What Does 'Morse' Stand For?
Morse is French for ‘walrus’. The walrus or ‘MORSE’ was chosen to represent this Arctic Coastal Initiative as it is symbolic of the focus and the objectives to be addressed under this program. Morse live in shallow water (i.e. coastal areas) by or on ice floes or land. Also, their habitat encompasses the entire circumpolar basin. Like other species in the Arctic, walrus are experiencing significant pressures due to the changing Northern environment. Indeed, if the current sea ice trends continue, their ice floe habitats may be endangered forcing them to stay on the coastlines during summer. Thus, by analogy, the MORSE initiative is focused on understanding the information needs of Arctic coastal users and how Earth Observation in particular can contribute to improved monitoring and management of the Arctic coastal zone.
Map of Walrus Distribution in the Arctic.
Image source: Wikipedia.