ST. PETERSBURG, October 28. /TASS/. Russian scientists during the Polar Bear Census expedition counted the population on the Wrangel Island using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This method was used in the Arctic for the first time, the expedition leader, Deputy Director of the national center for support of nature reserves, Roszapovedcenter, Olga Krever, told TASS.
"In animal studies in the Arctic, this approach has been used for the first time in the world, since strong winds and temperature changes complicate significantly use of aircraft in the region," she said. "We have managed to adapt UAVs to the conditions of studies in the Arctic. This is a big breakthrough in our work."
UAVs of the Orlan model had been prepared for the expedition. From the height of 200-300 meters, the scientists received almost 23,000 photographs, on which polar bears were captured 358 times. Earlier, scientists have never got that many images within one expedition, she added. During the expedition, the UAVs spent in the air more than 103 hours and covered the distance of about 8,000 kilometers.
The photography was carried out in early September, when the ice strip by the coast is minimal and the group of polar bears concentrates on the island itself. In addition, the expert continued, in September the island is free from continuous snow cover, and thus polar bears can be seen clearly against the dark earth background.
Unique research
The research was unique not only in the use of UAVs in the Arctic, she continued. Parallel to the UAVs, polar bears were observed by specialists of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve - they counted the animals by using traditional methods. This double study has built up effectiveness of used methods and has given maximum accurate results.
Ilya Chernook, Development Director of the company, which had prepared and then carried out the UAV survey, Ecofactor, said by next February the received data would be fully processed. After that, scientists will compile a mathematical model to estimate the polar bear population on the Wrangel Island, and also to make a forecast.
Further plans
According to Chernook, the polar bear population's dynamics is important not only in itself. Since bears are at the top of the Arctic food chain, their numbers are an important indicator of the entire Arctic ecosystem's conditions. Monitoring the polar bear population's dynamics is especially important against in the global climate changes and due to the development of the Northern Sea Route.
Four polar bear populations live in the Arctic - the Chukchi-Alaska, Kara, Laptev and Barents. The Wrangel Island is a "maternity place" for bears of the Chukchi-Alaska population, which is considered to be one of the most studied populations, Krever said.
The least studied is the Laptev population. There is very little information about its number. In the fall of 2023, Krever says, scientists plan to use UAVs to study this group of animals. In addition, next year, the Orlans once again will be launched on the Wrangel Island to monitor the polar bear population in dynamics and so that scientists could draw more detailed conclusions regarding changes in the Arctic ecosystem.
This year's expedition was carried out under federal project Conservation of biological diversity and development of ecological tourism of the Ecology national project, implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources. The White Bear Census was supported financially by Norilsk Nickel. The expedition cooperated with the Russian Geographical Society and the Navy's Umka 2022 project.
The expedition also featured representatives of the Wrangel Island Nature Reserve, experts of the Special Technological Center, the State Oceanographic Institute, the Institute of Biological Problems of the North, and the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems.