# @usgs on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DExkRuyPC3E
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/69013934-usgs-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3829004984.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-01-13T17:40:03.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (@USGS) — https://gondola.cc/USGS

## Caption

As winter’s chill blankets the landscape, some remarkable creatures thrive in the coldest environments! Let’s take a look at some of nature’s ultimate cold-weather inhabitants and how we study them.  ❄️

🦭Weddell Seals - The Weddell seal population of Erebus Bay, Antarctica, has been studied for over 40 years! This remote population remains undisturbed by human activities, offering valuable insights into the survival strategies of this long-lived mammal.

🐋 Pacific Walrus - Monitoring these majestic marine mammals is a challenge due to their size and use of remote habitats. But now, thanks to large coastal herds and drone imagery, we can assess their health and body mass—an indicator of energy balance—without disturbing them.

🐻‍❄️ Polar Bears - Our research is focused on understanding how polar bears are responding to a rapidly changing Arctic environment. These apex predators are on the front lines of climate change, and their future is linked to the health of their icy habitat.

🐦Northern Cardinal - A common nonmigratory North American songbird, the Northern Cardinal doesn’t head south for the winter, so we can spot them year-round—even during the cold months (they fluff up their feathers to trap warmth, much like a cozy down jacket). They are studied as part of the Bird Banding Laboratory and the North American Breeding Bird Survey.  

#SnowyScience

📸 1: Credit: William Link, USGS. Images obtained under NMFS Permit No: 1032-1917.
📸 2: Credit: Sarah A Sonsthagen, USGS.
📸 3: Credit: Brian Battaile, USGS.
📸 4: Credit: Megan Evans, USGS/EESC.

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## Tags

snowyscience

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