Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Selenium in Tissues and Some Foods of Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) from the Eastern Canadian Arctic and Sub-Arctic, and Associations between Metals, Age, and Gender

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 426-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Wagemann ◽  
R. E. A. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Liver And Kidney ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) harvested at Igloolik and Hall Beach (Foxe Basin) and Inukjuak and Akulivik (eastern coast of Hudson Bay) and clams (Mya truncata) and cockles (Serripes groenlandicus) collected at Igloolik were analyzed for heavy metals and Se. Pb was high in walrus from both Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin compared with other marine mammals, but levels were higher in animals from Hudson Bay than Foxe Basin, showing a geographic trend of increasing concentration from north to south. In some tissues of clams, Pb was also high, up to 3 μg/g (wet weight). Hg levels in walrus were low compared with those in other Arctic marine mammals; in liver, Hg showed a geographic trend similar to Pb. Cd in liver and particularly in kidney of walrus was high compared with other Arctic marine mammals and was higher in those from Foxe Basin than Hudson Bay. Associations among metals and between metals and age were found in walrus that were also reported for other marine mammals, namely between Hg and Se in liver, Hg and Cd in liver, Hg and Cd with age in kidney, Cd with Zn in liver and kidney, and Hg and Se in liver with gender.

Summer foods of Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, in northern Foxe Basin, Northwest Territories

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1166-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. I. Fisher ◽  
R. E. A. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Invertebrates ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Serripes Groenlandicus ◽  
Gross Energy ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Stomach contents of Atlantic walrus, Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus, taken by Inuit hunters in northern Foxe Basin in July 1987 and 1988 (n = 105) and September 1988 (n = 2) were examined. In July, 20 of 94 stomachs from immature and adult walrus contained > 5 g of food representing 17 prey taxa, including bivalves, gastropods, holothurians, polychaetes, and brachiopods. The bivalve Mya truncata contributed 81.4% of the total gross energy in the diet, with the bivalve Hiatella arctica, holothurians, and the polychaete Nereis sp. contributing 7.5, 3.5, and 2.8%, respectively. The diets of male and female walrus were similar except that females received a significantly (P < 0.05) greater percentage of gross energy in their diet from H. arctica than did males. Walrus less than 3 years old (n = 11) consumed mostly milk, although some benthic invertebrates were eaten. Analysis of the contents of two stomachs collected in September suggested that walrus may feed more intensively in the fall. Mya truncata was again the predominant prey, contributing 59.9% of total gross energy, with the bivalve Serripes groenlandicus (37.9%) replacing H. arctica (0.3%) as the second most important prey.

Integrating cultural and biological perspectives on long-term human-walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) interactions across the North Atlantic

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Xénia Keighley ◽  
Morten Tange Olsen ◽  
Peter Jordan
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Historical Ecology ◽  
Faunal Remains ◽  
Population Modelling ◽  
The North ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Biological Studies ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

AbstractThe hunting of marine mammals as a source of subsistence, trade, and commercial revenue has formed an important part of human cultures across the North Atlantic. One important prey species has been the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), sought after for meat, skin, blubber, ivory, and bone. Unfortunately, biological studies of current walrus populations and studies across the humanities and social sciences into past use and hunting of walruses, have been poorly integrated. Disciplinary boundaries have left a gap in understanding the reciprocal effects of human-walrus interactions. Emerging interdisciplinary methods offer new opportunities to write the historical ecology of Atlantic walruses. The integration of methods such as ancient DNA, isotopes, past population modelling, zooarchaeological assemblages, and ethnographic interviews can now be used to answer previously intractable questions. For example, how has walrus hunting shaped and been influenced by changes in human settlement and trade, what have been the cumulative impacts on walrus populations, the extent of anthropogenic selective pressures or the effect of changing hunting regimes on particular populations of walruses? New, collaborative research approaches applied to the wealth of Arctic archaeological faunal remains already housed in museum collections offer a unique chance to explore the past dynamics of human-animal interactions.

Stock discrimination of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) in the eastern Canadian Arctic using lead isotope and element signatures in teeth

1999 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
P M Outridge ◽  
R EA Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Trace Element Composition ◽  
Pb Isotope ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Stock Discrimination ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) harvested from three regions of the Canadian Arctic, and by different communities within two of those regions, were distinguished using the stable Pb isotope or trace element composition of their tooth cementum. Walrus from Foxe Basin (Igloolik, Hall Beach), the High Arctic (Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay), and eastern Hudson Bay (Akulivik, Inukjuak) were each characterized by specific combinations of Pb isotope ratios and Co concentrations, and we conclude that they represent different regional stocks. Walrus landed at Akulivik and Inukjuak were further discriminated by significant differences in 208Pb/207Pb, even though the communities are only 250 km apart. There was more overlap between walrus from Igloolik and Hall Beach, which are 80 km apart, but significant differences between sites in Pb isotope ratios and in concentrations of V, Zn, and Mo suggested that more than one Foxe Basin stock was being harvested. Particularly at Hall Beach, the herds contained a few individuals with isotope ratios significantly different from the rest of the population. These "outliers" may represent either immigrants from other geological provinces or animals caught in other areas. Further investigation of the outliers could provide information regarding hunting patterns, walrus home ranges, and the rates and demographics of interstock migrations.

scholarly journals Walrus Movements in Smith Sound: A Canada–Greenland Shared Stock + Supplementary Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

