Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) Distribution in the Southern Beaufort Sea
Degree: Master of Science Abstract: Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an apex predator of the Arctic marine food web and vulnerable to changes in sea ice because various aspects of their existence depend on this dynamic platform. Arctic sea ice extent and thickness have declined, and been particular...
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Alberta. Department of Biological Sciences.
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10402/era.40170 |
| Summary: | Degree: Master of Science Abstract: Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are an apex predator of the Arctic marine food web and vulnerable to changes in sea ice because various aspects of their existence depend on this dynamic platform. Arctic sea ice extent and thickness have declined, and been particularly low since the first record low in 2007. I examined polar bear distribution using satellite telemetry in 2007-2011 including years of record low sea ice extent using kernel density methods to evaluate how recent changes to sea ice conditions may be affecting their distribution. I examine use of land and relate polar bear distributions to bathymetry. My research suggests that polar bear movement patterns and distribution are changing in response to sea ice conditions. Bears are forced to travel greater distances and remain over deeper waters longer as they maintain a presence at the edge of the pack that varies annually. Bears also used land areas in Alaska greater than previously documented. I explore the consequences of these changes and examine summer refugia. Specialization: Ecology |
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