Scientists who studied and tracked the bears decided that they survive regardless of having restricted entry to sea ice — one thing that’s important for polar bears — and as a substitute use the freshwater ice equipped by Greenland’s ice sheet.
“We needed to survey this area as a result of we did not know a lot concerning the polar bears in Southeast Greenland, however we by no means anticipated to discover a new subpopulation residing there,” mentioned lead research writer Kristin Laidre, a polar analysis scientist on the College of Washington’s Utilized Physics Laboratory, in an announcement.
“We knew there have been some bears within the space from historic information and Indigenous information. We simply did not understand how particular they had been.”
An icy necessity
Touring far, the 19 recognized polar bear populations depend on sea ice to hunt their prey, like ringed seals, and sit close to respiratory holes to seize their prey. The energy supplied by seals may also help them retailer vitality for months when meals and sea ice is extra scarce.
International warming is inflicting sea ice to quickly soften and disappear because the Arctic warms greater than twice as quick as the remainder of the planet. When sea ice disappears, polar bears should transfer on land, which affords them fewer alternatives for meals.
In the meantime, the southeast Greenland polar bears have a tendency to stay near residence, in order that they have tailored to their surroundings in a singular manner. Though they’re remoted as a result of Greenland ice sheet, mountains, open water and fast-flowing coastal currents, the polar bears have entry to freshwater ice and a few restricted entry to sea ice, which helps them catch seals.
The bears can use sea ice between February and late Might. For the remainder of the 12 months, they hunt seals utilizing the freshwater ice because it breaks away from the ice sheet.
“Polar bears are threatened by sea ice loss attributable to local weather change. This new inhabitants offers us some perception into how the species may persist into the long run,” mentioned Laidre, additionally a College of Washington affiliate professor of aquatic and fishery sciences.
“However we have to be cautious about extrapolating our findings, as a result of the glacier ice that makes it attainable for Southeast Greenland bears to outlive just isn’t out there in a lot of the Arctic.”
The surroundings of southeast Greenland is a singular, small-scale local weather refuge the place the bears can survive, and comparable habitats could be discovered alongside Greenland’s coast and the Norwegian island of Svalbard.
“These kind of glaciers do exist somewhere else within the Arctic, however the mixture of the fjord shapes, the excessive manufacturing of glacier ice and the very massive reservoir of ice that’s out there from the Greenland Ice Sheet is what presently gives a gentle provide of glacier ice,” mentioned research coauthor Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist on the US Nationwide Snow and Ice Information Middle in Boulder, Colorado, in an announcement.
“In a way, these bears present a glimpse into how Greenland’s bears could fare beneath future local weather eventualities,” Laidre mentioned. “The ocean ice circumstances in Southeast Greenland at the moment resemble what’s predicted for Northeast Greenland by late this century.”
Aerial analysis
The brand new research is comprised of 30 years of historic knowledge from Greenland’s east coast and 7 years of recent knowledge from the southeastern coast. The latter is a distant area with sharp mountains, heavy snow and unpredictable climate, making it troublesome to check.
The analysis crew spent two years consulting with polar bear subsistence hunters, who hunt for survival, somewhat than sport, in jap Greenland. The hunters had been capable of share their experience and contribute samples for genetic evaluation.
The researchers, working with the Greenland Institute of Pure Sources in Nuuk, Greenland, had been capable of research and monitor the bears utilizing helicopters because the researchers flew over sea ice, estimating that there are a number of hundred bears residing within the distant space. That is much like different small populations of polar bears elsewhere.
The feminine southeastern Greenland polar bears are extra diminutive than feminine polar bears in different areas. The smaller bears have fewer cubs as properly, which might be related to looking for mates as they journey the encircling fjords and mountains. However the researchers will not know for certain till they’ve extra knowledge from long-term monitoring of the bears.
The bears both journey over ice inside fjords or climb over mountains to succeed in neighboring fjords. Of the 27 bears tracked in the course of the research, half of them by accident floated for about 120 miles (190 kilometers) south on common, caught on small ice floes caught inside the sturdy East Greenland coastal present.
As soon as the bears had an opportunity, they simply hopped off of the ice and trekked again to the fjord they name residence. Created by glaciers, fjords are lengthy, slim, deep sea inlets discovered between excessive cliffs.
“Even with fast modifications occurring on the ice sheet, this space in Greenland has the potential to proceed to supply glacial ice, with a coast which will look much like at the moment, for a very long time,” Moon mentioned.
The researchers warn, nevertheless, that this habitat might not be sufficient for different polar bears struggling within the wake of the local weather disaster.
“In the event you’re involved about preserving the species, then sure, our findings are hopeful — I feel they present us how some polar bears may persist beneath local weather change,” Laidre mentioned.
“However I do not assume glacier habitat goes to help enormous numbers of polar bears. There’s simply not sufficient of it. We nonetheless count on to see giant declines in polar bears throughout the Arctic beneath local weather change.”
Unsure future
The researchers consider the southeast Greenland polar bears have developed in isolation for a number of hundred years. The earliest recognized reference to bears on this location dates to the 1300s, and the primary written report of the animals among the many area’s fjords is from the 1830s, in accordance with the research authors.
The standing of the polar bears stays unknown. Researchers do not know if the inhabitants is secure, growing or lowering, however extra monitoring may reveal what the long run holds for this distinctive inhabitants, Laidre mentioned.
Attributable to their isolation, the polar bears are so genetically distinct that the researchers suggest that the southeastern Greenland polar bears must be thought of the twentieth subpopulation of the species.
In the end, that willpower is as much as the Worldwide Union for the Conservation of Nature, which helps to supervise protected species. And Greenland’s authorities will make any choices concerning safety for the bears.
“Preserving the genetic variety of polar bears is essential going ahead beneath local weather change,” Laidre mentioned. “Formally recognizing these bears as a separate inhabitants can be essential for conservation and administration.”
In the meantime, sea ice continues to say no within the Arctic, which significantly reduces survival charges for many polar bear populations going ahead.
“Local weather motion is the one most essential factor for the way forward for polar bears,” Laidre mentioned.