ARCTIC ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
Janne Flora ◽  
Astrid Oberborbeck Andersen ◽  
Robert E.A. Stewart ◽  
Nynne H. Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Return Migration ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Southern Coast ◽  
Supplementary Appendix ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Wintering Area ◽  
June July ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus

Fifty of 58 walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) instrumented with satellite-linked transmitters in four areas in eastern Smith Sound, Northwest Greenland, during May and June of 2010 – 13 and 2015 provided data for this study. These animals departed from the feeding banks along the Greenland coast in June – July (average 14th June), simultaneously with the disappearance of sea ice from these areas. Most of them moved to Canadian waters in western Smith Sound. The most frequently used summering grounds were along the coasts of Ellesmere Island: on the eastern coast, the area around Alexandra Fiord, Buchanan Bay, and Flagler Bay (west of Kane Basin) and Talbot Inlet farther south, and on the southern coast, Craig Harbour. This distribution of tagged walruses is consistent with prior understanding of walrus movements in summer. In addition, however, nine tracks of these tagged animals entered western Jones Sound and four entered the Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound area, crossing two putative stock boundaries. Since these 13 tracks were made by 12 animals, one walrus entered both areas. It is possible that some of the tracked walruses used terrestrial haul-out sites in the largely ice-free areas of Jones Sound and Lancaster Sound for short periods during the summer, though this cannot be confirmed with certainty. The return migration from western Smith Sound to the wintering area in eastern Smith Sound takes place in October. The tracked walrus showed high affinity to coastal areas, while walruses moving between Greenland and Canada also used offshore areas in Smith Sound. This study demonstrates that the walrus population that winters along the northwestern coast of Greenland is shared more widely in Canada than previously thought and should be managed accordingly.

scholarly journals Microsatellite assessment of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) stocks in Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron BA Shafer ◽  
Corey S Davis ◽  
David W Coltman ◽  
Robert EA Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Significant Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Average Heterozygosity ◽  
Baffin Bay ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Genetic Clusters

Walruses in Canada are currently subdivided into seven stocks based on summering areas; Western Jones Sound (WJS), Baffin Bay (BB), Penny Strait-Lancaster Sound (PS-LS), North Foxe Basin (N-FB), Central Foxe Basin (C-FB), Hudson Bay Davis Strait (HB-DS) and Southern and Eastern Hudson Bay (SE-HB). In this study, walrus were sampled from six of the seven stocks (SE-HB samples were not available) and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci. All stocks were genetically diverse (average heterozygosity of 0.58) with no evidence of inbreeding (average FIS of 0.03). We detected significant genetic differentiation among the stocks and a pattern of genetic spatial autocorrelation that suggests a moderate effect of geographic distance on gene flow among stocks. Bayesian clustering suggested the six recognized stocks were elements of two larger genetic clusters - a northern Arctic population (containing BB, WJS, and PS-LS stocks) and a central Arctic population (containing C-FB, N-FB, and HB-DS stocks). These populations are moderately differentiated (FST = 0.07), but based on evidence of contemporary movement from assignment tests, are not completely isolated. There was support for maintaining the WJS stock and a combined BB+PS-LS stock, although the latter conclusion is based on a small sample size. Similarly, there was some evidence suggesting separation of the Foxe Basin stocks from the HB-DS but not the N-FB from the C-FB stock. However, given that there are morphological and chemical differences between N-FB and C-FB stocks, there is currently insufficient evidence to support a revision of the current stock designations.

scholarly journals New migration and distribution patterns of Atlantic walruses (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) around Nunavik (Québec, Canada) identified using Inuit Knowledge

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Martinez-Levasseur ◽  
Chris M. Furgal ◽  
Mike O. Hammill ◽  
Dominique A. Henri ◽  
Gary Burness
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Eastern Coast ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Inuit Knowledge ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus

AbstractEnvironmental changes are affecting the Arctic at an unprecedented rate, but limited scientific knowledge exists on their impacts on species such as walruses (Odobenus rosmarus). Inuit Traditional and Local Ecological Knowledge (Inuit TEK/LEK) held by Inuit walrus harvesters could shed light on walrus ecology and related environmental changes. Our main objective was to study spatial and temporal changes in Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) distribution in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada) using Inuit TEK/LEK. To do so, we documented the knowledge and observations of 33 local hunters and Elders as part of a larger project on Atlantic walruses in Nunavik. We first gathered information on changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices through time and space, which was a crucial step to avoid potential biases in interpreting local observations on walrus distribution. We found that walrus hunters are now covering smaller hunting areas over shorter time periods, reducing in space and time their observations of Atlantic walruses around Nunavik. While clearly taking these limitations into account, we learned from interviews that some areas abandoned by Atlantic walruses in the past were now being re-occupied. Importantly, Atlantic walruses, which migrate following the melting ice, are now traveling along the eastern coast of Nunavik one month earlier, suggesting that Atlantic walrus migration has changed due to variations in sea-ice coverage around Nunavik. Our study not only highlighted important changes in Atlantic walrus distribution and migration in Nunavik, but also sheds light on the importance of documenting temporal and spatial changes in Inuit land use patterns and harvesting practices to understand the ecology of Arctic species using Inuit Knowledge.

A TRITIATED WATER EXPERIMENT ON A MALE ATLANTIC WALRUS (ODOBENUS ROSMARUS ROSMARUS)

1992 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Lydersen ◽  
David Griffiths ◽  
Ian Gjertz ◽  
Oystein Wiig
Keyword(s):  
Tritiated Water ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus ◽  
Odobenus Rosmarus Rosmarus ◽  
Atlantic Walrus
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