Walruses identified as being in an appropriate position for measurement from an image collected by a USGS survey drone on September 6, 2018, at a haulout near Point Lay, Alaska.
Anthony Fischbach
Applying wildlife biology tools, including satellite imagery interpretation and telemetry, to address Pacific walrus conservation problems.
Professional Experience
2022 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2004 - 2022 Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2003 - 2004 Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Kodiak, Alaska
1999 - 2003 Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Biological Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1998 - 1999 Wildlife Biologist, Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1997 - 1999 (summers) Volunteer Wildlife Biologist, Tongass Bat Habitat Project, U.S. Forest Service, Thorne Bay, Alaska
1995 - 1998 Biological Technician / Walrus Harvest Monitor, Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1994 - 1995 Volunteer, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Soldotna, Alaska
Education and Certifications
M.A. 1994 University of Texas, Austin, TX Ecology
B.S. 1989 University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Molecular Biology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Reviewer: BioScience, Arctic, Marine Mammal Science, Progress In Oceanography, Polar Biology
Contributor: R-sig-geo
Honors and Awards
1989-1990 Fulbright Scholar, Bayreuth, Germany
Science and Products
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015
Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020
Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
Metabarcoding of Feces of Pacific Walruses and Autosomal DNA Sequence Data of Marine Invertebrates, 2012-2015, Alaska
Pacific Walrus Behavior Data and Associated Chukchi Sea Ice Observations and Projections for use with Bioenergetics Models to Forecast Walrus Body Condition
Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
Pacific Walrus Blubber Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition, St. Lawrence Island, 2007-2010
Pacific Walrus Seasonal Distribution from USGS Tracking Data, Chukchi and Bering Seas, 1987-2015
Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014
ArcGIS Mapping Service for Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulouts

Walruses identified as being in an appropriate position for measurement from an image collected by a USGS survey drone on September 6, 2018, at a haulout near Point Lay, Alaska.
Tony Fischbach's staff photo
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea
Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection
A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses
Pacific walrus coastal haulout database, 1852-2016— Background report
An evaluation of behavior inferences from Bayesian state-space models: A case study with the Pacific walrus
Rapid maturation of the muscle biochemistry that supports diving in Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) resource selection in the northern Bering Sea
Spatial genetic structure and asymmetrical gene flow within the Pacific walrus
Walrus distributional and foraging response to changing ice and benthic conditions in the Chukchi Sea
Walrus areas of use in the Chukchi Sea during sparse sea ice cover
Science and Products
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
Behavior of Pacific Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) Hauled Out on Sea Ice During UAS Overflights, Eastern Chukchi Sea, 2015
Walrus Haulout Outlines Apparent from Satellite Imagery Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018-2020
Walrus Haulout Outlines and Count Data Apparent from Aerial Survey Images Collected Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
Metabarcoding of Feces of Pacific Walruses and Autosomal DNA Sequence Data of Marine Invertebrates, 2012-2015, Alaska
Pacific Walrus Behavior Data and Associated Chukchi Sea Ice Observations and Projections for use with Bioenergetics Models to Forecast Walrus Body Condition
Walrus Used and Available Resource Units for Northeast Chukchi Sea, 2008-2012
Pacific Walrus Blubber Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition, St. Lawrence Island, 2007-2010
Pacific Walrus Seasonal Distribution from USGS Tracking Data, Chukchi and Bering Seas, 1987-2015
Walrus Haulout and In-water Activity Levels Relative to Sea Ice Availability in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2014
ArcGIS Mapping Service for Pacific Walrus Coastal Haulouts

Walruses identified as being in an appropriate position for measurement from an image collected by a USGS survey drone on September 6, 2018, at a haulout near Point Lay, Alaska.
Walruses identified as being in an appropriate position for measurement from an image collected by a USGS survey drone on September 6, 2018, at a haulout near Point Lay, Alaska.
Tony Fischbach's staff photo
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Large numbers of walruses came ashore to rest near the community of Point Lay, Alaska when sea ice had dissipated from their offshore foraging grounds in the eastern Chukchi Sea during late August through October of 2011. Walruses in these groups cycled between this coastal resting area and their foraging grounds, both near-shore and offshore.
Evaluation of a method using survey counts and tag data to estimate the number of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using a coastal haulout in northwestern Alaska
Walrus haul-out and in water activity levels relative to sea ice availability in the Chukchi Sea
Collar temperature sensor data reveal long-term patterns in southern Beaufort Sea polar bear den distribution on pack ice and land
Space use of a dominant Arctic vertebrate: Effects of prey, sea ice, and land on Pacific walrus resource selection
A strategy for recovering continuous behavioral telemetry data from Pacific walruses
Pacific walrus coastal haulout database, 1852-2016— Background report
An evaluation of behavior inferences from Bayesian state-space models: A case study with the Pacific walrus
Rapid maturation of the muscle biochemistry that supports diving in Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) resource selection in the northern Bering Sea
Spatial genetic structure and asymmetrical gene flow within the Pacific walrus
Walrus distributional and foraging response to changing ice and benthic conditions in the Chukchi Sea
Walrus areas of use in the Chukchi Sea during sparse sea ice cover
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government