Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Active

By Alaska Science Center June 30, 2022

Available here are tracking data of Pacific walrus, a marine mammal that ranges between the Alaska Peninsula, up through the Bering and Chukchi seas, and over to Russia.  These data were collected from animals marked in the northern Bering and Chuckchi sea to understand seasonal movement patterns, use of coastal haulouts in northwestern Alaska, and determine estimates of abundance in autumn.

Return to Ecosystems >> Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

USGS Alaska Science Center scientists collect data from wildlife tracking devices to: determine locations of animals throughout their annual cycles, understand patterns of habitat use, quantify time spent on various behaviors, and identify geographic areas repeatedly used by wildlife that may indicate sites of importance to species and populations. Tracking data from other wildlife species can be found at:  https://doi.org/10.5066/P9VYSWEH

Argos Wildlife Tracking for Pacific Walruses animation
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Illustrates where Pacific Walruses were tracked using Argos Wildlife Tracking.

Tracking Maps

Pacific Walrus Tracking Maps

These webpages contain four different types of browse maps and other visualizations of the tracking data.

  • Maps (Animated, Static, Interactive, and Google Earth)
  • Summary graphs of the data: where, when, duration
  • Note: These maps serve only as a depiction of the geographic content of the specific data provided and may be inappropriate for inferences and interpretation outside the intent of the original study. For example, maps may portray only certain ages, sexes, limited numbers of animals or variable tracking duration and start times that may limit inference for other questions. Users are advised to read the publication(s) and data set metadata associated with these maps to understand appropriate use and data limitations.

Data Packages

Argos GPS Satellite Telemetry Data

These data packages contain the data collected from GPS satellite transmitters attached to free-ranging animals. The packages include both raw and processed location and sensor data. The raw data includes data as originally retrieved from the Argos System. The processed data include location data estimated by GPS and the Argos System (Doppler). They have been filtered for location plausibility, and sensor data have been decoded into standard measurement units. For most users, the processed data will be preferred.

Suggested Citation

Jay, C.V., Fischbach, A.S., Kochnev, A.A., Hills, S., Douglas, D.C., 2022, Tracking data for Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) (ver 1.0, June 2022): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7FQ9TP6

Walrus Research

Walrus Research

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

USGS Alaska Science Center Wildlife Tracking Data Collection

Pacific Walrus Seasonal Distribution from USGS Tracking Data, Chukchi and Bering Seas, 1987-2015

This data release includes two summary geospatial rasters in GeoTIFF format indicating the seasonal Pacific walrus distribution apparent from from ARGOS location tracking obtained from the temporary attachment of ARGOS transmitter tags to Pacific walruses between 1987 and 2015. We deployed tags on walruses at locations in the eastern and northern Bering Sea, the eastern Chukchi Sea, and southern c
By
Alaska Science Center

Walrus Bayesian State-space Model Output from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012

State-space models offer researchers an objective approach to modeling complex animal location datasets, and state-space model behavior classifications are often assumed to have a link to animal behavior. We evaluated the behavioral classification accuracy of a Bayesian state-space model in Pacific walruses using Argos satellite tags outfitted with sensors to detect animal behavior in real time. S
By
Alaska Science Center
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 15

Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn

Human activities (e.g., shipping, tourism, oil, gas development) have increased in the Chukchi Sea because of declining sea ice. The declining sea ice itself and these activities may affect Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) abundance; however, previous walrus abundance estimates have been notably imprecise. When sea ice is absent from the eastern Chukchi Sea, walruses in waters of the U
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

A multi-species synthesis of satellite telemetry data in the Pacific Arctic (1987–2015): Overlap of marine mammal distributions and core use areas

We collated available satellite telemetry data for six species of ice-associated marine mammals in the Pacific Arctic: ringed seals (Pusa hispida; n = 118), bearded seals(Erignathus barbatus, n = 51), spotted seals (Phoca largha, n = 72), Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens, n = 389); bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus, n = 46), and five Arctic and sub-arctic stocks of beluga whales (Del
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Forecasting consequences of changing sea ice availability for Pacific walruses

