Scientists use space photos and volunteers to accurately calculate Weddell seal population
Weddell seals
The number of Weddell seals in Antarctica may have finally been estimated accurately by scientists. The monumental taskwas completed utilising photographs from space and the eyes, and talents of thousands of citizenscientists.
Why is this important?
In the Southern Ocean, Weddell seals are a crucial indicator species for changes in the food web and sea ice.
As per Guardian, although the species can survive up to 30 years in the extreme environment of Antarctica's coastal sea ice, counting them has historically been difficult and expensive.
Former population estimates were "more back-of-the-envelope type calculations," according to Dr Michelle LaRue, associate professor of Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.
)
‘Like criminals’: FIFA, US face backlash after Senegal and Uzbekistan players undergo intense security checks
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Beyond Strait of Hormuz: How the Oman-Gujarat deep-sea pipeline could transform India's energy imports
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the AIM-9 is a legendary fighter jet missile
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Master of manoeuvring: This jet has never lost a dogfight?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How do fighter jet missiles lock on to targets? mechanism explained
)
Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5: How it could change the way people work
)
'Leave our region if you want to be safe': Iran vows 'heavy response' after US strikes
)
Epstein Files: Trump witnessed the killing of my newborn baby, 13-year-old girl claimed
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
James Bond actors over the years: Fame, dramatic exits And life after 007
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Do dark-coloured cars burn more fuel for AC in summer?
)
'Erika told Usha between sobs...': JD Vance reportedly reveals what convinced his wife for fourth child
)
iPhone a birth control device? Is it contributing to declining fertility rate: WION Decodes
)
Trump wants new PM for Israel? US president calls Netanyahu 'wartime PM', but does not endorse him
)
EU proposes new Russia sanctions, targets firms in India, China and UAE
)
US completes 'self-defense strikes' on Iran; IRGC retaliates with attack on Gulf bases
)
Indians on H-1B visas exit Texas and its housing boom is dying. Other states could see similar decline
)
PM Modi and President Trump could meet next week on the sidelines of G7 Summit
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Is it logically smarter to buy an electric car right now just to avoid fuel costs?
)
CID exposes Rs 2,400-crore ponzi scheme in Karnataka; Over 40,00 investors affected in fraud case
)
12 years of Modi govt: How India became $4 trillion economy and set its sights on $5 tillion
)
Araghchi and Ghalibaf strike defiant tone after Trump’s ‘response to Apache downing’ vow
)
Meta AI could wipe out entire Instagram to ZERO users in coming months! Here's why
)
Who is Karim Khan? ICC chief prosecutor suspended amid sexual misconduct allegations
)
US strikes Iran as Trump vows 'very powerful' response over Apache helicopter downing
)
NASA names four astronauts as crew members of Artemis III mission ahead of moon landing
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Messi vs Ronaldo in FIFA World Cup: Who has performed better?
)
From Mythos to reality: Anthropic launches Claude Fable 5, its most powerful public AI model
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why fighter jets are so loud compared to normal planes
)
Peddi Row: Leaked chats and make-up artist reveal Janhvi Kapoor objected to oversexualized shots, but was ignored
)
Russia-Ukraine War | Ukraine: Russia Fired 166 Drones & 2 Missiles in Overnight Barrage
)
Iran shot our Apache helicopter near Hormuz, says Trump, promises ‘US will respond to attack’
)
Scientists discover vast geological structure hidden beneath Antarctica's ice
)
'That bump glow': Fans gush as Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are spotted at their new Bandra home
)
Ex-Taliban commander who kidnapped journalist, killed US troops sentenced to 42 years in prison
)
Old praise, new problems: Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das's 9-year-old tweet faces scrutiny
)
Anti-immigration riots erupt in Belfast after Sudanese asylum seeker charged in stabbing: What's happening? | VIDEO
)
Iran hit by 4.9 magnitude earthquake: What's the REAL reason?
Watch |WION Fineprint | Is your adorable puppy as bad for the planet as a gas-guzzling SUV?
"The previous research was done by traditional surveyors – shipboard surveys and aerial surveys – but you can’t physically get to the entire Antarctic continent all at one time," she said.
LaRue said that the findings were "imprecise," so in 2016 she set out to produce the first estimation of the seals' baseline population using high-resolution satellite photos and the perceptive eyes of 330,000 volunteers.
“We combined [the] imagery with a web platform to conduct a citizen science campaign to find out three things: where seals are present, their abundance, and the environmental factors that influence their habitat preferences,” LaRue said.
The initiative largely relied on volunteers to look for seal indications in the satellite photographs. Participants were given photographs of a location in Antarctica to search, and they were asked to check or uncheck a box depending on whether they thought they could see a seal. The more people who clicked yes, the more efficient the habitat narrowing got.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
