Polar Bears

Polar bears are are now listed as a threatened species under the United States' Endangered Species Act as polar bear populations declined. Their dependence on sea ice makes them highly vulnerable to a changing climate.

Polar bears rely heavily on the sea ice environment for traveling, hunting, mating, resting, and in some areas. In particular, they depend heavily on sea ice-dependent prey, such as ringed and bearded seals. Additionally, their long generation time and low reproductive rate may limit their ability to adapt to changes in the environment. The changes in sea ice affect polar bears in several ways: The early retreat of summer sea ice means that bears have less time to hunt and therefore less time to build up fat reserves....

Polar bears are are now listed as a threatened species under the United States' Endangered Species Act as polar bear populations declined. Their dependence on sea ice makes them highly vulnerable to a changing climate.

Polar bears rely heavily on the sea ice environment for traveling, hunting, mating, resting, and in some areas. In particular, they depend heavily on sea ice-dependent prey, such as ringed and bearded seals. Additionally, their long generation time and low reproductive rate may limit their ability to adapt to changes in the environment. The changes in sea ice affect polar bears in several ways: The early retreat of summer sea ice means that bears have less time to hunt and therefore less time to build up fat reserves. The fragmentation and reduction in sea ice has several impacts. It forces the bears to swim longer distances, using up some of their fat reserves. It also reduces the number of seals, which are the bears’ main source of food, and impedes travelling and den making. And it also forces the bears to spend more time on land, with increased interactions with humans potentially leading to higher mortality. Priorities for climate-informed polar bear conservation should include identifying and protecting the “last ice areas,” the parts of the Arctic that are projected to retain sea ice farthest into the future. It is also important to increase monitoring of polar bear populations, particularly their responses to declining sea ice. By some estimates, the world's polar bear population will plunge by two-thirds by the year 2050 if nothing is done to arrest global warming trends.

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