A polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neck. The bear was captured by USGS scientists using the immobilizing drug Telazol
Polar Bear Research Active
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics, health and energetics, distribution and movements, maternal denning, and methods development. The majority of our research focuses on the two polar bear subpopulation’s whose range includes Alaska: the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation that ranges between the North Slope of Alaska and western Canada and the Chukchi Sea or Alaska-Chukotka subpopulation that ranges between the northwest coast of Alaska and eastern Russia. The overarching goal of our research is to assess current and projected future responses of polar bears to a rapidly changing Arctic environment.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems
Video: Polar Bear Collar Cam
Video: About the Polar Bear Research Program
Video: Melting Arctic Sea Ice Threatens Polar Bears
Population Dynamics
Information on the status and trends of polar bear populations are needed to inform management of polar bears under US laws and international agreements. The USGS maintains a long-term research program focused on the population dynamics of the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population. In addition, the USGS collaborates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in population studies in the Chukchi Sea. To estimate both the population size and vital rates, we have used mark-recapture studies relying on physical capture of bears, primarily during the spring. We are currently developing an analytical approach that will allow us to integrate additional types of data (e.g., spatial data, non-invasively collected genetic data) into the modeling process to provide improved assessments of population status. Results of past studies have allowed us to assess the relationships between population vital rates and environmental change, which provides our partners with information needed to inform management decisions.
Health and Energetics
The warming climate has the potential to drive significant changes in the health and energetics of Arctic fauna, particularly those dependent on sea ice habitats like polar bears. An animal’s health and energetic state reflects the interaction between its behavioral choices and the environment. Because of this, measuring changes in health and energetics has potential for revealing important associations between environmental stressors and population dynamics. Research in this focal area is centered on (i) collecting data on a variety of systems that help determine and mediate polar bear health and energetics, and (ii) developing monitoring and surveillance programs for detecting changes in population health over time. Additionally, this work will allow us to develop an understanding of how polar bear populations will respond to a variety of stressors modulated by climate change, including contaminant and pathogen exposures, changes in food web structure and prey accessibility, and changes in spatial distribution.
Distribution and Movements
Polar bears are tied to the sea ice for nearly all of their life cycle functions. Most important of these is foraging, or access to food. Polar bears almost exclusively eat seals, and they are equally as dependent upon the sea for their nutrition as are seals, whales, and other aquatic mammals. Polar bears are not aquatic, however, and their only access to the seals is from the surface of the sea ice. Over the past 25 years, the summer sea ice melt period has lengthened, and summer sea ice cover has declined by over half a million square miles. In winter, there have been dramatic reductions in the amount of old ice, predominantly in the western Arctic. This loss of stable old ice has catalyzed additional losses of sea ice cover each summer because the thinner younger ice is more easily melted during the recent warmer summers. Research in this focal area seeks to develop a better understanding of how changes in the distribution and characteristics of sea ice habitat are likely to affect polar bear fitness, distribution, and interactions with people. If we know how polar bears respond to changes in ice quantity and quality, we will be able to predict how forecasted changes in the ice may affect future polar bear populations. This will give managers the best chance of adapting strategies to assure the long-term persistence of polar bears in a changing ice environment.