The accelerating rate of anthropogenic alteration and disturbance of environments has increased the need for forecasting effects of environmental change on fish and wildlife populations. Models linking projections of environmental change with behavioral responses and bioenergetic effects can provide a basis for these forecasts. There is particular interest in forecasting effects of projected reduc
By
Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska

Increased periods of sparse sea ice over the continental shelf of the Chukchi Sea in late summer have reduced offshore haulout habitat for Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and increased opportunities for human activities in the region. Knowing how many walruses could be affected by human activities would be useful to conservation decisions. Currently, there are no adequate estimates
By
Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea

An animal’s energetic costs are dependent on the amount of time it allocates to various behavioral activities. For Arctic pinnipeds, the time allocated to active and resting behaviors could change with future reductions in sea ice cover and longer periods of open water. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is a large Arctic pinniped that rests on sea ice or land between foraging trips
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection

Sea ice dominates marine ecosystems in the Arctic, and recent reductions in sea ice may alter food webs throughout the region. Sea ice loss may also stress Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), which feed on benthic macroinvertebrates in the Bering and Chukchi seas. However, no studies have examined the effects of sea ice on foraging Pacific walrus space use patterns. We tested a series
By
Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses

Tracking animal behavior and movement with telemetry sensors can offer substantial insights required for conservation. Yet, the value of data collected by animal-borne telemetry systems is limited by bandwidth constraints. To understand the response of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) to rapid changes in sea ice availability, we required continuous geospatial chronologies of foraging
By
Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) resource selection in the northern Bering Sea

The Pacific walrus is a large benthivore with an annual range extending across the continental shelves of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. We used a discrete choice model to estimate site selection by adult radio-tagged walruses relative to the availability of the caloric biomass of benthic infauna and sea ice concentration in a prominent walrus wintering area in the northern Bering Sea (St. Lawrence
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Walrus areas of use in the Chukchi Sea during sparse sea ice cover

The Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens feeds on benthic invertebrates on the continental shelf of the Chukchi and Bering Seas and rests on sea ice between foraging trips. With climate warming, ice-free periods in the Chukchi Sea have increased and are projected to increase further in frequency and duration. We radio-tracked walruses to estimate areas of walrus foraging and occupancy in the
By
Ecosystems, Energy & Wildlife (unpublished), Alaska Science Center

Divergent movements of walrus and sea ice in the northern Bering Sea

The Pacific walrus Odobenus rosmarus divergens is a large Arctic pinniped of the Chukchi and Bering Seas. Reductions of sea ice projected to occur in the Arctic by mid-century raise concerns for conservation of the Pacific walrus. To understand the significance of sea ice loss to the viability of walruses, it would be useful to better understand the spatial associations between the movements of se
By
Ecosystems, Wildlife Program (unpublished), Alaska Science Center

Modeling haul-out behavior of walruses in Bering Sea ice

Understanding haul-out behavior of ice-associated pinnipeds is essential for designing and interpreting popula-tion surveys and for assessing effects of potential changes in their ice environments. We used satellite-linked transmitters to obtain sequential information about location and haul-out state for Pacific walruses, Odobenus rosmarus divergens (Il-liger, 1815), in the Bering Sea during Apri
By
Ecosystems, Wildlife Program (unpublished), Alaska Science Center

Pacific Walrus Response to Arctic Sea Ice Losses

Sea ice plays an important role in the life of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are seeking to understand how losses of sea ice during summer over important foraging grounds in the Chukchi Sea will affect walruses. USGS scientists recently modified a remotely deployed satellite radio-tag that will aid in studying walrus foraging habitats an
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center
link

More than 160 years of Walrus Haulout Observations Reported by Russians and Americans Published as Database

Information will aid marine and conservation planning

Read Article