Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are one of 4 marine mammal species managed by the U.S. Department of Interior1. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts long –term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat. Our studies, ongoing since 1985, are focused on population dynamics and habitat use. The majority of our research is conducted on the Southern Beaufort Sea population of Alaska and neighboring Canada. The goal of our current research efforts is to refine and enhance models to project the future status of polar bears in the rapidly changing Arctic environment.

Our most recent publications include:

Stirling, I., T. L. McDonald, E. S. Richardson, E. V. Regehr, and S. C. Amstrup. 2011. Polar bear population status in the Northern Beaufort Sea, Canada, 1971-2006. Ecological Applications 21(3):859-876.

Durner, G.M., J.P. Whiteman, H.J. Harlow, S.C. Amstrup, E.V. Regehr, and M. Ben-David. 2011. Consequences of long-distance swimming and travel over deep-water pack ice for a female polar bear during a year of extreme sea ice retreat. Polar Biology DOI 10.1007/s00300-010-0953-2

Vongraven, D and E. Peacock. 2011. Development of a pan-Arctic monitoring plan for polar bears: Background paper. Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme, CAFF Monitoring Series Report No.1, January 2011, CAFF International Secretariat, Akureyri, Iceland. ISBN 978-9935-431-01-1 (pdf file 2.16 mb)

Amstrup, S.C., E.T. DeWeaver, D.C. Douglas, B.G. Marcot, G.M. Durner, C.M. Bitz, and D.A. Bailey. 2010. Greenhouse gas mitigation can reduce sea-ice loss and increase polar bear persistence. Nature 468:955-958.

Durner, G.M., A. S. Fischbach, S. C. Amstrup, and D. C. Douglas. 2010. Catalogue of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternal den locations in the Beaufort Sea and neighboring regions, Alaska, 1910–2010: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 568, 14 p.

Obbard, M. E., G. W. Thiemann, E. Peacock, and T. D. DeBruyn (eds). 2010. Polar Bears: Proceedings of the 15th Working Meeting of the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group, Copenhagen, Denmark, 29 June–3 July 2009. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. vii + 235 pp.

Primary funding for USGS polar bear research is provided by the USGS, including funding from the USGS Global Change Program, Outer Continental Shelf Program, and the Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative.  Additional support is currently provided by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

¹The other species managed by the DOI are sea otters, Pacific walrus, and manatees. The U.S. Department of Commerce manages all other marine mammals.