Maternal Denning
Pregnant polar bears enter maternity dens in October or early November, give birth to cubs in December or early January, and exit dens in March or early April. Historically, most polar bears from the Southern Beaufort Sea population constructed maternity dens on the sea ice. However, over the last three decades, as sea ice has become thinner and more prone to fragmentation, there has been a landward shift in the distribution of dens. Based on data collected from radio-tagged adult female bears, maternal denning now occurs at relatively high densities along the central and eastern Arctic coastal plain of Alaska. The availability of denning habitat― mediated by landscape features that facilitate the formation of snow drifts― appears to increase in the eastern portion of the Alaska coastal plain. In the Chukchi Sea, polar bears historically denned primarily on land in both Russia and the Alaska. In recent years as sea ice extent has retreated further north in the fall, Chukchi Sea polar bears have shifted land-based denning northward primarily on Wrangel and Herald Islands in Russia and rarely on the Alaskan coast. Identifying factors influencing the distribution of dens and denning duration will allow us to better monitor reproductive success and mitigate the potential for disturbance of denned bears from anthropogenic activities.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Satellite Location and Tri-axial Accelerometer Data from Adult Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, April-October 2014
Measurement Data of Polar Bears Captured in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Sea, 1981-2017
Locations Collected 1985-2015 from Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) with Dependent Young Instrumented in the Southern Beaufort Sea with Satellite-linked Transmitters by the USGS
Bioelectrical Impedance, Deuterium Dilution, Body Mass, and Morphological Measures of Southern Beaufort Sea Female Polar Bears, Spring 2014-2016
Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, Foraging Success, Behavior, and GPS Locations of Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), Beaufort Sea, Spring, 2014-2016 and Resting Energetics of an Adult Female Polar Bear
Measures of oxygen consumption and stroke frequency of a captive subadult polar bear (Ursus maritimus) while resting in water and swimming and diving in a metabolic water flume, Oregon Zoo, 2017
Accelerometer Data from Collared Female Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, 2009-2016
Polar Bear Distribution and Habitat Resource Selection Data, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985-2016
Data from a Circumpolar Survey on Recreational Activities in Polar Bear Habitat, 2017-2018
Denning Behavior Classifications Using Temperature Sensor Data on Collars Deployed on Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea, 1986-2013
Sensor and Location data from Ear Tag PTTs Deployed on Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea 2009 to 2011
Fatty Acid Signature Data of Chukchi Sea Polar Bears, 2008-2015
Below are multimedia associated with this project.
A polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neck. The bear was captured by USGS scientists using the immobilizing drug Telazol
A polar bear stands on a low-lying barrier shoal near the Huluhula River on the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
A polar bear stands on a low-lying barrier shoal near the Huluhula River on the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
Eric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bear
Eric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bear
George Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bear
George Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bear
Polar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea ice.
Polar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea ice.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota
New insights into dietary management of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos)
Effects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Iñupiaq knowledge of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
Survival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016
Energetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Human-polar bear interactions
Diet composition and body condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to sea ice habitat in the Canadian High Arctic
Measuring adrenal and reproductive hormones in hair from southern Beaufort Sea polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Polar bear foraging behavior
Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior. The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics, health and energetics, distribution and movements, maternal denning, and methods development. The majority of our research focuses on the two polar bear subpopulation’s whose range includes Alaska: the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation that ranges between the North Slope of Alaska and western Canada and the Chukchi Sea or Alaska-Chukotka subpopulation that ranges between the northwest coast of Alaska and eastern Russia. The overarching goal of our research is to assess current and projected future responses of polar bears to a rapidly changing Arctic environment.
Return to Ecosystems >> Marine Ecosystems
Video: Polar Bear Collar CamVideo: Polar Bear Collar CamVideo: About the Polar Bear Research ProgramVideo: About the Polar Bear Research ProgramVideo: Melting Arctic Sea Ice Threatens Polar BearsVideo: Melting Arctic Sea Ice Threatens Polar BearsPopulation Dynamics
Information on the status and trends of polar bear populations are needed to inform management of polar bears under US laws and international agreements. The USGS maintains a long-term research program focused on the population dynamics of the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population. In addition, the USGS collaborates with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in population studies in the Chukchi Sea. To estimate both the population size and vital rates, we have used mark-recapture studies relying on physical capture of bears, primarily during the spring. We are currently developing an analytical approach that will allow us to integrate additional types of data (e.g., spatial data, non-invasively collected genetic data) into the modeling process to provide improved assessments of population status. Results of past studies have allowed us to assess the relationships between population vital rates and environmental change, which provides our partners with information needed to inform management decisions.
Health and Energetics
The warming climate has the potential to drive significant changes in the health and energetics of Arctic fauna, particularly those dependent on sea ice habitats like polar bears. An animal’s health and energetic state reflects the interaction between its behavioral choices and the environment. Because of this, measuring changes in health and energetics has potential for revealing important associations between environmental stressors and population dynamics. Research in this focal area is centered on (i) collecting data on a variety of systems that help determine and mediate polar bear health and energetics, and (ii) developing monitoring and surveillance programs for detecting changes in population health over time. Additionally, this work will allow us to develop an understanding of how polar bear populations will respond to a variety of stressors modulated by climate change, including contaminant and pathogen exposures, changes in food web structure and prey accessibility, and changes in spatial distribution.
