Walrus from Space with Rod Downie and Peter Fretwell

Jan 25, 2022  11:00 - 11:45

(GMT -5:00) Eastern Time

Event URL:  https://www.exploringbytheseat.com/lesson/walrus-space-rod-downie-peter-fretwell/
Hosted by: Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants

Walrus are facing the reality of the climate crisis. With the Arctic warming more than twice as fast as the global average, their world is changing around them as sea-ice retreats. The Arctic Ocean is vast, remote and a challenging place for scientists to work meaning that we simply don’t know enough about how many walrus there are, and how the climate crisis and industrial development is affecting them. This iconic species is culturally significant for Arctic people.

Jointly led by WWF and the British Antarctic Survey, Walrus from Space aims to use non-invasive high-resolution satellite imagery and the engagement of about half a million citizen scientists over the next 4 years to give scientists a clearer picture of the population of Atlantic and Laptev walrus. With the help of the crowd, we aim to count the numbers and movements of all Atlantic and Laptev walrus at every one of their their terrestrial haul-outs from space in each of the next four years. By contributing towards the understanding of walrus populations and trends, we hope to help walrus so they can have a healthy future.