Happy World Walrus Day! On November 24, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and Marine Mammal Council (MMC) created this day in 2008. These Arctic animals are the largest pinnipedians in the world.
A pinniped, or fin-footed mammal, is related to seals and sea lions. Their skin is covered by a thin layer of small coarse hairs.
In the last days of autumn, walruses leave the Arctic shores of the Chukotka Sea to spend winter in the Bering Strait; they are very vulnerable during their travel.
Using this awareness day, animal protection activists want to draw public attention to the problem of diminishing populations of these marine mammals.
The walrus is easily recognized by its sheer size and magnificent tusks. It is a keystone species in Arctic marine ecosystems.
Their most remarkable features are the long tusks, of which are surrounded by a mat of stiff bristles.
The tusks are used for keeping breathing holes in the ice open, for fighting and for helping the walruses haul themselves out of the water on to an ice floe.
Walrus migrate with the moving ice floes, but never venture far from the coast as they feed in shallow waters.
They can swim to a depth of around 100m to feed on mollusks and other invertebrates, but on average do not go much deeper than 65 to 100 feet (20-30m).
There are two populations of walrus: the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus).
WALRUS FACTS
• The walrus can weigh up to 880 to 4,000 (400 to 1800 kg) pounds.
• The walrus can grow to a length of seven to eleven feet (2.2 to 3.6 m).
• The population of the walrus in the Atlantic is likely 25,000 plus. In the Pacific, the population is approximately 200,000. In the Laptev Sea, it is approximately 5,000.
Walruses and People
Walruses have long played an important role in the culture, economics and diets of Arctic peoples.
The walrus was once threatened by commercial hunting, but today the biggest danger it faces its climate change.
Unfortunately, artists carve walrus ivory, and the practice provides cultural benefits and much-needed income.
Threats to Walruses
CLIMATE CHANGE
Walruses depend on sea ice as a platform for feeding and resting, and a warming Arctic is disrupting their normal patterns.
In the past decade, earlier melting of sea ice in the summer has forced abnormally large numbers of Pacific walruses ashore on the coasts of Russia and Alaska.
These “haulouts” of up to 35,000 individuals can be deadly, particularly for walrus calves that are crushed in stampedes provoked by disturbances.
As sea ice melts, walrus populations will be exposed to more industrial activity, like shipping and oil and gas exploration.
In addition to direct impacts like icebreaking ships and disturbance to walruses on shore, there’s an increased risk of oil spills.
A WWF study found that oil spills on ice are virtually impossible to clean up.
UNSUSTAINABLE HUNTING
Limited numbers of walrus are hunted in the United States, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. WWF supports up-to-date research into population trends to ensure the hunt remains sustainable.
CONSERVING WALRUS
The first circumpolar report on walrus conservation recommends research into the effects of industrial activities on these Arctic animals.
'
The report comes as Arctic ice has plunged to record lows in recent years, and thousands of walruses have gathered on shorelines instead of sea ice.
RECOMMENDING ACTION FOR WALRUSES
The first circumpolar report on walrus conservation recommends research into the effects of industrial activities on the Arctic animals.
The report comes as Arctic ice has plunged to record lows in recent years, and thousands of walruses have gathered on shorelines instead of sea ice.
SOLVING A WALRUS MYSTERY
In 2013, a WWF expedition collected DNA samples from the walruses of the Laptev Sea to determine their relationship to other subspecies.
#WorldWalrusDay
#googoogjoob
@WWF_Arctic
@iucn.org
@planetaryproject
@FleetwoodMac
@tuskthemovie
@ALICE0234
@nichecinema
No comments:
Post a Comment