Canon and WWF Share Results of Research into the Impact of Climate Change in the Arctic

Canon and WWF Share Results of Research into the Impact of Climate Change in the Arctic

LONDON, September 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



Canon Europe, world leader in imaging solutions, and WWF International have released
findings from two of their research programmes recording the state of the environment and
climate change in the Arctic. As part of its role as Conservation Imaging Partner, Canon
sponsored WWF International's recent scientific expeditions to the islands of Svalbard
(April 2014), near Norway, and Laptev Sea in Russia (August 2013).



(Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140903/703634 )




The WWF-Canon & Norwegian Polar Institute's expedition to Svalbard this year aimed to
collect critical data about Europe's most westerly polar bear population and how the
locations of their dens for giving birth are changing. Just three of the 29 adult females
encountered by the research team had a cub born that year. Although the researchers
cautioned against reading too much into that fact, it is known that in other parts of the
Arctic, disappearing sea ice is affecting the bears' reproductive success.



The samples collected by the research team have also allowed a team of DNA specialists
to isolate, for the first time, polar bear DNA from a footprint left in the snow. The next
step for the lab at SPYGEN is to see if DNA captured this way can tell researchers more
about the individuals that left the tracks. This new technique could dramatically cut the
investment required and overcome challenges associated with the way scientists currently
capture such information, so monitoring bear populations could be done more easily in
future.



The previous WWF-Canon expedition in 2013, to the Taimyr Peninsula in the Laptev Sea,
near Siberia, Russia, aimed to determine if there are genetically-distinct Laptev
populations of walrus, or whether the animals there are related to one or more of the
adjacent populations. Scientists needed to answer this question in order to develop
effective status monitoring systems for both species and to determine the actions needed
for their protection in an area of increased commercial shipping. The results from the
first lab tests showed that Laptev's walruses are closer to Pacific walrus in genetic
makeup than Atlantic walrus, but also show enough differences from both to be considered a
distinct population.



The expeditions to Svalbard and the Laptev Sea were preceded by a voyage, "Sailing to
Siku" from Greenland through Canada's High Arctic in 2012, designed to help assess the
future management options for that area, and to raise awareness of the Last Ice Area,
where summer sea ice is projected to persist longest. Canon sponsored professional
photographers to join each expedition: Thorsten Milse, Alexey Ebel and Brutus Östling.
Canon imaging equipment was also used by the expeditions' teams on all three trips to
capture images of the wildlife they encountered along the way and record events.



"Our partnership with Canon has left us a valuable legacy," says Clive Tesar of WWF's
Global Arctic Programme. "It has helped produce new scientific knowledge, it has
introduced millions of people worldwide to the challenges faced by a warming Arctic, and
it has left us with a wealth of images to introduce millions more to the beauty and
importance of the Arctic."



Susan Stuart, Sustainability Director, Canon Europe, Middle East and Africa,
commented: "Imaging has a powerful role to play in supporting scientific research and we
are proud that Canon expertise has helped WWF record and promote awareness of the climate
change. The discoveries from our two most recent Arctic expeditions show how important WWF
International's research in one of the least-explored regions of the world really is."



Canon Europe has been a conservation partner of WWF International since 1998. The
partnership demonstrates Canon Europe's dedication to a sustainable future in which humans
live in harmony with the natural world.



About Canon Europe



Canon Europe is the regional sales and marketing operation for Canon Inc., represented
in 116 countries and employing 17,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa
(EMEA).



Founded in 1937 with the specific goal of making the best quality camera available to
customers, Canon's tireless passion for the Power of Image has since extended its
technology into many other markets and has established it as a world leader in both
consumer and business imaging solutions. Its solutions comprise products, ranging from
digital compact and SLR cameras, through broadcast lenses and portable X-ray machines, to
multi-function and production printers, all supported by a range of value added services.



Canon invests heavily in R&D to deliver the richest and most innovative products and
services to satisfy customers' creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional
print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image.



Canon's corporate philosophy is Kyosei
[http://www.canon-europe.com/About_Us/About_Canon/Philosophy/Index.asp ] - 'living and
working together for the common good'. In EMEA, Canon Europe pursues sustainable business
growth, focusing on reducing its own environmental impact and supporting customers to
reduce theirs using Canon's products, solutions and services. Canon has achieved global
certification to ISO 14001, demonstrating a world-class environmental management standard.



Further information about Canon Europe is available at:
http://www.canon-europe.com



Media enquiries, please contact:




Canon Europe
Will Hart / Magda Bulska
Nelson Bostock Communications
(on behalf of Canon Europe)
t. +44(0)20-7792-7421/
+44(0)20-7792-7424
e. will.hart@nelsonbostock.com / magda.bulska@nelsonbostock.com




Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140903/703634


Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140903/703634
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Canon Europe


-------
Profile: intent