Helpless Polar Bears Vulnerable to Extinction
The Humans' expression of carelessness matters
What do Polar Bears need?
Map of Arctic Circle from bird's eye view at the north pole
A Polar Bear's Main Habitat
2023 Arctic environment report card
An estimated 60-80% of Polar bears worldwide, live in the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is mostly water and ice from the ocean basin and makes up 20% of Earth’s freshwater supply. The frozen water is called sea ice and is heavily utilized by polar bears to do their off-land hunting, as well as other crucial life tasks. The polar bear is the “iconic apex predator of the Arctic.”(Evers 2023) There are 5 countries in the Arctic Circle and each land areas have been having their own troubles, according to the NOAA report card. In 2023, Indigenous observers, community partnerships, and scientists came together to narrow down Arctic Circle geographical changes. Early snow loss, wildfires, tundra greening, and declining sea ice have all been reported, which directly affects Polar Bears. I invite you to read about the other hardships this piece of land is facing, as I walk you through how Polar Bears are being affected.
What is Threatening Polar Bear Needs?
Arctic Shrinkage
How is the damaged terrain affecting polar bears?
Arctic sea ice size since 1975
National Geographic reports the highest amount of Arctic sea ice during winter, is the lowest high on record. Furthermore, the lowest amount of sea ice in the summer is also decreasing. On average, the rate at which the ice is melting is increasing, meaning when a portion is lost each summer, it is a bigger portion than the previous summer. When losing ice in the summer, years of ice buildup is being lost, which makes for more unsteady, unusable ice for polar bears. They rely on sea ice for hunting, resting, traveling, and even den making. The movie attached is a satellite time series of Arctic Ice coverage reported each summer since 1976. With the Arctic Ice getting smaller, it forces polar bears to stay on land in the summers and move near humans with their cubs. Polar bears are having trouble each year navigating the ever-shrinking environment accessible to them for survival.
Pollution Effects on Polar Bears
Polar bear walking in polluted Arctic
The Arctic is home to high loads of toxic chemicals, despite being separated from the highly commercialized part of the world. Mercury and Heavy metals have been reported as being spread to the Arctic. Wind and water currents spread the pollutants at the bottom of the food chain. Smaller debris can entangle wildlife, which can be ingested by polar bears with the debris attached. When Polar bears are eating prey that have been unknowingly poisoned, the pollution then harms them and their body systems. Damage can occur in a polar bear’s endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems. Through research, continuous pollutant exposure is suspected to be to blame for poor effects on sexual organ development and immune system strength. Partnered with the changing environment, a polar bear with a weakened immune system from pollution will have trouble adapting to their surroundings. This is accelerating death rates and prevents successful repopulation of these bears. The repopulation that does occur often results in cubs feeding from moms that have been poisoned. If mom polar bear milk is heavily concentrated with toxic pollutants, they can be passed onto cubs and lead to poor survival outcomes due to the poisoning.
Oils Spills Catastrophic Effects on Polar Bears
Estimation of a decrease in polar bear populations post oil spill
The Ocean Conservancy modeled oil spills from offshore drilling in the Beaufort Sea and shared their horrific findings. Oil is a known danger to marine life, but also to the indigenous populations that depend on the at-risk species for food. Water and wind currents and will spread the oil throughout the ecosystem. This oil can travel miles and become imbedded offshore or in sea ice. Crude oil in particular can last years in the environment and its ecosystems. There was a predicted “-15% decline” on polar bear populations that would be miles from the spill in Dr. Suprenand’s research. Oil is a poison if ingested, which they can get from their fur or contaminated prey. Oil affects polar bears’ ability to thermoregulate which has a severe impact on their endocrine system. Though the risk in the Arctic for oil spills is lower than industrialized cities that are in a closer range to human population, inland mining projects in the north are at risk of negatively impacting the polar bears and their habitats. They buildup infrastructure that impacts a polar bear’s safe space.
