November 2022
November 2022 – Welcome to the walrus month! November 24th
A voyage from the tropics to the Arctic
Emily Ruiz-Puerta (ESR 8 - Copenhagen)
Hello, my name is Emily Ruiz-Puerta, I am the ESR8 and I come from Peru.
Fig 1. End of fieldwork. Me in an outfit borrowed by a local family made by hand from seal fur. ©Sean Desjardins
Since I was a little kid, I have been passionate about animals and nature. Growing up on the Peruvian coast made me fully connected to sea life, and I developed a strong connection with marine animals. At the age of 10, I participated in a contest to visit Antarctica (I failed ☹), and during my free time, I used to love watching documentaries about Peruvian biodiversity and indigenous cultures.
Fig.2 Female walrus and calf. The Atlantic Walrus book. ©Elena Kakoshina
As my mom comes from the region of Amazonas, I grew up with a strong sense of how important it is to protect nature, indigenous traditions, and the environment. This made me pursue a BSc in Biology (Peru) and an MSc in Biodiversity management and spatial planning (France). I have travelled and lived in different countries in order to follow my dreams, but always focused my work on marine mammals, specifically on pinnipeds. This resulted in pursuing a PhD on Atlantic walruses at the Arctic Centre of the University of Groningen and the EcoEvo Section of the University of Copenhagen under the SeaChanges ITN.
Atlantic walruses have undergone different human and climatic pressures throughout their history. These animals have been and are still an important resource for different arctic indigenous cultures and communities. Their skin, bubbler, and muscle are used as food resources, as well as to produce clothes and ropes. Moreover, during the medieval period, walrus ivory was intensively used for carving and producing luxury art objects. Ivory became as important as gold, resulting in Norse people’s exploration of lands further north, such as Greenland, to obtain more ivory.
Currently, indigenous communities still rely on this species for their subsistence. However, their distribution and hunting spots could be affected by changes in climatic conditions. This can result in changes in the economic society of indigenous communities but also changes in the ecology of the species, making it more vulnerable to warmer conditions.
Fig.3 View from the cabin, Alarnik. ©Emily Ruiz-Puerta
This month is focused on walrus conservation, and the 24th of November is specifically designated by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and the Marine Mammal Council (MMC).
Please join me marking this month by reading part of my summer fieldwork experience and learning more about Atlantic walruses and Inuit communities. This voyage will bring us from Florida in the USA to Igloolik in the Nunavut region from the Canadian Arctic.
Fig 4. Marine Mammal conference - SMM2022. ©Alyson Flemin
Every 4 years the Society of Marine Mammalogy organizes a Biennial conference focusing on research on marine mammals around the globe. From Japan to Canada, researchers working in different fields gather for a week full of talks about marine mammals, to collaborate, communicate, and resolve issues that will aid in their conservation. This year the Biennial consisted of 1885 attendees with 1124 presentations in Florida.
Fig 5. Iben Stockholm, Morgan McCarthy and Dóra Székely from the marine mammal group at the University of Copenhagen receiveing the SMM2022 award on my behalf
Fig 6. Poster presentation at SMM2022
I had the opportunity to participate and fortunately win an award for my contributions to arctic marine mammal research. Moreover, I was able to network with colleagues from different countries and institutions to enforce our connections and efforts on marine mammal conservation across the globe. However, as COVID is still present in our day-to-day life, I had to step away after the second day of the conference due to COVID. Instead, my colleagues from the marine mammal group at the University of Copenhagen had to receive the award on my behalf.
Fig 7. Dr. Sean Desjardins explaining archaeological findings from a Thule site: Pingiqqalik at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CNM). © Matilda Siebrecht
After some days recovering from COVID, I travelled to Canada. I arrived in Toronto for a research visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN). My work focused on the fossil vertebrae and modern collections including the same specimens from which we had previously managed to obtain ancient DNA (aDNA). During a week and a half, I performed morphometric measurements on Atlantic walrus specimens. My supervisor Dr. Sean Desjardins and my colleague from the Arctic Centre at the University of Groningen, Matilda Siebrecht, joined in this second part of my voyage. During that week I learned more about Thule and Dorset artifacts, including small carved pieces such as the famous polar bear, differences between needles, and more about indigenous cultures in Canada.
Fig 8. Morphometric analysis at the CMN. Walrus skull of an extinct population from Sable Island, Canada. © Emily Ruiz-Puerta
After measuring many skulls, I managed to learn to differentiate male and female walrus individuals from extant and extinct populations in Canada. We had the opportunity to visit the Museum of History, the fossil preparation lab, see many dinosaur fossils, and enjoy time at the Ice Age exhibition!
After a week and some days, we start our trip toward the North. We reached Igloolik after almost 24h travelling to work with the communities and visit the archaeological sites from where we have samples. My work focused on learning more about hunting and doing morphometrics on walrus skulls from the Thule site, specifically from Pingiqqalik. .
Fig 9. Artefacts made from ivory at the Canadian Museum of history. © Emily Ruiz-Puerta
Fig 10. Emily Ruiz-Puerta wearing a borrowed parka from a local family. ©Matilda Siebrecht
During the following weeks, we met the community and worked together with Inuit families. I had the opportunity to try a parka on, and people confused me with Inuit. They spoke to me in Inuktituk which was quite fun.
We gave a one-day workshop in the local school to talk about our research and why it is important to ensure collaboration with the community for future studies.
I saw bearded seals jumping along the water, sea birds, also a large amount of zooarchaeological remains and artifacts.
Fig 11. Matilda Siebrecht, Sean Desjardins and Emily Ruiz at Igloolik, Nunavut © Carolyn Tapardjuk
As the ice started forming early this year, we needed to ensure we would not get ‘trapped’ by the sea ice. Sea ice formation is not usual during summer in the Arctic. Early ice formation could be a result of changes in climate conditions.
It was an unforgettable experience. Working with the Inuit community felt like being at home. I enjoyed being on the boat feeling the cold wind on my face, disconnected from technology and connected with the present and the stunning landscape of the Arctic. Moreover, the number of artifacts on each step while walking on the archaeological sites was shocking. Numerous research subjects could be developed from each Thule house involving the community and indigenous knowledge that is very important in our present days.
Fig 12. Zooarchaeological remains at Pingiqqalik site in Nunavut. ©Emily Ruiz-Puerta
Fig 13. Morphometric analysis of walrus skulls at Pingiqqalik site, Nunavut. ©Matilda Siebrecht
Back in Toronto I finished with more morphometric measurements and packed to go back to Groningen, where I am finishing my PhD. I don’t know what will be the next step of my life as a researcher but hopefully it will include more incredible landscapes such as the Arctic.
Video 1. View from the boat at Foxe Basin, Nunavut. ©Emily Ruiz Puerta
Fig 14. Collecting water from the ice at Foxe Basin, Nunavut ©Matilda Siebrecht
If you have more questions about my research, aDNA on Atlantic walrus, and archaeology, you can contact me: emilyruiz@palaeome.org or by twitter: @ejruizpuerta.
Thanks for reading!