Melting sea ice leaves polar bears hungry“Sea ice really is their platform for life. They are capable of existing on land for part of the year, but the sea ice is where they obtain their main prey.”
A new study finds that earlier sea ice melt in the spring and later ice growth in the fall is hurting the feeding and breeding capabilities of polar bear populations all across the the Arctic. Polar bears are among the animals most affected declines in Arctic sea ice. The bears spend their winters and springs roaming and hunting on the ice. Polar bears have evolved mainly to eat seals, which provide the fats and nutrients they need in in the harsh Arctic environment. Bears can’t outswim their prey, so instead they perch on the ice as a platform and ambush seals at breathing holes or break through the ice to access their dens. Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center is a study co-author. She said in a statement:
The study, published September 14, 2016 in The Cryosphere looked at all of the 19 separate polar bear populations living throughout the Arctic, and showed declining sea ice for all the of them. The most striking result, the researchers said, is the consistent trend across all polar bear regions for an earlier spring ice melt and a later fall freeze-up. Arctic sea ice retreats in the springtime as daylight reappears and temperatures warm. In the fall months the ice sheets build again as temperatures drop. Laidre said:
According to a statement from the University of Washington:
Bottom line: A study published September 14, 2016 in The Cryosphere finds that earlier sea ice melt in the spring and later ice growth in the fall is hurting the feeding and breeding capabilities of polar bear populations all across the the Arctic. Read more about the study from the University of Washington
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