Commercial Activity Threatening Cubs During Denning
Denning is an instinctual ritual that expecting momma bears do to prepare for their bundles of joy. Availability dependent, it can be done on land or sea ice. The pregnant polar bear will dig into snow drifts deep underground to make their home to give birth. These dens are hidden from view and wind, and can even be reused by other females in following years. Baby polar bears are born in this den and must stay nursing with the mom for 2-3 months before emerging. The babies are the size of a stick of butter when born and have very little body fat, making them vulnerable to the world outside the den.
Protecting Dens Means Protecting Cubs
Technology commonly misses locating about half of polar bear dens, resulting in disruption and destruction of dens. The goal for tracking the dens is to ensure commercial activity does not interfere with this denning process, which could kill mom or baby. The boats that transport oil and gas are involved in exploration development are what can destroy polar bear dens. Polar bears must be shielded from these exploratory human acts or repopulation will become difficult as cubs continuously fail to make it out of dens.
Industrialization Effect on Habitats
Cargo ship charging through sea ice
Industrialization is greatly in harm’s way of polar bear habitats. The sea ice is melting, which allows for a longer open water season. It is an invitation for more industrial boats to pave their way through the Arctic Sea, destroying existing sea ice as they go. “Offshore petroleum installations and operations in the Arctic are expected to increase in number” (World Wildlife). This destroys polar bear habitats, food webs, increases potential for oil spills, and generally interferes with a polar bear’s day-to-day life. The traffic of barges and cargo ships is an intrusion on polar bear’s safe habitats they depend on for survival. Industrialization relies on mining, which requires infrastructure. “As northern communities grow and industrial development increases, areas of interest to offshore hydrocarbon development and mining will occur in polar bear habitat, thereby increasing exposure to contaminants, pollution and human-bear interactions” (Polar Bear Agreement, Circumpolar Action Plan).
Climate Warming Affecting Polar Bears
Film of polar bear eating reindeer seen as evidence of climate change
Polar bears are built for the cold which has not been consistent on Earth. There has been significant melting of sea ice, which polar bears rely for hunting on. Polar bears must eat a lot of fat, which comes from hunting seals off sea ice blocks. They need the fat for energy when hibernating and being able to produce enough milk for their cubs to feed off. Bears have been appearing in anorexic and poor conditions, making for an unlikely hibernation survival. Without being able to survive hibernation, cubs are not being born as often and the species reproduces less every year. Polar bears are ranked as “vulnerable” to extinction. With the lack of sea ice, polar bears are diverting to land hunting for animals, like reindeer, that provide less fat and energy. With Polar bears being on land more for hunting, there have been more interactions with humans. These dangerous encounters result in tragedies among populations and the polar bears. The bears are being failed by us humans for not having a cold icy home to stay put at. Being the longest and most significant threat to polar bears, climate change has a consistent pattern of loss of hunting space, prey availability, and decreased reproduction outcomes. Different locations in the Arctic are being affected at different rates each year. The up-to-date studies and population predictions have been attached in this slide.
Polar bear subpopulation estimate throughout the Arctic
What Changes are Polar Bears relying on?
As we cannot put a fence around the Arctic Circle to protect polar bear habitats, there is an end goal of transitioning away from fossil fuel use for energy all together. For the time being, resources are coming out for industrial companies to prevent oil spills, and have quick, productive responses to any spills that do occur. Scientists, conservationists, and local people work together to oppose oil and gas development in the Arctic, where the ecological value outweighs the oil spill risk exposure.
Polar Bear and Human interactions are a known danger with terrifying outcomes for either party. World Wildlife is working with environmental teams to make steel food storage containers to protect food from bears, funding bear patrol teams named Umky Patrol to keep watch and deter for bears, as well as host workshops for success stories of polar bear encounters to spread education through teams living near polar bear habitats. There is also research work form World Wildlife that is aiming to be less invasive with more data outcome through new technology development.
These are small steps that overtime, professionals hope to see results in the environment so polar bears can stay healthy on Earth for generations to come.
The Umky Patrol: Sharing knowledge about polar bears across the Arctic