Habitat Loss Polar bears rely on sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their primary food source. With the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the global average, sea ice is rapidly diminishing, reducing the bears' hunting grounds and leading to malnutrition and starvation.
Health and Reproduction Malnourished mothers may give birth to smaller litters, and the survival rate of cubs decreases without adequate nutrition and protection.
Behavioral Changes As their natural hunting grounds diminish, polar bears are spending more time on land, where they scavenge for food in human settlements, leading to increased human-bear conflicts.
Population Decline Polar bear populations are declining in several regions. For example, the Southern Beaufort Sea population has seen a significant reduction due to diminishing ice and food availability.
Conservation Efforts Conservation efforts include monitoring polar bear populations, protecting critical habitats, and implementing policies to mitigate climate change. International agreements like the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears aim to address these challenges.
Future Outlook Research into polar bear adaptability, such as their ability to adjust their diet and behavior, is ongoing to understand how they might cope with changing conditions.