A Unique Population Of Polar Bears Gives Scientists Hope

When I think of the Arctic Circle, the first thing that comes to mind, besides frigid temperatures and Christmas lore, is the unofficial mascot of the region: the adorably vicious polar bear. It’s well known that polar bears are one of the Earth’s species most affected by the current happenings of climate change, specifically the excess melting of the polar ice sheets in the Arctic Circle. Polar bears are currently classified as a “vulnerable” species, but their livelihood continues to be threatened as the ice sheets they rely on for food, travel, and shelter continue to disappear as the Earth warms. While the world continues to worry for this species, an article published in the journal Science provides a glimmer of hope for the survival of the species.

A previously undocumented polar bear population has been identified in the South of Greenland. The population of polar bears found is not only physically isolated, but also genetically distinct from their Northern counterparts. This proves that these polar bears have been living on these fjords separate from other polar bears long enough to accumulate genetic differences. This is significant because, unlike their counterparts of different populations, these polar bears do not rely solely on the presence of Arctic ice sheets to survive. Instead, these polar bears live on fjords (narrow inlets created by glacial movement), and hunt on icewater sheets from freshwater sources. The amount of sea ice present in their environment is much less than the amount previously thought to be ideal for Northern polar bears, and can be seen as evidence that polar bears might be able to survive with the negligible amount of sea ice climate change may leave them.

This discovery gives scientists hope that the effect of the melting ice sheets might have an effect on polar bears is still drastic, but not as deadly as previously thought. However, the view shaped by this new discovery is not purely optimistic. Although this polar bear population seemingly lives and functions well, the birth rate is lower compared to other populations. This may be because fjords are notoriously difficult to traverse, meaning that mates may have a hard time finding each other. Still, the notion that polar bears can adapt to survive with declining amounts of sea ice is good news in the wake of all of the disasters that seem to be veering towards polar bears and other vulnerable and endangered species. Personally, I’m glad that at least one population of this vulnerable species can feel a sense of security in this ever-changing world.