Anthony Fischbach
Applying wildlife biology tools, including satellite imagery interpretation and telemetry, to address Pacific walrus conservation problems.
Professional Experience
2022 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2004 - 2022 Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2003 - 2004 Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Kodiak, Alaska
1999 - 2003 Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Biological Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1998 - 1999 Wildlife Biologist, Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1997 - 1999 (summers) Volunteer Wildlife Biologist, Tongass Bat Habitat Project, U.S. Forest Service, Thorne Bay, Alaska
1995 - 1998 Biological Technician / Walrus Harvest Monitor, Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1994 - 1995 Volunteer, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Soldotna, Alaska
Education and Certifications
M.A. 1994 University of Texas, Austin, TX Ecology
B.S. 1989 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Molecular Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Reviewer: BioScience, Arctic, Marine Mammal Science, Progress In Oceanography, Polar Biology
Contributor: R-sig-geo
Honors and Awards
1989-1990 Fulbright Scholar, Bayreuth, Germany
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Occurrences Interpreted from Satellite Imagery Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Occurrences Interpreted from Satellite Imagery
This dataset is derived from images from a variety of Earth observing satellite imagery sources collected at known walrus coastal haulouts in Alaska and Chukotka, Russia. Earth observing imagery sources used in this data release include (but are not limited to) optical imagery collections by: (1) the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 mission, (2) the Plant Labs Planet Scope...
Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
This data release includes 2 child items with tracking data for Pacific walrus, a marine mammal that ranges between the Alaska Peninsula, up through the Bering and Chukchi seas, and over to Russia. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters. Child...
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019 Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset consists of the complete set of aerial imagery and data from walrus haulouts collected by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) surveys near Pt. Lay, Alaska, during the autumns of 2018 and 2019. The data include: 1) georeferenced digital aerial imagery and flight logs from UAS surveys, and 2) orthoimages derived from the aerial imagery and flight logs by standardized structure from...
Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015 Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015
This dataset is comprised of three tables showing the reaction of walruses hauled out on sea ice of the Chukchi Sea to overflights by rotary wing Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS). Data include behavior of walruses before, during, and after overflights, and environmental conditions during flights.
Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020 Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020
These data are in three folders of Keyhole Markup Language (KML) geospatial polygons representing the outlines of walrus herds apparent in satellite imagery. Each KML file contains one or more geospatial polygons of walrus herd outlines created by one observer who visually interpreted the images. The attribute values from all KML files are collected in a CSV table included with this data...
Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019 Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset provides walrus haulout group outlines, systematic grids cast over the outlines, and digitized points at the centroids of the individual walruses identified inside a randomly selected subset of grid cells. These data are based on visual interpretation of unpublished imagery from 26 aerial surveys by an Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) operated by the U.S. Geological Survey...
Filter Total Items: 27
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 40
Assessing the risk of non-native marine species in the Bering Sea Assessing the risk of non-native marine species in the Bering Sea
Invasive species are one of the leading global conservation concerns, which can have strong, negative impacts on ecosystems, vulnerable species, and valuable natural resources. Arctic regions have experienced a relatively low number of biological introductions to date. Their geographical remoteness, cold waters, and presence of sea ice present challenging conditions for both non-native...
Authors
Jesika Reimer, Amanda Droghini, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jordan Watson, Bonnie Bernard, Aaron Poe
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 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...
Authors
Brian Battaile, Chadwick V. Jay, Mark S. Udevitz, Anthony S. Fischbach
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea 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...
Authors
Chadwick V. Jay, Rebecca L. Taylor, Anthony S. Fischbach, Mark S. Udevitz, William S. Beatty
Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land
In response to a changing climate, many species alter habitat use. Polar bears Ursus maritimus in the southern Beaufort Sea have increasingly used land for maternal denning. To aid in detecting denning behavior, we developed an objective method to identify polar bear denning events using temperature sensor data collected by satellite-linked transmitters deployed on adult females between...
