We love a good photo hunt,Women Who Have Tasted Swapping [Uncut] and we love it even more when such a hunt can actually be helpful for scientific research.
That's the premise of the "Walrus from Space" project. This partnership between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and British Antarctic Survey (BAS) turns to internet people like you and me for help spotting groups of walrus that pop up in satellite photos.
The project, revealed on Thursday, aims to take "a census of Atlantic walrus and walrus from the Laptev Sea" populations by having an army of citizen scientists pore over satellite imagery in search of the marine mammals. Spotting them in satellite imagery isn't the easiest task since most walrus aren't looking up and saying "cheese," but participating actually does serve a helpful purpose.
"Walrus are facing the reality of the climate crisis: their Arctic home is warming almost three times faster than the rest of the world and roughly 13% of summer sea ice is disappearing per decade," the WWF announcement reads.
"The data collected in this census of Atlantic and Laptev walrus will give scientists a clearer picture of how each population is doing—without disturbing the animals. The data will also help inform management decisions aimed at conservation efforts for the species."
Getting involved isn't difficult. First, you'll need to head over to the Walrus from Space project website and create an account. (Minimal personal info is required, mainly just an email and password.) Once that's done, you'll need to activate your account by signing in via email. That takes you to a training area where the website demonstrates how the very simple image viewing and editing tools work.
Each satellite image covers a square region measuring 200 meters (roughly 656 feet). Participants have the ability to zoom in several times as well as tweak the brightness, contrast, and sharpness of each image. There's a test after that where you're asked to spot any walrus (or lack thereof) in a series of 20 images.
It's a simple interface where you're just flagging each image by one of three criteria: "Walrus present" when you can see one or more of the marine mammals; "No walrus present" when there are none; and "Poor image" when it's just not possible to see, perhaps because of too much cloud cover or shade that even the image editing tools can't defeat.
There's also a help panel that you can call up at anytime for tips if you've having trouble differentiating walrus from other features of the environment. The panel also answers some basic question, including an explanation of just how helpful it is to have an army of citizen scientists helping with a project like this.
The first phase of the project involves whittling down the mountain of images — roughly 600,000 annually — to only include those where walrus appear. Once that's done, the project will move to "phrase 2," when the number of walrus in each image will actually get counted. It sounds like this will be an ongoing process, with the two phases overlapping as more images are collected each year.
SEE ALSO: 11-year-old phenom drummer rocks out in new climate protest songThis seems like the kind of internet activity that's great for kids and families especially. Poring over satellite imagery in search of walrus can be a fun game that, alongside the necessary context, could help expose younger minds to the importance of science and scientific investigation as a team effort.
Whether it's saving the walrus or anything else, humanity's ongoing battle to stem off the worst impacts of climate change is going to have to be a team effort.
Hidden Siri Commands and Unusual Responses
Best gift card deal: Get a $100 DoorDash gift card for only $85 at Best Buy
An Interview with Shane Jones
The Morning News Roundup for June 18, 2014
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 4: Why Ellie sings 'Take on Me'
Signs and Wonders: In the Studio with Hayal Pozanti by Joseph Akel
A Weekend Film Recommendation
Bad Connection by Brian Christian
How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your iPhone's Battery
Announcing Issue 209!
The best day to book your flight, according to Google
Sacred Rites by Sadie Stein
The Morning News Roundup for May 22, 2014
Ottessa Moshfegh and Susan Stewart Win Pushcart Prizes
NYT mini crossword answers for May 12, 2025
The Jimmy Winkfield Stakes by Michael Lipkin
Project Angel Raid
Last Chance to Own a Piece of Paris Review History
Time to Unite
The Morning News Roundup for May 30, 2014
Joe Biden met a puppy named Biden and for a moment, the entire world stoppedBuy the latest iPhone, get $700 off a second one with Verizon’s 2020 smartphone dealFunny or Die takes on the absurdity of rape kit testing in '80s spoofCongratulations, 2019 was the second hottest year on recordCongratulations, 2019 was the second hottest year on recordDid you know you shouldn't feed ducks bread? These people didn't.The OnePlus Concept One phone comes equipped with disappearing camerasReport: Cortana recordings were protected with 'no security measures'Facebook exec warns company not to be antiGeneral Motors revamping Hummer as an electric pickup truck by 2022Americans are eating less beef. Here's why that matters for climate changeGalaxy Bloom is the name of Samsung's new foldable phone, report claimsCrush your soul with these children's books rewritten for a Trump presidencyStreaming service Quibi will launch with more than 175 new showsTikTok's list of community guidelines just got way bigger'90 Day Fiancé' is the best reality show on TV right nowIguana, who answers to no man, wreaks havoc at the Miami Open tennis tournament2020 winter theater preview: Armie Hammer, Bobby Cannavale, and moreAmericans are eating less beef. Here's why that matters for climate changeNetflix's 'AJ and the Queen' is an intimate portrait of RuPaul: Review 'Star Trek' marks a milestone with the series first female director Apple finally releases iTunes for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store 'Broad Band' author Claire Evans on Facebook and the internet Here's how the new Gmail's 'expiring emails' feature works The most embarrassing way to clean your phone contacts Facebook announces new plan to combat fake news in News Feed Download this: Google's new Tasks app for the new Gmail Report: Apple working on AR/VR headset with 16K resolution for 2020 Facebook's Q1 earnings: Scandals don't matter as much as you think The breakup phone cleanse: How we move on in a digital world Leaked images might have revealed iPhone SE 2 with wireless charging These 'New Yorker' cartoons get a creative twist with Kanye's tweets Think of our pain: the "big story coming" tweet needs to end Nintendo sketches out release plans for Pokémon, Smash Bros, and more 'The Simpsons' creator had a really dumb response to Apu criticisms All about GrayKey, the box cops are using to crack locked iPhones 'Avengers: Infinity War' topples Marvel's previous box office records 'SNL' writers Michael Che and Colin Jost to host Emmys on NBC Meghan Markle's character gets married in 'Suits' before her IRL wedding in May Adam Rippon and US Olympic stars skip White House meeting with Trump
2.4603s , 10131.9765625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Women Who Have Tasted Swapping [Uncut]】,Unobstructed Information Network