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Vacated maternal polar bear den

By Alaska Science Center March 2022 (approx.)
Vacated maternal polar bear den at bottom. Five men in winter gear on snow. Oil pipeline about ground with trucks parked.
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Detailed Description

USGS Alaska Science Center scientists and industry collaborators examine features of a vacated maternal polar bear den near the Alyeska oil pipeline in northern Alaska to determine how to more reliably locate dens that occur near industrial activities. This particular den was not detected by aerial infrared surveys used by industry to determine den locations.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

Photo by Todd Atwood, USGS 

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Related

Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared surveys to detect artificial polar bear dens

The need to balance economic development with impacts to Arctic wildlife has been a prominent subject since petroleum exploration began on the North Slope of Alaska, USA, in the late 1950s. The North Slope region includes polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation, which has experienced a long-term decline in abundance. Pregnant polar bears dig dens in snow...
Authors
Susannah P. Woodruff, Justin J Blank, Sheyna S Wisdom, Ryan H. Wilson, George M. Durner, Todd C. Atwood, Craig J Perham, Christina HM Pohl
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
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