A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay
Changes in sea-ice dynamics are affecting polar bears Ursus maritimus across their circumpolar range, which highlights the importance of periodic demographic assessments to inform management and conservation. We used genetic mark-recapture-recovery to derive estimates of abundance and survival for t...
Published in: | Endangered Species Research |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Inter-Research
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01148 https://doaj.org/article/2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 2023-05-15T15:35:02+02:00 A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay SN Atkinson KL Laidre TW Arnold S Stapleton EV Regehr EW Born Ø Wiig M Dyck NJ Lunn HL Stern D Paetkau 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01148 https://doaj.org/article/2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 EN eng Inter-Research https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v46/p105-120/ https://doaj.org/toc/1863-5407 https://doaj.org/toc/1613-4796 1863-5407 1613-4796 doi:10.3354/esr01148 https://doaj.org/article/2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 Endangered Species Research, Vol 46, Pp 105-120 (2021) Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01148 2022-12-31T14:35:37Z Changes in sea-ice dynamics are affecting polar bears Ursus maritimus across their circumpolar range, which highlights the importance of periodic demographic assessments to inform management and conservation. We used genetic mark-recapture-recovery to derive estimates of abundance and survival for the Baffin Bay (BB) polar bear subpopulation—the first time this method has been used successfully for this species. Genetic data from tissue samples we collected via biopsy darting were combined with historical physical capture and harvest recovery data. The combined data set consisted of 1410 genetic samples (2011-2013), 914 physical captures (1993-1995, 1997), and 234 harvest returns of marked bears (1993-2013). The estimate of mean subpopulation abundance was 2826 (95% CI = 2284-3367) in 2012-2013. Estimates of annual survival (mean ± SE) were 0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.78 ± 0.06 for females and males age ≥2 yr, respectively. The proportion of total mortality of adult females and males that was attributed to legal harvest was 0.16 ± 0.05 and 0.26 ± 0.06, respectively. Remote sensing sea-ice data, telemetry data, and spatial distribution of onshore sampling indicated that polar bears were more likely to use offshore sea-ice habitat during the 1990s sampling period compared to the 2010s. Furthermore, in the 1990s, sampling of deep fjords and inland areas was limited, and no offshore sampling occurred in either time period, which precluded comparisons of abundance between the 1993-1997 and 2011-2013 study periods. Our findings demonstrate that genetic sampling can be a practical method for demographic assessment of polar bears over large spatial and temporal scales. Article in Journal/Newspaper Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Sea ice Ursus maritimus Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Baffin Bay Endangered Species Research 46 105 120 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 |
spellingShingle |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 SN Atkinson KL Laidre TW Arnold S Stapleton EV Regehr EW Born Ø Wiig M Dyck NJ Lunn HL Stern D Paetkau A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
topic_facet |
Zoology QL1-991 Botany QK1-989 |
description |
Changes in sea-ice dynamics are affecting polar bears Ursus maritimus across their circumpolar range, which highlights the importance of periodic demographic assessments to inform management and conservation. We used genetic mark-recapture-recovery to derive estimates of abundance and survival for the Baffin Bay (BB) polar bear subpopulation—the first time this method has been used successfully for this species. Genetic data from tissue samples we collected via biopsy darting were combined with historical physical capture and harvest recovery data. The combined data set consisted of 1410 genetic samples (2011-2013), 914 physical captures (1993-1995, 1997), and 234 harvest returns of marked bears (1993-2013). The estimate of mean subpopulation abundance was 2826 (95% CI = 2284-3367) in 2012-2013. Estimates of annual survival (mean ± SE) were 0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.78 ± 0.06 for females and males age ≥2 yr, respectively. The proportion of total mortality of adult females and males that was attributed to legal harvest was 0.16 ± 0.05 and 0.26 ± 0.06, respectively. Remote sensing sea-ice data, telemetry data, and spatial distribution of onshore sampling indicated that polar bears were more likely to use offshore sea-ice habitat during the 1990s sampling period compared to the 2010s. Furthermore, in the 1990s, sampling of deep fjords and inland areas was limited, and no offshore sampling occurred in either time period, which precluded comparisons of abundance between the 1993-1997 and 2011-2013 study periods. Our findings demonstrate that genetic sampling can be a practical method for demographic assessment of polar bears over large spatial and temporal scales. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
SN Atkinson KL Laidre TW Arnold S Stapleton EV Regehr EW Born Ø Wiig M Dyck NJ Lunn HL Stern D Paetkau |
author_facet |
SN Atkinson KL Laidre TW Arnold S Stapleton EV Regehr EW Born Ø Wiig M Dyck NJ Lunn HL Stern D Paetkau |
author_sort |
SN Atkinson |
title |
A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
title_short |
A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
title_full |
A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
title_fullStr |
A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
title_full_unstemmed |
A novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears Ursus maritimus in Baffin Bay |
title_sort |
novel mark-recapture-recovery survey using genetic sampling for polar bears ursus maritimus in baffin bay |
publisher |
Inter-Research |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01148 https://doaj.org/article/2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 |
geographic |
Baffin Bay |
geographic_facet |
Baffin Bay |
genre |
Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Sea ice Ursus maritimus |
genre_facet |
Baffin Bay Baffin Bay Baffin Sea ice Ursus maritimus |
op_source |
Endangered Species Research, Vol 46, Pp 105-120 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v46/p105-120/ https://doaj.org/toc/1863-5407 https://doaj.org/toc/1613-4796 1863-5407 1613-4796 doi:10.3354/esr01148 https://doaj.org/article/2fd9330196be49e39d5f9b8cd978ea25 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01148 |
container_title |
Endangered Species Research |
container_volume |
46 |
container_start_page |
105 |
op_container_end_page |
120 |
_version_ |
1766365335955439616 |