Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer
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 th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Septentrio Academic Publishing
2014-12-01
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| Series: | NAMMCO Scientific Publications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2611 |
| _version_ | 1818847886395310080 |
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| author | Robert EA Stewart Erik W Born Rune Dietz Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Frank Farsø Rigét Kristin Laidre Mikkel Villum Jensen Lars Ø Knutsen Sabrina Fossette J B Dunn |
| author_facet | Robert EA Stewart Erik W Born Rune Dietz Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Frank Farsø Rigét Kristin Laidre Mikkel Villum Jensen Lars Ø Knutsen Sabrina Fossette J B Dunn |
| author_sort | Robert EA Stewart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:08:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c8f337f3dc824402b3bd1a9d025005fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1560-2206 2309-2491 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T06:08:34Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Septentrio Academic Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NAMMCO Scientific Publications |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8f337f3dc824402b3bd1a9d025005fd2022-12-21T20:33:04ZengSeptentrio Academic PublishingNAMMCO Scientific Publications1560-22062309-24912014-12-019012314010.7557/3.26112418Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summerRobert EA Stewart0Erik W Born1Rune Dietz2Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen3Frank Farsø Rigét4Kristin Laidre5Mikkel Villum Jensen6Lars Ø Knutsen7Sabrina Fossette8J B Dunn9Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater InstituteGreenland Institute of Natural ResourcesDepartment of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityGreenland Institute of Natural ResourcesDepartment of Bioscience, Aarhus UniversityGreenland Institute of Natural Resources and Polar Science Center, APL/University of WashingtonMikkels VærkstedCinenature ABDepartment of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea UniversityDepartment of Fisheries and Oceans, Freshwater InstituteAtlantic 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.https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2611Atlantic walruswalrusOdobenus rosmarus rosmarusNorth WaterCanadaGreenlandabundanceaerial surveystaggingsatellite-linked |
| spellingShingle | Robert EA Stewart Erik W Born Rune Dietz Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen Frank Farsø Rigét Kristin Laidre Mikkel Villum Jensen Lars Ø Knutsen Sabrina Fossette J B Dunn Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer NAMMCO Scientific Publications Atlantic walrus walrus Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus North Water Canada Greenland abundance aerial surveys tagging satellite-linked |
| title | Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer |
| title_full | Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer |
| title_fullStr | Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer |
| title_short | Abundance of Atlantic walrus in Western Nares Strait, Baffin Bay Stock, during summer |
| title_sort | abundance of atlantic walrus in western nares strait baffin bay stock during summer |
| topic | Atlantic walrus walrus Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus North Water Canada Greenland abundance aerial surveys tagging satellite-linked |
| url | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/NAMMCOSP/article/view/2611 |
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