Distribution and Movements
Polar bears are tied to the sea ice for nearly all of their life cycle functions. Most important of these is foraging, or access to food. Polar bears almost exclusively eat seals, and they are equally as dependent upon the sea for their nutrition as are seals, whales, and other aquatic mammals. Polar bears are not aquatic, however, and their only access to the seals is from the surface of the sea ice. Over the past 25 years, the summer sea ice melt period has lengthened, and summer sea ice cover has declined by over half a million square miles. In winter, there have been dramatic reductions in the amount of old ice, predominantly in the western Arctic. This loss of stable old ice has catalyzed additional losses of sea ice cover each summer because the thinner younger ice is more easily melted during the recent warmer summers. Research in this focal area seeks to develop a better understanding of how changes in the distribution and characteristics of sea ice habitat are likely to affect polar bear fitness, distribution, and interactions with people. If we know how polar bears respond to changes in ice quantity and quality, we will be able to predict how forecasted changes in the ice may affect future polar bear populations. This will give managers the best chance of adapting strategies to assure the long-term persistence of polar bears in a changing ice environment.
Maternal Denning
Pregnant polar bears enter maternity dens in October or early November, give birth to cubs in December or early January, and exit dens in March or early April. Historically, most polar bears from the Southern Beaufort Sea population constructed maternity dens on the sea ice. However, over the last three decades, as sea ice has become thinner and more prone to fragmentation, there has been a landward shift in the distribution of dens. Based on data collected from radio-tagged adult female bears, maternal denning now occurs at relatively high densities along the central and eastern Arctic coastal plain of Alaska. The availability of denning habitat― mediated by landscape features that facilitate the formation of snow drifts― appears to increase in the eastern portion of the Alaska coastal plain. In the Chukchi Sea, polar bears historically denned primarily on land in both Russia and the Alaska. In recent years as sea ice extent has retreated further north in the fall, Chukchi Sea polar bears have shifted land-based denning northward primarily on Wrangel and Herald Islands in Russia and rarely on the Alaskan coast. Identifying factors influencing the distribution of dens and denning duration will allow us to better monitor reproductive success and mitigate the potential for disturbance of denned bears from anthropogenic activities.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 40Satellite Location and Tri-axial Accelerometer Data from Adult Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, April-October 2014
These data are from 5 adult female polar bears instrumented in the southern Beaufort Sea, April to October 2014. The dataset is comprised of two data packages: 1) contains GPS and Argos locations collected by satellite-linked GPS receivers mounted on external collars, and 2) contains archival logger data including measures of tri-axial acceleration and conductivity. These data were collected to gaMeasurement Data of Polar Bears Captured in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Sea, 1981-2017
This dataset includes measures collected on polar bears captured in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 1981-2017 by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Data collected include body length, body mass, axillary girth, skull width and tail lengths. Bears were also aged as described in the methods. For some bears, an adipose tissue sample was collected and percent lipid content wLocations Collected 1985-2015 from Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) with Dependent Young Instrumented in the Southern Beaufort Sea with Satellite-linked Transmitters by the USGS
This dataset contains a select subset of Argos and GPS locations collected by satellite data collection systems from collared adult female polar bears that were instrumented in the southern Beaufort Sea between 1985-2015. These data were collected to gain insights into movements of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. These data were collected from adult female polar bears who had dependent young atBioelectrical Impedance, Deuterium Dilution, Body Mass, and Morphological Measures of Southern Beaufort Sea Female Polar Bears, Spring 2014-2016
This dataset contains data from the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis and deuterium injection as methods to estimate the body composition of female polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. Data are provided on bioelectrical impedance resistance measures, the enrichment level of deuterium oxide that was injected and measured in blood samples, and morphological measures.Metabolic Rate, Body Composition, Foraging Success, Behavior, and GPS Locations of Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), Beaufort Sea, Spring, 2014-2016 and Resting Energetics of an Adult Female Polar Bear
