This is an Arctic Community Wildlife Grants program project.
St. Lawrence Island, or Sivuqaq, is a key location for subsistence walrus hunting in the Bering Sea, with the Siberian Yup’ik communities of Gambell and Savoonga carrying generations of Indigenous knowledge on walrus ecology and behavior. Walruses play an integral role in the cultural and physical sustenance of these communities, making the health of walrus populations and their environment a shared priority.
This project seeks to advance our understanding of how shifts in sea ice dynamics—including changes in timing, distribution, and persistence—impact primary production in Arctic marine ecosystems and ultimately influence walrus diets and food web interactions. Essentially, how does declining Arctic sea ice impact walrus ecology?
Funding from the Arctic Community Wildlife Grants program supports the costs associated with field collection and lab analyses of samples of walrus to assess their diet and how it’s connected to sea ice conditions, including how food web dynamics in the Arctic might be affecting walruses. Local expertise plays an essential role in collecting and interpreting these data. Funds will also be used to bring university researchers and Indigenous experts in the villages of Gambell and Savoonga together to share research findings, strengthen relationships, and lay the groundwork for continued partnership on walrus and marine ecosystem conservation.
This project strengthens our understanding of the changing Arctic environment to inform conservation efforts for walrus populations and the communities that rely on them.
