Monitoring animal populations is essential for understanding their habitats and supporting conservation efforts. Population counts provide valuable insights into species behaviour, including breeding sites, migration patterns, and habitat usage. In the Arctic cryosphere, seals play a critical role in the food chain. Climate change and global warming are threatening sea ice, which directly affects seal populations, and, in turn, impacts predators like polar bears that rely on them for survival. A decline in seal numbers can disrupt the entire Arctic ecosystem.

Advancements in drone technology and high-resolution imaging have enabled effective wildlife detection and monitoring in extreme environments. Arctic seals inhabit remote, harsh conditions that are difficult for humans to access. Drones can operate efficiently in these areas, covering large territories in minimal time. This deep learning model leverages high-resolution drone imagery to detect and classify ringed seals and brown bearded seals in the Arctic, offering a scalable solution for wildlife monitoring and population census in challenging environments.