Polar bears are susceptible to climate warming because of their dependence on sea ice, which is declining rapidly. We present the first evidence for a genetically distinct and functionally isolated group of polar bears in Southeast Greenland. These bears occupy sea-ice conditions resembling those projected for the High Arctic in the late 21st century, with an annual ice-free period that is >100 days longer than the estimated fasting threshold for the species. Whereas polar bears in most of the Arctic depend on annual sea ice to catch seals, Southeast Greenland bears have a year-round hunting platform in the form of freshwater glacial mélange. This suggests that marine-terminating glaciers, although of limited availability, may serve as previously unrecognized climate refugia. Conservation of Southeast Greenland polar bears, which meet criteria for recognition as the world’s 20th polar bear subpopulation, is necessary to preserve the genetic diversity and evolutionary potential of the species. Description A new hope Polar bears are one of the most mentioned—and iconic—potential victims of climate change. Most polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt, so the current and predicted reductions in sea ice occurrence and persistence are likely to have major impacts on their survival. Laidre et al. describe the discovery of an isolated population of polar bears from southeastern Greenland that is much less reliant on sea ice, instead existing at the terminal end of a glacier and relying on resources from this glacial-freshwater mélange (see the Perspective by Peacock). Discovery of this population suggests both that such environments might serve as refugia for polar bears and that conservation of this new population is essential. —SNV A newly described population of polar bears in southeastern Greenland suggests the potential for climate refugia.

Glacial ice supports a distinct and undocumented polar bear subpopulation persisting in late 21st-century sea-ice conditions

Abstract Background Change in behavior is one of the earliest responses to variation in habitat suitability. It is therefore important to understand the conditions that promote different behaviors, particularly in areas undergoing environmental change. Animal movement is tightly linked to behavior and remote tracking can be used to study ethology when direct observation is not possible. Methods We used movement data from 14 polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ) in Hudson Bay, Canada, during the foraging season (January–June), when bears inhabit the sea ice. We developed an error-tolerant method to correct for sea ice drift in tracking data. Next, we used hidden Markov models with movement and orientation relative to wind to study three behaviors (stationary, area-restricted search, and olfactory search) and examine effects of 11 covariates on behavior. Results Polar bears spent approximately 47% of their time in the stationary drift state, 29% in olfactory search, and 24% in area-restricted search. High energy behaviors occurred later in the day (around 20:00) compared to other populations. Second, olfactory search increased as the season progressed, which may reflect a shift in foraging strategy from still-hunting to active search linked to a shift in seal availability (i.e., increase in haul-outs from winter to the spring pupping and molting seasons). Last, we found spatial patterns of distribution linked to season, ice concentration, and bear age that may be tied to habitat quality and competitive exclusion. Conclusions Our observations were generally consistent with predictions of the marginal value theorem, and differences between our findings and other populations could be explained by regional or temporal variation in resource availability. Our novel movement analyses and finding can help identify periods, regions, and conditions of critical habitat. 

/pdf/drivers-of-polar-bear-behavior-and-the-possible-effects-of-2jnilnuc.pdf

Drivers of polar bear behavior and the possible effects of prey availability on foraging strategy


 
 Geodiversity first emerged nearly 30 years ago in the wake of the
 Convention on Biological Diversity
 when geoscientists realised that they too study diverse natural phenomena that are also often threatened with loss or degradation resulting from human activities. Since then, geodiversity has emerged as an important geoscientific paradigm with a central position in the relationships between the geoscientific ‘Gs'. It has spawned much discussion on how geodiversity can be classified and measured, it is often used as the basis for selecting geoheritage sites for geoconservation, including the development of the World Heritage List, it is often used by geoparks to publicise their range of geofeatures, and it is the basis for many ‘geosystem services’ essential to our modern societies. But despite this importance, it is a poorly understood and poorly integrated into nature conservation policy and practice. The result is that the value of the whole of nature is underestimated and the policy and practice for the management of nature lacks integration.


