Biologist Geoff York, from Polar Bears International, is observing a decline in the polar bear population in the Western Hudson Bay due to climate change. The region is experiencing less fat and less ice, which is impacting the polar bears. With only about 600 polar bears left in the area, a significant drop from 40 years ago, the population is under threat, as stated by York and his team of scientists.
Apart from polar bears, the entire marine ecosystem in the region is being affected by the changing Arctic environment. Climate change is causing sea ice to melt earlier, leading to alterations in the food chain from algae to fish to marine mammals like beluga whales, seals, and polar bears. This disruption is transforming the Arctic ecosystem into more of a southern open ocean, affecting the availability of high-fat prey crucial for the survival of Arctic species like polar bears.
Polar bears rely on sea ice platforms to hunt seals, especially baby seals, during the ice-covered spring. However, in the Hudson Bay, the sea ice naturally disappears in the summer, leaving polar bears with limited food sources. The prolonged ice-free period forces polar bears to spend more time on land without access to food, resulting in weight loss and reduced chances of survival for their cubs.
Studies reveal that the shrinking Arctic sea ice is a direct consequence of climate change, with significant implications for polar bear populations. Researchers warn that if global temperatures increase by 1.3 to 1.4 degrees Celsius, polar bears in the Hudson Bay region are likely to face a critical tipping point, leading to their extinction. The current projections indicate a temperature rise of 1.5 to 1.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, which could have devastating consequences for polar bear populations worldwide.
The decline in polar bear populations is just one example of the broader impact of climate change in the Arctic region. Changes in the Arctic ecosystem are affecting various species, from copepods to bowhead whales, highlighting the interconnectedness of the food web and the vulnerability of Arctic wildlife to environmental shifts. As the Arctic ecosystem undergoes profound changes, experts fear that the unique biodiversity of the region is at risk, urging immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect vulnerable species like polar bears.
