scholarly journals Walrus Movements in Smith Sound: A Canada–Greenland Shared Stock + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Janne Flora ◽  
Astrid Oberborbeck Andersen ◽  
Robert E.A. Stewart ◽  
Nynne H. Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return Migration ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Southern Coast ◽  
Supplementary Appendix ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Wintering Area ◽  
June July ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Fifty of 58 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) instrumented with satellite-linked transmitters in four areas in eastern Smith Sound, Northwest Greenland, during May and June of 2010 – 13 and 2015 provided data for this study. These animals departed from the feeding banks along the Greenland coast in June – July (average 14th June), simultaneously with the disappearance of sea ice from these areas. Most of them moved to Canadian waters in western Smith Sound. The most frequently used summering grounds were along the coasts of Ellesmere Island: on the eastern coast, the area around Alexandra Fiord, Buchanan Bay, and Flagler Bay (west of Kane Basin) and Talbot Inlet farther south, and on the southern coast, Craig Harbour. This distribution of tagged walruses is consistent with prior understanding of walrus movements in summer. In addition, however, nine tracks of these tagged animals entered western Jones Sound and four entered the Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound area, crossing two putative stock boundaries. Since these 13 tracks were made by 12 animals, one walrus entered both areas. It is possible that some of the tracked walruses used terrestrial haul-out sites in the largely ice-free areas of Jones Sound and Lancaster Sound for short periods during the summer, though this cannot be confirmed with certainty. The return migration from western Smith Sound to the wintering area in eastern Smith Sound takes place in October. The tracked walrus showed high affinity to coastal areas, while walruses moving between Greenland and Canada also used offshore areas in Smith Sound. This study demonstrates that the walrus population that winters along the northwestern coast of Greenland is shared more widely in Canada than previously thought and should be managed accordingly.

scholarly journals Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert EA Stewart ◽  
Erik W Born ◽  
Rune Dietz ◽  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Frank Farsø Rigét ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Surface ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Nares Strait ◽  
The North ◽  
North Water Polynya ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
North Water ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) belonging to the Baffin Bay subpopulation occur year round in the North Water polynya (NOW) between NW Greenland and eastern Ellesmere Island (Canada). They are hunted for subsistence purposes by residents of the Qaanaaq area (NW Greenland) bordering the NOW to the east and by Canadian Inuit at the entrance to Jones Sound in Nunavut. During the open-water period NW Greenland is virtually devoid of walruses which concentrate along eastern and southern Ellesmere Island at this time of the year. To determine the abundance of walruses in the NOW area, aerial surveys were conducted in August of 1999, 2008, and 2009. In July 2009, nine satellite-linked transmitters were deployed in nearby Kane Basin. Surveys on 9 and 20 August 2009 along eastern Ellesmere Island were the most extensive and were augmented with concomitant data on haul-out and at water surface activity from three (1 F, 2 M) of the nine tags that were still functioning. We therefore focus on the 2009 surveys. Walruses were observed on the ice and in water primarily in Buchanan Bay and Princess Marie Bay where the remaining functional tags were located. The Minimum Counted population (MCP) was 571 on 20 August. Adjusting the MCP of walruses on ice for those not hauled out, the estimate of abundance of walruses in the Baffin Bay stock was 1,251(CV=1.00, 95% CI = 1,226) when adjusted by the proportion of tags ‘dry’ at the time of the survey and 1,249 (CV=1.12, 95% CI = 1,370) when adjusted by the average time tags were dry. The surveys did not cover all potential walrus summering habitat along eastern Ellesmere Island and are negatively biased to an unknown degree.

Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Selenium in Tissues and Some Foods of Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Eastern Canadian Arctic and Sub-Arctic, and Associations between Metals, Age, and Gender

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Wagemann ◽  
R. E. A. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) harvested at Igloolik and Hall Beach (Foxe Basin) and Inukjuak and Akulivik (eastern coast of Hudson Bay) and clams (Mya truncata) and cockles (Serripes groenlandicus) collected at Igloolik were analyzed for heavy metals and Se. Pb was high in walrus from both Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin compared with other marine mammals, but levels were higher in animals from Hudson Bay than Foxe Basin, showing a geographic trend of increasing concentration from north to south. In some tissues of clams, Pb was also high, up to 3 μg/g (wet weight). Hg levels in walrus were low compared with those in other Arctic marine mammals; in liver, Hg showed a geographic trend similar to Pb. Cd in liver and particularly in kidney of walrus was high compared with other Arctic marine mammals and was higher in those from Foxe Basin than Hudson Bay. Associations among metals and between metals and age were found in walrus that were also reported for other marine mammals, namely between Hg and Se in liver, Hg and Cd in liver, Hg and Cd with age in kidney, Cd with Zn in liver and kidney, and Hg and Se in liver with gender.

