Related video: Four Sea Ice Eco-regions
Polar bears need a platform of sea ice to reach the prey that sustains them: ringed and bearded seals. But not all sea ice is equal: some parts of the Arctic provide better habitat for polar bears than others—and some ice regions will melt sooner than others in a warming Arctic.
Scientists have identified four different sea ice eco-regions in the Arctic and grouped the 19 populations of polar bears within them. The eco-regions are defined by how the sea ice forms, and changes, within each area and how this affects polar bears.
Why are eco-regions helpful? For those polar bear populations that are little-studied, scientists can extrapolate data on how they're faring based on the health and condition of other populations in the same region.
Four Sea Ice Eco-regions
1. Seasonal Ice Eco-region – Seasonal ice areas occur at the southern extreme of the polar bear’s range and include places like Canada’s Hudson Bay, where the ice melts each summer and the bears must wait for freeze-up in the fall until they can hunt again. Polar bears in these seasonal areas are the most endangered, with longer and longer ice-free seasons testing the limits of their fat reserves.
2. Polar Bear Divergent Ice Eco-region – In these areas, sea ice forms along the shore but then retreats, especially in summer. As the sea retreats farther and farther from shore in a warming Arctic, these polar bears are faced with a choice of coming ashore—fasting until the ice returns in the fall—or swimming long, exhausting distances to reach the remaining pack ice. Ice that’s located far offshore, however, often covers unproductive parts of the sea, so bears in these areas may successfully complete a marathon swim, but still not find any seals to hunt. Polar bears that live in these areas are at great risk: from longer and longer swims, prolonged fasting periods, and encounters with humans on shore.
3. Polar Basin Convergent Ice Eco-Region – Sea ice formed in other parts of the Arctic collects along the shore of these habitats, providing polar bears with access to seals. Polar bears in these areas are faring well now, but scientists predict that ice in these areas will disappear within 75 years—and, with it, resident polar bear populations—unless action is taken to reduce CO2.
4. Archipelago Ice Eco-region – Islands in the Canadian High Arctic and Greenland are far enough north that sea ice remains along the coast even in summer, providing hunting for the bears. This eco-region is predicted to be the last stronghold for polar bears, but it, too, is expected to melt within 100 years unless greenhouse gas emissions are greatly reduced.
Polar Bear Population Distribution by Sea Ice Eco-region
Eco-region 1: Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Foxe Basin, Southern Hudson Bay, Western Hudson Bay
Eco-region 2: Barents Sea, Chukchi Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Southern Beaufort Sea
Eco-region 3: Eastern Greenland, Northern Beaufort Sea, Queen Elizabeth Islands
Eco-egion 4: Gult of Boothia, Kane Basin, Lancaster Sound, M'Clintock Channel, Norwegian Bay, Viscount Melville Sound
Citation: Amstrup, S.C., Marcot, B. G., and Douglas, David C. 2008. A Bayesian Network Modeling Approach to Forecasting the 21st Century Worldwide Status of Polar Bears. Pages 213-268. In Eric T. DeWeaver, Cecilia M. Bitz, and L.-Bruno Tremblay Eds. Arctic Sea Ice Decline: Observations, Projections, Mechanisms, and Implications. Geophysical Monograph 180. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC.
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