Some observations and reflections on geodiversity, the oft-forgotten half of nature

The Earth's polar regions are low rates of inter- and intraspecific diversification. An extreme mammalian example is the Arctic ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida), which is assumed to be panmictic across its circumpolar Arctic range. Yet, local Inuit communities in Greenland and Canada recognize several regional variants; a finding supported by scientific studies of body size variation. It is however unclear whether this phenotypic variation reflects plasticity, morphs or distinct ecotypes. Here, we combine genomic, biologging and survey data, to document the existence of a unique ringed seal ecotype in the Ilulissat Icefjord (locally 'Kangia'), Greenland; a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is home to the most productive marine-terminating glacier in the Arctic. Genomic analyses reveal a divergence of Kangia ringed seals from other Arctic ringed seals about 240 kya, followed by secondary contact since the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite ongoing gene flow, multiple genomic regions appear under strong selection in Kangia ringed seals, including candidate genes associated with pelage coloration, growth and osmoregulation, potentially explaining the Kangia seal's phenotypic and behavioural uniqueness. The description of 'hidden' diversity and adaptations in yet another Arctic species merits a reassessment of the evolutionary processes that have shaped Arctic diversity and the traditional view of this region as an evolutionary freezer. Our study highlights the value of indigenous knowledge in guiding science and calls for efforts to identify distinct populations or ecotypes to understand how these might respond differently to environmental change.

An evolutionarily distinct ringed seal in the Ilulissat Icefjord.

As poster child for the climate crisis and symbol of the circumpolar North, the polar bear has received considerable public and scholarly attention in recent years. A review of academic research on polar bear politics shows that many texts share a positive frame of polar bear conservation as a successful example of Arctic science diplomacy. Despite making such substantive claims, authors fail by and large to explain their reasoning or provide evidence of this success, aside from references to the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears. This article hence evaluates the claim that polar bear conservation constitutes a successful case of Arctic science diplomacy. To do so, the paper establishes a set of success criteria for Arctic science diplomacy. Based on an analysis of policy, governmental, and scientific documents and interviews on polar bear management and conservation, the paper identifies two periods of polar bear science diplomacy, evaluating each based on the success criteria developed in this paper. The first period (1960–90s) is defined by traditional threats to polar bears that are addressed through successful Arctic science diplomacy. Though the second period (1990s-present) also features elements of successful science diplomacy, Arctic scientists and diplomats are unable to effectively address the now dominant threat of climate change, shifting authority away from the Arctic and towards the international realm of climate change research and politics. As the climate crisis continues to outrank and amplify traditional threats to ecosystems around the globe, the article argues that this shift in epistemic and diplomatic authority may be indicative of a fate awaiting other specialized science diplomacy communities worldwide. 

Wild polar bear conservation: A case of successful arctic science diplomacy?

Climate change is a long-term threat to polar bears. However, sea-ice loss is hypothesized to provide transient benefits in high latitudes, where thick multiyear ice historically limited biological productivity and seal abundance. We used joint live-recapture and dead-recovery mark-recapture models to analyze data for one of the most northerly polar bear subpopulations, Kane Basin. The data consisted of 277 initial live captures and genetic identifications (1992-1997 = 150, 2012-2014 = 127), 89 recaptures or re-identifications (1992-1997 = 53, 2012-2014 = 36), and 24 harvest returns of research-marked bears during 1992-2014. We estimated mean annual abundance of 357 bears (95% CI: 221-493) for 2013-2014. This suggests a likely increase relative to our estimate of 224 (95% CI: 145-303) bears in the mid-1990s and relative to a previously published estimate of 164 (95% CI: 94-234) bears in the mid-1990s that used some of the same data. This is also supported by an apparent increase in the density of bears in eastern Kane Basin during 2012-2014. Estimates of total survival for females ≥3 yr old (mean ± SE: 0.95 ± 0.04) and their dependent offspring were similar to previous estimates from the 1990s, and estimates of unharvested survival for females ≥3 yr (0.96 ± 0.04) appear sufficient for positive population growth. Estimates of total survival were lower for males ≥3 yr (0.87 ± 0.06). We documented a reduction in mortality associated with subsistence harvest, likely attributable to implementation of a harvest quota by Greenland in 2006. Our findings, together with evidence for increased range sizes, improved body condition for all sex and age classes, and stable reproductive metrics, show that this small high-Arctic polar bear subpopulation remains productive and healthy. These benefits are likely temporary given predictions for continued climate change. 

Demographic response of a high-Arctic polar bear Ursus maritimus subpopulation to changes in sea ice and subsistence harvest

First abundance estimate for the East Greenland polar bear subpopulation

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Glacial ice supports a distinct and undocumented polar bear subpopulation persisting in late 21st-century sea-ice conditions

Demographic response of a high-Arctic polar bear Ursus maritimus subpopulation to changes in sea ice and subsistence harvest

First abundance estimate for the East Greenland polar bear subpopulation