Polar Bear Distribution and Habitat Association Reflect Long-term Changes in Fall Sea Ice Conditions in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16862829 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jeffrey S Gleason (Center Point, corresponding author), Karyn D Rode (0000-0002-3328-8202, United States Fish and Wildlife Service) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2009-11-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | ARCTIC (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0004-0843 • E-ISSN: 1923-1245 |
| Publisher | The Arctic Institute of North America (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.14430/arctic172 |
| OpenAlex | W2156803026 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 11 |
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is considered an indicator species of ecosystem health because of its longevity, life-history requirements, reliance on sea ice (i.e., sea ice obligate), and position in the Arctic food web. Polar bear distribution and habitat association should both be reliable signals for environmental perturbation, as the bears respond behaviorally to changes in sea ice extent, the timing and duration of ice formation, and ablation. Polar bears and sea ice conditions were monitored as part of the annual fall bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) aerial survey in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea between 1979 and 2005. Habitats associated with polar bear sightings changed during the study, with fewer bears associated with ice (irrespective of ice type and percent) and more bears associated with land and open water. Large-scale differences were documented for both ice type and percent ice cover, particularly in September. In general, the pattern in September (and to a lesser extent in October) included a reduction in old ice and a concomitant increase in open water. In addition, there was an eastward and landward shift in polar bear sightings. From 1979 to 1987, polar bears were observed primarily on ice along the shelf break near Barrow, whereas from 1997 to 2005, polar bears were observed on barrier islands or along the mainland coast near Kaktovik. The changes in polar bear distribution and habitat association appear to reflect a behavioral response by polar bears to changes in ice (type and percent cover) and in the timing of ice formation and ablation
Antarctic sea ice · Arctic · Arctic ice pack · Arctic sea ice decline · Cryosphere · Fast ice · Geography · Sea ice · Ursus maritimus · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Cryospheric studies and observations · Geology · Marine animal studies overview · Oceanography
Arctic sea ice decline
Observations and Predictions of Arctic Climatic Change
The Polar Bear Management Agreement for the Southern Beaufort Sea
Polar Bear Aerial Survey in the Eastern Chukchi Sea
Factors Affecting the Observed Densities of Ringed Seals, Phoca hispida , in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea, 1996-99
Long-term Trends in the Population Ecology of Polar Bears in Western Hudson Bay in Relation to Climatic Change
Possible Effects of Climate Warming on Selected Populations of Polar Bears ( Ursus maritimus ) in the Canadian Arctic
Offshore Distances of Bowhead Whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) Observed during Fall in the Beaufort Sea, 1982–2000
Possible Impacts of Climatic Warming on Polar Bears
Polar Bears and Seals in the Eastern Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf
Attraction of polar bears Ursus maritimus to offshore drilling sites in the eastern Beaufort Sea
| Citations per year | 0.3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2020 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |