Arctic | Mammals MASTER’S POSTER PRESENTATION Stable isotope analysis, microbiome and whisker growth of the Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) Presenter: Danielle Blackfield , blackfid@oregonstate.edu, Oregon State University
Bree Beechler , breebeechler@gmail.com Claire Couch , Claire.couch@oregonstate.edu Justin Sanders , justin.sanders@oregonstate.edu Shea Steingass , Sheanna.steingass@oregonstate.edu Heather Broughton , broughtonh@oregonstate.edu
The Pacific walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens ) is an ecologically and culturally relevant marine mammal. They have been an important species of Arctic megafauna for tens of thousands of years in Alaska, yet there is a fair amount of uncertainty around their conservation related to accelerating climate and environmental change. A changing Arctic can mean alterations in food availability, foraging behavior, susceptibility to pathogens, chronic stress and overall health of individuals and populations. One increasingly important measures of mammalian health is the microbiome, or gastrointestinal microbial community, which has connections to nutrient absorption, immune function, and overall health of animals. I utilized stable isotope samples from the whiskers of 37 individual walrus harvested by subsistence hunters from the Native Villages of Savoonga and Gambell in Spring of 2019 to examine trophic niche and compare this to microbiome communities in the gastrointestinal system of these animals. This is a continuation of an ongoing collaborative study of the health and ecological status of walrus in the Bering and Chukchi seas made possible by collaborators including the Native Villages of Savoonga and Gambell, the Eskimo Walrus Commission, Kawerak Inc. and the USFWS. I plan to examine how dietary habits in Pacific walrus link with immunological factors and microbiome order to establish a holistic perspective of individual health as it relates to food availability. To add further context to this study, I am examining whisker growth rates of Pacific walrus under human care at two facilities in the U.S., SeaWorld San Diego and the Indianapolis zoo. Whisker measurements have been taken since 2019 and represent more than a year’s growth for each animal. Growth rates of walrus whiskers have not yet been investigated. This novel study will allow past and present researchers to estimate timelines for whisker-related studies such as isotopes, hormones and toxins.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 291
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