Tag Archives: WWF

Catlin Arctic Survey: Dr Ceri Lewis talks copepods

General,

WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read our previous posts here, here, here, here and here, and an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.
By Dr Ceri Lewis

Copepods: Faster than Usain Bolt. Photo: Martin Hartley, Catlin Arctic Survey

Copepods: Faster than Usain Bolt. Photo: Martin Hartley, Catlin Arctic Survey


Did you know there are 200 billion more copepods than people on the planet, and even though they are small, their combined mass is over 400 times that of the human population? At their fastest, they travel a hundred times faster than Usain Bolt. Continue reading →

Watching and waiting with windy weather: Chukchi Sea polar bear research

General, Polar bears, , ,

Geoff York, the WWF Global Arctic Programme’s resident polar bear expert, is in the field in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, working with bears for the 14th year in a row. Read his previous post here.

Sunday, April 3, 2011
It’s a blue sky day this morning, with the looming threat of worsening conditions later this afternoon. From the weather service map, we are in the middle of the only stretch of coast across the entire state of Alaska (more coastline than the rest of the US combined) that is under visual flight rules (VFR). Limited visibility from snow, blowing snow, or fog dominates the weather elsewhere. We find ourselves in the gap between a high pressure system over Chukotka and two deep lows pushing across the Bering Sea. With any luck, we’ll escape the snow – but we will not escape the wind. Continue reading →

The journey north: Chukchi Sea polar bear research

General, Polar bears, ,

By Geoff York
Fourteen years. It’s difficult to believe that this will be my fourteenth consecutive year conducting polar bear captures in Alaska. From my first fall capture season in 1998, I always assume that each season and year will be my last such opportunity. Why? Because so few people have the opportunity to work out on the frozen seas, and fewer yet with an animal as magnificent as the polar bear. It is both an opportunity and a real honour and one I do not take for granted- every flight, every day, every year.
Thursday, March 31
Today I am flying north from Anchorage to a field camp just north of Kotzebue along the shorelines of the Chukchi Sea. I’ll be joining the US Fish and Wildlife Service Chukchi research team led by Dr Eric Regehr and Dr Karyn Rode. They have been at the field station for two weeks and have captured 29 bears – mostly family groups and young single animals, but all in good condition.
This will be their 4th year of research in the Chukchi Sea, an area where we have significant need for more information on the shared polar bear population with Russia. The data gathered through this project will shed significant light on the current status of these bears and inform future management decisions. It will also expand our understanding of how polar bears in different geographic areas are responding to rapid changes in sea ice. Additional research will be required on the Russian side in coming years to complete this story, and both WWF and the USFWS are working with partners in Russia and Chukotka to fill that knowledge and capacity gap. Continue reading →

How sampling holes allow access to vital information

General


WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read our previous posts here, here, here and here, and an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.

Dr Helen Findlay, of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, describes the hard work that went into creating the largest sampling hole yet, and how the ice base scientists use these access points to the sea below. Continue reading →

Video: Stormy Sunday at the Catlin Ice Base

General

WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read our previous posts here, here and here, and an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.
By Helen Findlay, ice base scientist with the Catlin Arctic Survey team
The storm that ‘drifted’ over us on Sunday didn’t really show its full strength until later on in the week. Winds increased to about 20 knots, gusting 30 knots at times, with snow being blown across the ground it reminded me of being a kid walking across a beach on a stormy autumn day with sand blowing all around me. It doesn’t take long for the winds to transform the snow, and drifts quickly formed around all our tents. Continue reading →

The Catlin Ice Base finish line

General,

By the Catlin Arctic Survey team
WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read our previous posts here and here, and an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.
After 77 miles in temperatures dipping as low as -42°C, the polar explorers have completed the first phase of their expedition: a speedy 11-day crossing of Prince Gustaf Adolf Sea.
Arriving at the Catlin Ice Base at 7:45pm on Wednesday 23 March, the weary team were welcomed with warming cups of tea and a hearty meal from Ice Base Chef Fran Orio.

Continue reading →

Video of polar bear and cubs in the wild in Wapusk

General, Polar bears, ,

Peter Ewins of WWF Canada and Rhys Gerholdt of WWF US are with an ABC News crew from New York in Wapusk National Park, observing the world’s largest concentration of maternity dens for polar bears.
They shot this lovely video footage (now available on the WWF Arctic Programme YouTube channel) of a polar bear cub, and another of a polar bear and her offspring, during the trip, showing how one mum and her cub behave as they emerge from a den, and a baby bear playing at the mouth of a den
Watch them below, or read a series of blog posts about the trip, here, here, here and here. Continue reading →

Catlin Arctic Survey: Breaking the ice on current research

General

By the Catlin Arctic Survey team
WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read our previous post here, and an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.

At the Catlin Ice Base conditions are cooler than those faced by the expedition (-37°C) but reasonably calm weather has  made setting up camp easier than expected.  All 19 tents are erected, and over the week the operations team has put its efforts into preparing two sampling ice holes.

Preparing ice sampling holes. Photo: WWF / Catlin Arctic Survey

Preparing ice sampling holes. Photo: WWF / Catlin Arctic Survey


Continue reading →

Catlin Arctic Survey: The icy trek begins

General

By the Catlin Arctic Survey team
WWF is supporting the research of the Catlin Arctic Survey. This year’s research includes an expedition across the ice, as well as an ice base, both in the far north of Canada. The main purpose of the mission is to gather data on the changing Arctic Ocean currents.
Read an article on the WWF Global Arctic Programme website announcing the launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey here.

The Catlin Ice Base 2011. Photo: WWF / Catlin Arctic Survey

The Catlin Ice Base 2011. Photo: WWF / Catlin Arctic Survey


Ann Daniels, co-team leader, reports: “We are all happy, healthy and getting into our natural expedition rhythm.  The good weather has helped us complete our daily scientific measurements without becoming too cold – although we are all feeling each of those hard-earned miles in our feet especially.” Continue reading →

Polar bear team update: It’s all about energy

General, Polar bears, ,

Breakfast at 0700 h, then out in the tracked vehicles again, trundling over 1-2 inches of fresh snow, towards the south end of Fletcher Lake at the edge of Wapusk National Park.
Read our previous updates here, here and here.
By Peter Ewins
Mayor Mike Spence and his tracking-expert brother Morris tell us joyfully that “this is the warmest day this year” – a mere 35 degrees C below zero, positively balmy! (it would be totally ‘barmy’ if we didn’t all have the top-grade cold weather clothing of course, and those fabulous Canada Goose expedition parkas!). Rhys and I have a little touch of mild frostbite on our fingertips, due to the work with the tripod, cameras and binoculars, but when you’re 100 metres away from these magnificent animals, you don’t seem to feel the cold that much! Continue reading →