Walrus from Space project enters next stage as British Antarctic Survey scientists head to Svalbard

The next stage of the Walrus from Space project is under way, with scientists from the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge among a team of researchers who have headed to Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean.

Since launching last October, the citizen science initiative has so far involved more than 11,000 members of the public, who have reviewed over half a million satellite images of the Arctic to detect walrus.

The census is designed to give scientists vital data on the distribution and timing of the Atlantic and Laptev Sea walrus, to help inform study of how they will be impacted by the climate crisis and aid their conservation.

The research team, also involving WWF-UK and the Norwegian Polar Institute will carry out research to validate the walrus counts made via the satellite imagery.

Spending eight days at the Ny-Alesund research station on the Norwegian island, they will travel by boat to walrus haul-outs - sites where they congregate to rest on the land - and count them visually and by using drones.

They will compare these numbers to the ones from the satellite images, helping to verify the data.

Hannah Cubaynes, Wildlife from Space research associate at British Antarctic Survey, said:

“It’s tremendously exciting to be travelling to see the walrus in their natural habitat. Assessing walrus populations across their whole distribution range by boats or plane is very difficult as they live in extremely remote areas.

“Satellite images can solve this problem as they can survey huge tracts of coastline to assess where walrus are and help us count the ones that we find.

“If the data we collect from fieldwork matches the data collected from satellite, then we’ll know this is a very effective way forward to benefit walrus conservation efforts.”

The high resolution satellite imagery used in the project covers more than 25,000 square kilometres of Arctic coastline - an area larger than Wales.

But the Arctic home of the walrus is warming at an alarming rate: about three times faster than the global average and about 13 per cent of summer sea ice is disappearing per decade.

This week, the temperature there has been around 13C.

Walrus use sea ice for resting and to give birth, but as it diminishes, more of them seek refuge on land.

But overcrowded beaches can lead to disaster. Walrus are easily frightened and if spooked can stampede towards the water, trampling one another in their panic.

Resting on land may also mean the walrus are forced to swim further and expend more energy to reach their food, than if they were on sea ice. And this food is also being affected by the warming and acidification of the ocean.

Walrus can also be disturbed by shipping traffic or industrial development, prompted by the increasing accessibility of the Arctic as sea ice is lost.

Rod Downie, chief polar adviser at WWF, said: “Walrus are an iconic species of great cultural significance to the people of the Arctic, but despite being big powerful animals, they are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change which is melting their icy home.

“It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of the climate and nature emergency. This project enables individuals to take action to understand a species threatened by the climate crisis, and to help to safeguard their future.

“What makes this project so special is public participation, and we are grateful to everyone who has taken part so far and those joining the exciting next stage of the project. Together we can help scientists, communities, and decision-makers ensure healthy populations of walrus in the future. What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay there; the climate crisis is a global problem, bigger than any person, species or region.”

The research team includes Hannah Cubaynes, Peter Fretwell and Jaume Forcada, all from BAS, Kit Kovacs and Christian Lydersen, from the Norwegian Polar Institute, Rod Downie, from WWF-UK and filmmaker and photographer Emmanuel Rondeau.

To join in the research project, visit wwf.org.uk/walrusfromspace to register, and then be guided through a training module before taking part in the walrus census.