Authors
Jay W Olson, Karyn D. Rode, Dennis L. Eggett, T. S. Smith, R. R. Wilson, George M. Durner, Anthony S. Fischbach, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection 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...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Chadwick V. Jay, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier, Rebecca L. Taylor, Arny L. Blanchard, Stephen C. Jewett
A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses 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...
Authors
Anthony S. Fischbach, Chadwick V. Jay
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 28
Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Occurrences Interpreted from Satellite Imagery Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulout Occurrences Interpreted from Satellite Imagery
This dataset is derived from images from a variety of Earth observing satellite imagery sources collected at known walrus coastal haulouts in Alaska and Chukotka, Russia. Earth observing imagery sources used in this data release include (but are not limited to) optical imagery collections by: (1) the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2 mission, (2) the Plant Labs Planet Scope...
Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
This data release includes 2 child items with tracking data for Pacific walrus, a marine mammal that ranges between the Alaska Peninsula, up through the Bering and Chukchi seas, and over to Russia. Child Item 1: "Argos Satellite Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) - Processed Data" -- Quality-controlled data collected from Argos satellite transmitters. Child...
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019 Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset consists of the complete set of aerial imagery and data from walrus haulouts collected by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) surveys near Pt. Lay, Alaska, during the autumns of 2018 and 2019. The data include: 1) georeferenced digital aerial imagery and flight logs from UAS surveys, and 2) orthoimages derived from the aerial imagery and flight logs by standardized structure from...
Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015 Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015
This dataset is comprised of three tables showing the reaction of walruses hauled out on sea ice of the Chukchi Sea to overflights by rotary wing Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS). Data include behavior of walruses before, during, and after overflights, and environmental conditions during flights.
Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020 Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020
These data are in three folders of Keyhole Markup Language (KML) geospatial polygons representing the outlines of walrus herds apparent in satellite imagery. Each KML file contains one or more geospatial polygons of walrus herd outlines created by one observer who visually interpreted the images. The attribute values from all KML files are collected in a CSV table included with this data...
Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019 Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset provides walrus haulout group outlines, systematic grids cast over the outlines, and digitized points at the centroids of the individual walruses identified inside a randomly selected subset of grid cells. These data are based on visual interpretation of unpublished imagery from 26 aerial surveys by an Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) operated by the U.S. Geological Survey...
Filter Total Items: 27
No results found.
Filter Total Items: 40
Assessing the risk of non-native marine species in the Bering Sea Assessing the risk of non-native marine species in the Bering Sea
Invasive species are one of the leading global conservation concerns, which can have strong, negative impacts on ecosystems, vulnerable species, and valuable natural resources. Arctic regions have experienced a relatively low number of biological introductions to date. Their geographical remoteness, cold waters, and presence of sea ice present challenging conditions for both non-native...
Authors
Jesika Reimer, Amanda Droghini, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jordan Watson, Bonnie Bernard, Aaron Poe
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 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...
Authors
Brian Battaile, Chadwick V. Jay, Mark S. Udevitz, Anthony S. Fischbach
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea 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...
Authors
Chadwick V. Jay, Rebecca L. Taylor, Anthony S. Fischbach, Mark S. Udevitz, William S. Beatty
Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land
In response to a changing climate, many species alter habitat use. Polar bears Ursus maritimus in the southern Beaufort Sea have increasingly used land for maternal denning. To aid in detecting denning behavior, we developed an objective method to identify polar bear denning events using temperature sensor data collected by satellite-linked transmitters deployed on adult females between...
Authors
Jay W Olson, Karyn D. Rode, Dennis L. Eggett, T. S. Smith, R. R. Wilson, George M. Durner, Anthony S. Fischbach, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection 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...
Authors
William S. Beatty, Chadwick V. Jay, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier, Rebecca L. Taylor, Arny L. Blanchard, Stephen C. Jewett
A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses 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...
Authors
Anthony S. Fischbach, Chadwick V. Jay
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government