Report: Climate Change Impacting Polar Bear Habits In Northwest Alaska

A newly released report suggests climate change is affecting the habits of polar bears in Northwest Alaska. Here’s more from the Anchorage Daily News:

Among dozens of scientists and Indigenous experts across the state who contributed to the report, some spoke about the changes affecting the North Slope and Northwest Arctic regions — for example, an increased polar bear presence around some communities.

Kaktovik resident Carla SimsKayotuk said in the report that she sees many more bears around her village.

“There are over 60 polar bears around our area,” SimsKayotuk, also an observer with the Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub, said in September.

As sea ice declines, more polar bears spend more time on land: Since the 1980s, the percentage of polar bears summering on shore increased from 5% to 30% in the Southern Beaufort Sea, and from 10% to 50% in the Chukchi Sea. Both populations spent about 30 days more on land.

Here is a small summary from the Alaska’s Changing Environment report: