7/21/2019 Press Release Draft- Polar Bear
1/3
Courtney ToddLora ArduserPress Release DraftScience and Medical
Writing02.06.1
!"WS
Date# 02$06$1 11#% AM'y# Courtney Todd ()ailto#
toddc2*)ail.uc.edu+P,one# (%1-+6/%616
The Polar Bear Hunger GamesWhat Scat Tells Us!
As olar ears drift a3ay on ice 3it, t,e inaility to ,unt for
food4 you ,a5e
t,e aility to order your fa5orite carryout.
Cli)ate c,ange isnt a7ecting t,e 3ay you eat. 'ut4 it is
a7ecting t,e diet oft,e secies scientists call4 8rsus
)ariti)us.
T,e ice in 3estern 9udson 'ay )elts co)letely y )id to late :uly
forcing
olar ears as,ore and a3ay fro) t,eir ri)ary rey. Wit, ice rea;
uoccurring faster t,an usual4 olar ears are left 3it, less ti)e to
,unt forseals and reare for 3inter.
Alt,oug, olar ears )a;e it as,ore4 t,ey are in a negati5e energy
alance.T,is )eans t,ey are ri)arily li5ing o7 of fat reser5es until
ne3 rey isoser5ed
7/21/2019 Press Release Draft- Polar Bear
2/3
Scat sa)ling occurred along 160 ;) of coastline
and ad=acent inland areas of 3,at is no3 ter)edt,e Cae C,urc,ill
Peninsula 3,ere olar ears are;no3n to occur during t,e icefree
eriod in
3estern 9udson 'ay. T,ey c,ose to include inland
and denning ,aitats so t,ey could ro5ide aco)lete in5entory of
t,e land ased diet of allde)ogra,ic grous t,at use t,e region.
?or)e@ano and Roc;3ell c,aracteri@ed t,e currentscat fro) olar
ears in t,e 9udson 'ay area 3,ile e5aluating sa)les fro)a si)ilar
study conducted 0 years ago. T,ey c,ose to eBa)ine a study fro)t,e
ast4 efore cli)ate c,ange 3as a7ecting t,e 3estern 9udson 'ay
lo3lands. Today4 t,ey found t,at cariou and sno3 geese are
aundantresources for olar ears on land. T,e study fro) t,e 160s
s,o3ed nosigns of cariou and consideraly less signs of sno3
geese.
T,e ne3 researc, indicates t,at so)e olar ears in t,e 3estern
9udson 'ay
area are using foraging strategies 3,ile us,ed as,ore4 suc, as
reys3itc,ing and eating a )iBed diet of lants and ani)als to
sur5i5e in t,eirraidly c,anging en5iron)ent. T,is e,a5ior li;ely
deri5es fro) a s,ared
genetic trait 3it, ro3n ears fro) 3,ic, olar ears searated at
least6004000 years ago. ?or)e@ano and Roc;3ell suggest t,at t,e
olar earsforaging e,a5ior is a resonse to nutritional stress.
T,e current t,reats to olar ears in t,e 3estern 9udson 'ay area
are clear
as t,e ice rea; season eBands4 li)iting olar ears access to
seals.Roc;3ell says4 T,ere is little dout t,at olar ears are 5ery
suscetile asgloal cli)ate c,ange continues to drastically alter t,e
landscae of t,enort,ern Polar Regions. 'ut 3ere nding t,at t,ey
)ig,t e )ore resilient
t,an is co))only t,oug,t.E Fn fact4 olar ears ,unted cariou and
sno3geese 3,en seals 3ere still a5ailale on ice. T,is s,o3s )ore
suort fort,eir foraging e,a5ior and rey s3itc,ing ailities.
ortunately4 )ost of t,e olar ears eco)e oti)istic o)ni5ores and
adatto ot,er lants and ani)als suc, as4 cariou and sno3 geese.
Still4 3e needto ;ee in )ind t,at olar ears are listed as
"ndangered Secies under t,e
8nited States "ndangered Secies Act. Roc;3ell and ?or)e@ano
suggest tocontinue t,eir researc, y studying t,e a)ount of olar
ears s,ifting t,eirdiet and t,e nutritional gain t,at co)es 3it,
t,e terrestrial diet. Per,as t,atresearc, 3ould s,o3 t,e sur5i5al
rates of olar ears once t,ey forage onland.
GGG
A olar ear loo;s u fro) t,e recently;illed cariou it 3as eating
at Heyas;
Fsland (%&.16%&I! 2.&%1IW+ on :uly
264 2010. P,otogra, y R. . Roc;3ell.