This data release comprises 4 datasets used to measure the field metabolic rate, body composition, foraging success, behavior, and movement patterns of 9 female polar bears on the sea ice of the Beaufort Sea in April, 2014-2016 as well as 1 dataset used to measure the energetic cost of resting in an adult female polar bear at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA. Wild bears were dosed with and had theMeasures of oxygen consumption and stroke frequency of a captive subadult polar bear (Ursus maritimus) while resting in water and swimming and diving in a metabolic water flume, Oregon Zoo, 2017
This dataset contains measures of oxygen consumption and stroke frequency from 1 captive subadult female polar bear (166.5 kg) resting in the water (n = 7 sessions) and swimming and diving in a metabolic swim flume with water circulated at approximately 0.6 km/hr during swimming and diving measurements (n = 6 sessions) in September 2017.Accelerometer Data from Collared Female Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, 2009-2016
This dataset includes accelerometer data collected on collars deployed on female polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea from 2009-2016. The accelerometer was built in to collars by Telonics, Inc. and provides a single activity value of the number of seconds active per time interval of data collection. Data were collected every 15-30 minutes. GPS and ARGOs locations collected via collars were usePolar Bear Distribution and Habitat Resource Selection Data, Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985-2016
These data from satellite radio-collared adult female polar bears captured in the southern Beaufort Sea, 1985-2016 were used for testing the regional, seasonal and decadal efficacy of retrospective polar bear resource selection functions (RSF) developed for the Arctic basin and its peripheral seas (see Durner et al. 2009). The data includes the following: 1) a csv file of locations used to build aData from a Circumpolar Survey on Recreational Activities in Polar Bear Habitat, 2017-2018
These data are the responses of researchers, managers, community members, and tour guides who live or work in polar bear habitats anywhere within their range to inquiries about the types, frequency, and potential impacts of recreational activities. Respondents answered a series of questions on their background and experience with polar bears and the geographic area in which they are familiar. RespDenning Behavior Classifications Using Temperature Sensor Data on Collars Deployed on Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea, 1986-2013
These data include two spreadsheets. The first is average daily temperatures received via satellite transmitting collars deployed on polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea 1986-2013. The second is denning classifications for adult female polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea using the temperature data. Denning was classified using a control chart-based algorithm applied to the temperature dSensor and Location data from Ear Tag PTTs Deployed on Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea 2009 to 2011
These are data collected from Wildlife Computers ear tag platform transmitter terminals (PTT) deployed on polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea during the months of March, April, August, September, and October between 2009 and 2011. Purpose is to examine the performance and retention of ear tag satellite transmitters attached to polar bears.Fatty Acid Signature Data of Chukchi Sea Polar Bears, 2008-2015
These data were collected to gain insights into the diet composition of Chukchi Sea polar bears. These data were collected to gain insights into the diet composition of Chukchi Sea polar bears. - Multimedia
Below are multimedia associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 48A polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neckA polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neckA polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neck. The bear was captured by USGS scientists using the immobilizing drug Telazol
A polar bear with hair loss (alopecia) along its neck. The bear was captured by USGS scientists using the immobilizing drug Telazol
Polar Bear Along Alaska's CoastA polar bear stands on a low-lying barrier shoal near the Huluhula River on the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
A polar bear stands on a low-lying barrier shoal near the Huluhula River on the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
Eric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bearEric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bearEric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bear
Eric Reghr and Kristin Simac working on an anesthetized polar bear
George Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bearGeorge Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bearGeorge Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bear
George Durner collecting data on an anesthetized polar bear
Polar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea icePolar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea icePolar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea ice.
