Anthony Fischbach

USGS uses small uncrewed aerial systems, also known as drones for science, to survey walrus herds and carcasses on remote Alaskan beaches. The USGS visual observer, Christina Ahlstrom, keeps her eyes on the survey drone while the remote pilot prepares it to survey the walrus herd that is visible in the distance behind her on the beach. 

Aerial survey drone prepared for flight positioned on the beach near walrus calf carcasses. When sea ice retreats from large regions of the Chukchi Sea large herds of female and young walruses come to shore to rest.

USGS is flying drones for science, small uncrewed areal systems (sUAS), to surveys walruses when they rest on shore. The sUAS makes minimal sound due it is broad wing and is flown high above the walrus herds to enables survey data collection with minimal risk to walruses.

Two adult walrus carcasses on the beach observed during the summer after a large group of walruses had rested on shore.  USGS is collaborating with the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management to screen walruses for wildlife diseases and algal toxins.  The University of Alaska Fairbanks is collaborating with USGS to validate drone survey metho

This is a community flyer for distribution in Point Lay, Alaska, to alert community members of USGS activities in the area. A collaborative team of USGS, the North Slope Borough, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Point Lay residents will assist in surveys of walrus carcasses at a remote coastal haulout that has been used by hundreds of thousands of walruses e

This image shows the estimated outline and area (in square meters) occupied by Pacific walrus at a large coastal haulout in Chukotka Russia in 2023 at Cape Serdtse Kamen. The image is derived from images in 2022 and 2023 from a variety of Earth observing satellite imagery sources collected at known walrus coastal haulouts in Alaska and Chukotka, Russia.

This image shows the estimated area (in square meters) occupied by Pacific walrus at eight coastal haulouts in northern Alaska and Chukotka Russia in 2023 (walrus were detected at two haulouts in 2023: Point Lay, Alaska and Cape Serdtse Kamen, Chukotka).

Figure showing two Capella Space Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite images of a walrus haulout in Russia during and after walrus occupancy. USGS has found that SAR imagery can detect walruses when they rest on shore in large numbers and is pursuing studies to understand how satellite imagery can support improved management of the Pacific walrus.

Figure comparing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite images of Pacific walruses on a terrestrial haulout near Point Lay, Alaska, as collected by four different SAR instruments possessing different spatial resolution capabilities (Sentinel-1, Radarsat-2, TerraSAR-X, and Capella Space).

Sea World Orlando marine mammal trainers, Kelly Trotto, Josh Boepple and Matt Oddi, measure a healthy mature female walrus in support of a USGS study that seeks to develop methods to monitor walrus body condition from survey drones flown high above walruses where they rest on shore. With this new tool, USGS intends to examine the environmental factors that affe

Indianapolis Zoo marine mammal trainers, Erika Allen and Sydney Pitts, measure a healthy female walrus in support of a USGS study that seeks to develop methods to monitor walrus body condition from survey drones flown high above walruses where they rest on shore. With this new tool, USGS intends to examine the environmental factors that affect walrus body condi

This is a graphical abstract for a publication by the USGS that evaluates satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska.

Aerial view of a large walrus haulout on the northwestern shores of Alaska. The image was taken using an unoccupied aerial system, commonly referred to as a survey drone. This survey was flown to collect imagery of walruses resting on shore for purposes of estimating the abundance of walruses that use the U.S. Chukchi Sea waters during the autumn.

A young male Pacific walrus resting on the beach of the eastern shore of the Chukchi Sea (Photo taken during USGS research efforts permitted under US Fish and Wildlife Service Permit No. MA801652-7.)

An adult female Pacific walrus resting on the beach of the eastern shore of the Chukchi Sea (Photo taken during USGS research efforts permitted under US Fish and Wildlife Service Permit No. MA801652-7.)

A young male Pacific walrus moving up the beach of the eastern shore of the Chukchi Sea (Photo taken during USGS research efforts permitted under US Fish and Wildlife Service Permit No. MA801652-7.)

Aerial view of the edge of a large walrus herd hauled out on the northwestern shores of Alaska.  The image was taken using an unoccupied aerial system, commonly referred to as a survey drone that was flown to collect imagery of walruses resting on shore in 2018 and 2019 for estimating the abundance of walruses that use the U.S.