Novel observations of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in Archer Fjord, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada

Polar Biology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1193-1198
Author(s):  
David J. Yurkowski ◽  
Cody G. Carlyle ◽  
Uluriak Amarualik ◽  
Benjamin A. Lange ◽  
Andrew Platt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

scholarly journals New migration and distribution patterns of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) around Nunavik (Québec, Canada) identified using Inuit Knowledge

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Martinez-Levasseur ◽  
Chris M. Furgal ◽  
Mike O. Hammill ◽  
Dominique A. Henri ◽  
Gary Burness
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Inuit Knowledge ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

AbstractEnvironmental changes are affecting the Arctic at an unprecedented rate, but limited scientific knowledge exists on their impacts on species such as walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). Inuit Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge (Inuit TEK/LEK) held by Inuit walrus harvesters could shed light on walrus ecology and related environmental changes. Our main objective was to study spatial and temporal changes in Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) distribution in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) using Inuit TEK/LEK. To do so, we documented the knowledge and observations of 33 local hunters and Elders as part of a larger project on Atlantic walruses in Nunavik. We first gathered information on changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices through time and space, which was a crucial step to avoid potential biases in interpreting local observations on walrus distribution. We found that walrus hunters are now covering smaller hunting areas over shorter time periods, reducing in space and time their observations of Atlantic walruses around Nunavik. While clearly taking these limitations into account, we learned from interviews that some areas abandoned by Atlantic walruses in the past were now being re-occupied. Importantly, Atlantic walruses, which migrate following the melting ice, are now traveling along the eastern coast of Nunavik one month earlier, suggesting that Atlantic walrus migration has changed due to variations in sea-ice coverage around Nunavik. Our study not only highlighted important changes in Atlantic walrus distribution and migration in Nunavik, but also sheds light on the importance of documenting temporal and spatial changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices to understand the ecology of Arctic species using Inuit Knowledge.

A TRITIATED WATER EXPERIMENT ON A MALE ATLANTIC WALRUS (ODOBENUS ROSMARUS ROSMARUS)

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lydersen ◽  
David Griffiths ◽  
Ian Gjertz ◽  
Oystein Wiig
Keyword(s):  
Tritiated Water ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Summer foods of Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, in northern Foxe Basin, Northwest Territories

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1166-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. I. Fisher ◽  
R. E. A. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Serripes Groenlandicus ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Stomach contents of Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, taken by Inuit hunters in northern Foxe Basin in July 1987 and 1988 (n = 105) and September 1988 (n = 2) were examined. In July, 20 of 94 stomachs from immature and adult walrus contained > 5 g of food representing 17 prey taxa, including bivalves, gastropods, holothurians, polychaetes, and brachiopods. The bivalve Mya truncata contributed 81.4% of the total gross energy in the diet, with the bivalve Hiatella arctica, holothurians, and the polychaete Nereis sp. contributing 7.5, 3.5, and 2.8%, respectively. The diets of male and female walrus were similar except that females received a significantly (P < 0.05) greater percentage of gross energy in their diet from H. arctica than did males. Walrus less than 3 years old (n = 11) consumed mostly milk, although some benthic invertebrates were eaten. Analysis of the contents of two stomachs collected in September suggested that walrus may feed more intensively in the fall. Mya truncata was again the predominant prey, contributing 59.9% of total gross energy, with the bivalve Serripes groenlandicus (37.9%) replacing H. arctica (0.3%) as the second most important prey.

scholarly journals Management of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the arctic Atlantic

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Øystein Wiig ◽  
Erik W Born ◽  
Robert EA Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Current Control ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Canada ◽  
Quota System ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

We review the management of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) past and present in the four range states—Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia—which have permanent populations of Atlantic walruses. Populations in all four countries have been depleted, although the extent of depletion is not well known. Inuit in Arctic Canada and Greenland hunt Atlantic walruses for subsistence while they have been protected at Svalbard (Norway) since 1952 and in the western Russian Arctic since 1956. Since the second half of the 20th Century Canada and Greenland have increased protection of their walrus. Generally the number of walruses landed in Canada is governed by the number of hunters and/or people in the settlement and not by stock-specific quotas. Although quotas have been set in few communities, it is not known if they are adequate to prevent overhunting. A quota system for walrus hunting in Greenland began in 2006. The current control system is largely effective in ensuring the quotas are applied and that reporting is correct. Greenland currently sets quotas based on recommendations from scientific assessments using recent population estimates to allow population growth from a depleted population.  A challenge with respect to managing walrus hunting remains the variable and sometimes high rates of lost animals. Since the 1960s changes in socio-economics in hunting areas of Arctic Canada and Greenland (and the use of snowmobiles instead of dog sleds in Canada) have led to a general decrease in interest in hunting of walruses and reduced harvest on walrus stocks in these countries. Although there is an active ongoing cooperation between Canada and Greenland scientists regarding assessments of shared populations of walruses currently there is no formal agreement between the two range states on co-management of shared stocks. Protection of walrus from other anthropogenic impacts generally focusses on large-scale industrial activity. The level of protection afforded to walrus habitat in many areas depends entirely on the rigor with which the Environmental Impact Assessments are conducted. Basic information on walrus such as numbers and stock discreteness is often lacking and sufficient lead-time is required to collect baseline data. Moreover, although most environmental protection legislation considers ‘cumulative impacts’, practical application remains problematic. The effectiveness of environmental protection regulations depends on industry compliance and the management authorities’ ability to enforce compliance. Because walrus are found in remote locations, enforcement remains a challenge. Increased human activity allowed by the current change in distribution and quality of arctic sea ice poses new threats to walrus if not well regulated. International agreements have varying importance for management within and among member states. Regulations governing international trade serve to identify illegally obtained products and to encourage range states to have a sustainable quota system. International cooperation in information sharing has had clear benefits for management of walruses in the past. The maintenance and expansion of these international efforts will improve the management of Atlantic walruses in the future. 

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