Assessment of the current state of the Pacific walrus population based on monitoring work on the coastal rookery «Cape Vankarem» (Chukotka Autonomous District)

The goal of the work: to assess the current state of the Pacific walrus population and other marine mammal species in the Chukchi Sea subzone (the area of the Natural sanctuary «Cape Vankarem»).

Problems: obtaining new information about the number, sex and age structure, reproduction rates of walruses in the research area; assessment of the timing and intensity of filling the local rookery; assessment of the level of coastal mortality of marine mammals, age and sex composition of fallen animals; assessment of anxiety factors and the level of their impact on animals; collection of meteorological data in the research area during the research period; scientific support of aboriginal fishing; data collection on other marine mammal species in the research area (cetaceans, real seals); accounting of the number of predators (white and brown bears, killer whales) in the vicinity of the rookery and monitoring their relationship with walruses.

Scientific work on the coastal walrus rookery was carried out in the area of the Cape Vankarem (the Arctic coast of the Chukchi Sea), from August 15 to October 2, 2023.

Practical significance of the research: assessment of the current state of the local grouping of Pacific walruses, the level of natural loss and reproductive ability of the grouping; data for regulating fishing, increasing its efficiency and ensuring the conditions of traditional nature use of the indigenous population of Chukotka.

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2. Fedoseev G. A. 2000. Differentiation of the distribution of the Pacific walrus and its influence on the results of autumn aerial surveys of these animals in the period 1960–90. // Marine mammals of the Holarctic. Sat. tr. based on the materials of the international conf. M.: SMM. P. 403–405.

3. Fay F. H. 1982. Ecology and biology of the Pacific walrus, Odobenus rosmarus divergens Illiger // North American Fauna. V. 74. 285 pp.