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In the Spotlight: Long Term Studies of Polar Bears Search for Answers USGS Studies the Impact of Global Climate Change on Walruses in the Arctic! |
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| Development sponsored by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Award: NCC5433) |
The USGS (United States Geological Survey) has a long history of science research in Earth’s polar regions. The USGS Alaska Science Center tracks many species of polar animals, including polar bears! In particular, these scientists are looking at the movements of polar bears in relation to the sea ice. Concerns about global climate change mean that this is a very important issue to study.
http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/wandering_wildlife/Animation
Walrus radio-tracking in the southern Chukchi Sea 2008
Walrus Tracking Website: http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/walrus/index.html
Researchers attached satellite radio-tags to 28 walruses in the southern Chukchi Sea region during the 2008 spring northward migration. Tracking data from this study are intended to help us describe walrus movements, foraging areas, and sea ice habitats within the Minerals Management Service Chukchi Sea oil lease sale planning area. We expect to track these walruses through early July. This work was supported and facilitated by Shell Oil Company and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.