Polar Bear Research
Location: Svalbard, ArcticThis project was developed in response to the worldwide concern regarding the health and well-being of polar bears. The goals are to identify effects of exposure to pollutants and climate change on the health of polar bears, and to compile the results in order to perform a total health assessment of polar bear populations in the Svalbard region. This project is an international effort involving 15-20 researchers and PhD students participating from universities and governmental research institutions in Norway, Denmark, Canada and Russia.
Biological variables, such as sex, age, body mass and length will be recorded. Blood samples will be taken for clinical evaluation of their health and to measure the of levels of pollutants. Some of the polar bears will be fitted with satellite tracking transmitters allowing researchers to follow their habitat use.
Why is this project needed?
At present human activities have an impact on almost all ecosystems, even those in the Arctic. Climate change and exposure to long-range pollutants are two of the most significant human caused threats to polar bears. As a species, it is estimated that the polar bear appeared 200,000 years ago during the Pleistocene era. Since then, there have been large variations in the global climate, including a warm period approximately 125,000 years ago. Since polar bears still exist, it has obviously been able to adapt to climate changes in previous times. The difference is that today, the polar bear population is also exposed to other man-made toxic pollutants. Some of these toxins are persistent against degradation, and are magnified in food chains. Because the polar bear is the top predator in the Arctic, levels of some persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can reach very high levels. Associations between pollutant levels and physiological factors, such as hormone and vitamin status and immune function, have been reported in polar bears. The main concern is that these things will significantly affect the adaptations of polar bears to a warmer climate in the Arctic. Therefore, it is thought that the combination of a warmer temperature in the Arctic and high levels of pollutants may cause the extinction of the polar bear.
DONATE to support Polar Bear Research
Last year our donation of $10,000 covered the cost of the on-ship lab analysis of 50 polar bears, and funded the fieldwork of one PhD student. With your support, we can continue to assess the health status of polar bears in the Svalbard region.
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Donate to The Polar Bear Research
| $10,000.00 | |
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