376. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aat1953
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Jepson, P. D., Deaville, R., Barber, J. L., Aguilar, À., Borrell, A., Murphy, S., Barry, J., Brownlow, A., Barnett, J., Berrow, S., Cunningham, A. A., Davison, N. J., ten Doeschate, M., Esteban, R., Ferreira, M., Foote, A. D., Genov, T., Giménez, J., Loveridge, J., … Law, R. J. (2016). PCB pollution continues to impact populations of orcas and other dolphins in European waters. Scientific Reports, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18573
Resident and transient orcas. Resident and Transient Orcas | Port Townsend Marine Science Center. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://ptmsc.org/programs/investigate/citizen-science/completed-projects/orca-project/resident-and-transient-orcas
Ross, P. S., Ellis, G. M., Ikonomou, M. G., Barrett-Lennard, L. G., & Addison, R. F. (2000). High PCB concentrations in free-ranging Pacific Killer whales, Orcinus orca: Effects of age, sex and dietary preference. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 40(6), 504–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-326x(99)00233-7
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2020). Southern Resident Killer Whales. EPA. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales
Wilson, S. (2020, August 20). Tracking contaminants in killer whale habitats. Ocean Wise. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://ocean.org/blog/tracking-contaminants-in-killer-whales/