USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems: Effects of declining sea ice on polar bears: Linking changes in nutritional ecology to individual and population-level consequences

The specific mechanisms by which polar bears will be affected by sea ice loss are not well understood or documented, but they have a substantial impact on short-term variation in population and individual responses.

Abstract

Polar bears are tied to the sea ice for nearly all of their life cycle functions. Most important of these is foraging, or access to food. Understanding the mechanisms by which polar bears will be affected by sea ice loss and other ecosystem changes associated with global warming is important for informing decisions of relevant management agencies and improving the accuracy of long-term projections. This project will (i) develop tools needed to estimate polar bear diets from archived samples of blood and hair through captive feeding trials and new modeling approaches for estimating diet composition and quality, (ii) gather and use existing empirical data to examine relationships between feeding ecology, movement behavior, body condition, and reproduction in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear populations, and (iii) use this information to improve projections of polar bear responses to changing ecosystems for management agencies.

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Products

Title	Type
Estimated Post-Emergence Period for Denning Polar Bears of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas	Data
Protein and Fat Consumption of Zoo Polar Bears in 14-day Ad Libitum Trials, 2019-2020	Data
Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Concentrations in Polar Bear Hair and Prey from the Alaska Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1978-2019	Data
Measurement Data of Polar Bears Captured in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Seas, 1981-2017	Data
The Clock Keeps Ticking: Circadian Rhythms of Free-Ranging Polar Bears	Publication
Accelerometer Data from Collared Female Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, 2009-2016	Data
Data from a Circumpolar Survey on Recreational Activities in Polar Bear Habitat, 2017-2018	Data
Den phenology and reproductive success of polar bears in a changing climate	Publication
Denning Phenology, Den Substrate, and Reproductive Success of Female Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea 1986-2013 and the Chukchi Sea 1987-1994	Data
Serum Urea and Creatinine Levels of Spring-Caught Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas	Data
Summer Activity Sensor Data from Collars Deployed on Female Polar Bears in the Chukchi Sea 1989 to 1995 and Southern Beaufort Sea 1989 to 2014	Data
Denning Behavior Classifications Using Temperature Sensor Data on Collars Deployed on Polar Bears in the Southern Beaufort Sea, 1986-2013	Data
Isotope incorporation and the effects of fasting and dietary lipids content on isotopic discrimination in large, carnivorous mammals	Publication
Stable Isotope Data from Diets and Tissues of Captive Bears Fed Experimental Diets	Data
USGS ASC Changing Arctic Ecosystems	Project Website
USGS ASC Polar Bear Research Program	Project Website

Contacts

Rode, Karyn D., 907-786-7106

Status: completed
Start Year: 2013
End Year: 2017

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Project Sites

Location

Beaufort Sea
Chukchi Sea

USGS Mission Area and Program

Ecosystems → Environments Program

Major Initiatives

USGS - Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative