Observations of mortality associated with extended open-water swimming by polar bears in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

Monnett, Charles; Gleason, Jeffrey S.

doi:10.1007/s00300-005-0105-2

Cited by 91 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…While a lack of change in body condition would suggest that bears are obtaining adequate food resources, the CS population could still be declining through harvest in Alaska, poaching on the Russian side, or other direct sources of mortality Monnett and Gleason, 2006). Hunters tended to interpret the decline as evidence of redistribution as bears seek out food and habitat elsewhere, rather than as an overall reduction in population numbers, a view they share with Inuvialuit polar bear hunters in Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories (Slavik, 2013), and IQ holders in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut (Keith et al, 2005), where declining local abundance is likewise understood as evidence of polar bear mobility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Voorhees¹,

Sparks²,

Huntington³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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ABSTRACT. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an iconic Arctic species, but residents of Arctic coastal communities are among the few who have opportunities to observe their behavior for extended periods of time. Documenting traditional knowledge about polar bears is thus an important research approach, especially in light of recent rapid changes to summer sea ice extent. We interviewed polar bear hunters in seven Alaska Native communities along the coast of the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea. Our study confirmed findings from similar research conducted in the mid-1990s and added information about the responses of polar bears to more recent environmental change. The distribution and local abundance of polar bears have changed over time, though different communities report different patterns. Polar bears arrive from the north later in fall than previously. Despite substantial changes in sea ice and other aspects of polar bear habitat, the animals generally appear to be in good body condition, and cubs continue to be observed regularly. While polar bears continue to feed primarily on seals, they have been observed eating a diverse range of foods, including eggs, greens, fish, berries, and other foods as available. Reduction in harvest levels due to environmental, economic, and social factors is the overriding trend; however, in years when bears are particularly abundant around villages, this pattern is temporarily reversed. Polar bears remain important spiritually and culturally for the indigenous communities of northern and western Alaska.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Voorhees¹,

Sparks²,

Huntington³

et al. 2014

ARCTIC

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“…In recent years in the southern Beaufort Sea there have also been more numerous observations of unusual predation attempts and of drowned, emaciated, and cannibalized polar bears , Monnett and Gleason 2006.…”

Section: Polar Bears and Sea Icementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reduced prey availability no doubt plays a role (Stirling and Smith 2004), because polar bears are dependent upon sea ice for capturing prey (Amstrup 2003) and their preferred foraging area is the water over the continental shelf. In addition, reduced sea ice extent may force polar bears to swim longer distances, increasing their risk of drowning or starvation (Monnett and Gleason 2006). The thinner ice that reforms after large summer ice retreats also may be less suitable for polar bear foraging ).…”

Section: Polar Bear Population Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change threatens polar bear populations: a stochastic demographic analysis

Hunter

Caswell

Runge

et al. 2010

Ecology

229

218

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Abstract. The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) depends on sea ice for feeding, breeding, and movement. Significant reductions in Arctic sea ice are forecast to continue because of climate warming. We evaluated the impacts of climate change on polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea by means of a demographic analysis, combining deterministic, stochastic, environmentdependent matrix population models with forecasts of future sea ice conditions from IPCC general circulation models (GCMs). The matrix population models classified individuals by age and breeding status; mothers and dependent cubs were treated as units. Parameter estimates were obtained from a capture-recapture study conducted from 2001 to 2006. Candidate statistical models allowed vital rates to vary with time and as functions of a sea ice covariate. Model averaging was used to produce the vital rate estimates, and a parametric bootstrap procedure was used to quantify model selection and parameter estimation uncertainty. Deterministic models projected population growth in years with more extensive ice coverage (2001)(2002)(2003) and population decline in years with less ice coverage (2004)(2005). LTRE (life table response experiment) analysis showed that the reduction in k in years with low sea ice was due primarily to reduced adult female survival, and secondarily to reduced breeding. A stochastic model with two environmental states, good and poor sea ice conditions, projected a declining stochastic growth rate, log k s , as the frequency of poor ice years increased. The observed frequency of poor ice years since 1979 would imply log k s ' À 0.01, which agrees with available (albeit crude) observations of population size. The stochastic model was linked to a set of 10 GCMs compiled by the IPCC; the models were chosen for their ability to reproduce historical observations of sea ice and were forced with ''business as usual'' (A1B) greenhouse gas emissions. The resulting stochastic population projections showed drastic declines in the polar bear population by the end of the 21st century. These projections were instrumental in the decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

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“…They are being forced into longer foraging voyages as the ice floes from which they hunt and feed fragment and melt, putting them in increasing danger of exhaustion and drowning (Monnett and Gleason 2006). In addition, should the polar bear attempt to maintain its presence on the North American mainland, it could suffer extinction due to hybridization by interbreeding with the closely related grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis).…”

Section: Case Study 2: the "South" Polar Bear (Ursus Antarctos Maritimentioning

confidence: 99%

The Ethics of Assisted Colonization in the Age of Anthropogenic Climate Change

Albrecht

Brooke²,

Bennett

et al. 2012

J Agric Environ Ethics

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Observations of mortality associated with extended open-water swimming by polar bears in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea

Cited by 91 publications

References 29 publications

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Traditional Knowledge about Polar Bears (<i>Ursus maritimus</i>) in Northwestern Alaska

Climate change threatens polar bear populations: a stochastic demographic analysis

The Ethics of Assisted Colonization in the Age of Anthropogenic Climate Change

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