You Can Help Scientists Spot Walruses from Space

The British Antarctic Society and World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) are looking for “citizen scientists” to help look for walruses in their Walrus from Space project. Walruses are facing significant threats due to increasing temperatures in the Arctic.

However, you can help. The Walrus from Space project tracks walrus populations with the help of satellite imagery and citizen scientists. All you have to do is complete a walrus-searching tutorial, then begin looking for walruses. The Walrus from Space project provides satellite images covering the Arctic and the Laptev Sea. You simply need to scan the images for walrus herds that may be resting on sea ice shelves throughout these regions.

Walruses live in largely remote areas, which is why the Walrus from Space project needs your help. With the majority of the Arctic being highly inaccessible, the job is too big for one group of scientists. Satellite imagery and citizen scientists will allow researchers to take a census of walruses across this huge tract of coastline.

How Is the Climate Crisis Affecting Walruses?

Walruses live primarily on pieces of sea ice. With their habitat warming up, these pieces of ice are melting, forcing walruses to move to mainland parts of the Arctic. Right now, the Arctic is warming up nearly four times faster than the rest of the globe. The rapid warming is not only melting the sea ice but driving walrus herds further away from their food sources. This forces walruses to use more energy searching for food and quickly reduces the areas they can access, since there is less sea ice available for them to rest on.

In addition, the climate crisis is affecting the walruses’ food sources. Walruses primarily eat sea snails, crabs, and mollusks. The Arctic Ocean is becoming more acidic as it absorbs more carbon dioxide. This acidity makes it more difficult for these creatures to survive in the Arctic. Ultimately, if these smaller creatures can’t survive in the Arctic, walruses won’t be able to either.

As the sea ice melts, shipping paths will also begin to open up in the Arctic regions. This will further displace walruses and cut them off from their food supply. Understanding the size of the walrus population and beginning to track their movements is crucial to conservation efforts. Walrus from Space will hopefully be able to influence conservation projects to protect walrus herds from additional shipping routes.

How Walrus from Space Will Help

By using citizen scientists to help track walrus populations, Walrus from Space hopes to be able to track the movements of walrus populations as their environment changes. The images citizen scientists search through span thousands of miles of the Arctic coastlines.

Walruses inhabit the waters around Russia, Greenland, Norway, Canada, and Alaska. Additionally, with the help of indigenous knowledge and tracking systems, Walrus from Space will be able to study walrus movements and behaviors. This type of research is difficult to conduct using traditional methods, so Walrus from Space’s innovative use of citizen scientists is introducing a new way to track walruses.

Satellite images do not disturb walruses. Although this study is being done on a large scale, covering vast regions, it will not interfere with the walruses’ already endangered habitat. All of the data collected by the Walrus from Space project will directly support conservation efforts to help walruses and protect the Arctic.

How Can I Help?

You can help by joining the Walrus from Space project. All you need is access to the internet and some free time. You can sign up for a walrus-spotting account through Walrus from Space. You will complete a short video tutorial to learn how to spot walruses. Once you have finished the tutorial, Walrus from Space will provide satellite images for you to search for walrus herds.

The Walrus from Space project even has achievements, goals, and badges to unlock as you work through the satellite imagery. If you choose to participate, have fun searching for walruses, and thank you for creating a better future for these amazing animals.