Polar bear mother and two cubs on the Beaufort Sea ice.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 95Diet-driven mercury contamination is associated with polar bear gut microbiota
The gut microbiota may modulate the disposition and toxicity of environmental contaminants within a host but, conversely, contaminants may also impact gut bacteria. Such contaminant-gut microbial connections, which could lead to alteration of host health, remain poorly known and are rarely studied in free-ranging wildlife. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is a long-lived, wide-ranging apex predatoAuthorsSophie Watson, Melissa McKinney, Massimo Pindo, Matthew Bull, Todd C. Atwood, Heidi Hauffe, Sarah PerkinsNew insights into dietary management of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos)
Although polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos) have been exhibited in zoological gardens for centuries, little is known about their nutritional needs. Multiple recent studies on both wild and captive polar bears and brown bears have found that they voluntarily select dietary macronutrient proportions resulting in much lower dietary protein and higher fat or digestible carbohydrAuthorsCharles T. Robbins, Troy N Tollefson, Karyn D. Rode, Joy Erlenbach, Amanda J. ArdenteEffects of sea ice decline and summer land use on polar bear home range size in the Beaufort Sea
Animals responding to habitat loss and fragmentation may increase their home ranges to offset declines in localized resources or they may decrease their home ranges and switch to alternative resources. In many regions of the Arctic, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) exhibit some of the largest home ranges of any quadrupedal mammal. Polar bears are presently experiencing a rapid decline in Arctic sea iAuthorsAnthony M. Pagano, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, David C. DouglasIñupiaq knowledge of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
Successful wildlife management depends upon coordination and consultation with local communities. However, much of the research used to inform management is often derived solely from data collected directly from wildlife. Indigenous people living in the Arctic have a close connection to their environment, which provides unique opportunities to observe their environment and the ecology of Arctic spAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Hannah Voorhees, Henry P. Huntington, George M. DurnerSurvival and abundance of polar bears in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, 2001–2016
The Arctic Ocean is undergoing rapid transformation toward a seasonally ice-free ecosystem. As ice-adapted apex predators, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are challenged to cope with ongoing habitat degradation and changes in their prey base driven by food-web response to climate warming. Knowledge of polar bear response to environmental change is necessary to understand ecosystem dynamics and inforAuthorsJeffrey F. Bromaghin, David C. Douglas, George M. Durner, Kristin S. Simac, Todd C. AtwoodEnergetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Studies of predator feeding ecology commonly focus on energy intake. However, captive predators have been documented to selectively feed to optimize macronutrient intake. As many apex predators experience environmental changes that affect prey availability, limitations on selective feeding can affect energetics and health. We estimated the protein:fat ratio of diets consumed by wild polar bears usAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Charles T. Robbins, Craig A. Stricker, Brian D. Taras, Troy N TollefsonHuman-polar bear interactions
Human-wildlife interactions (HWI) are driven fundamentally by overlapping space and resources. As competition intensifies, the likelihood of interaction and conflict increases. In turn, conflict may impede conservation efforts by lowering social tolerance of wildlife, especially when human-wildlife conflict (HWC) poses a threat to human safety and economic well-being. Thus, mitigating conflict isAuthorsTodd C. Atwood, James WilderDiet composition and body condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to sea ice habitat in the Canadian High Arctic
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on sea ice for hunting marine mammal prey. Declining sea ice conditions associated with climate warming have negatively affected polar bears, especially in the southern portion of their range. At higher latitudes, the transition from multi-year ice to thinner annual ice has been hypothesized to increase biological productivity and potentially improve polar bear fAuthorsKatie R. N. Florko, Gregory W. Thiemann, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Evan S. RichardsonMeasuring adrenal and reproductive hormones in hair from southern Beaufort Sea polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) use sea ice to access marine mammal prey. In Alaska’s Southern Beaufort Sea, the declining availability of sea ice habitat in summer and fall has reduced opportunities for polar bears to routinely hunt on the ice for seals, their primary prey. This reduced access to prey may result in physiological stress with subsequent potential consequences to reproductive functionAuthorsMarilize Van der Walt, Lorin Neuman-Lee, Patricia Terletzky, Todd C. Atwood, Eric Gese, Susannah FrenchPolar bear foraging behavior
Polar bears forage in the marine environment, primarily on the sea ice over the shallow waters of the continental shelf. They are solitary, ambush hunters that catch ringed and bearded seals when they surface to breathe in ice holes or haul out on the ice to rest and molt. In most parts of their range, polar bears experience dramatic seasonal variability in their ability to catch seals, with foragAuthorsAnthony M. PaganoSeal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing loss of sea ice habitats used to access their marine mammal prey. Simultaneously, ocean warming is changing ecosystems that support marine mammal populations. The interactive effects of sea ice and prey are not well understood yet may explain spatial‐temporal variation in the response of polar bears to sea ice loss. Here, we examined the potential comAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Ryan H. Wilson, Michelle St. Martin, Justin A. Crawford, Lori T. QuakenbushPolar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
This chapter comprises the following sections: names, taxonomy, subspecies and distribution, descriptive notes, habitat, movements and home range, activity patterns, feeding ecology, reproduction and growth, behavior, parasites and diseases, status in the wild, and status in captivity.AuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Martyn E. Obbard, Stanislav Belikov, Andrew E. Derocher, George M. Durner, Gregory Thiemann, Morten Tryland, Robert J. Letcher, Randi Meyersen, Christian Sonne, Bjorn Jenssen, Rune Dietz, Dag Vongraven - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 13 - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.