A hidden polar bear population in Greenland might have found some refuge from climate change

Researchers have recognized a particular group of polar bears described in a paper printed at the moment within the journal Science. The bears might need discovered a novel type of refuge from the results of local weather change in Southeast Greenland, the authors write, the place their group has develop into genetically distinct from different polar bears. Scientists at the moment are pushing to acknowledge the bears as their very own distinctive “subpopulation,” a transfer that might assist maintain them shielded from potential threats like searching and habitat loss.

Over the previous decade, the researchers surveyed polar bears throughout 1,800 miles of Greenland’s jap shoreline in an effort to raised perceive the animals’ well being and actions. Though that’s a wide range, they thought they had been coping with only one group of polar bears dwelling up and down the complete coast. The bears shocked them.

After placing satellite tv for pc monitoring collars on among the animals, the researchers realized that bears dwelling within the southeast of Greenland stored to themselves and didn’t enterprise into locations the place they may stumble upon northeastern bears. Then, after genetic samples, the researchers discovered that the southeastern bears are literally probably the most genetically remoted on the planet. That implies that they haven’t interbred very a lot in any respect with bears outdoors of their group.

“It was type of an entirely sudden discovering,” says Kristin Laidre, lead creator of the brand new paper and an affiliate professor on the College of Washington. “Frankly, it was type of unintentional that we realized that we had been really coping with two subpopulations of bears, not one.”

The bears had extra surprises in retailer. The southeastern group had discovered a approach to make a house for themselves in a spot that ought to have been inhospitable. Within the fjords the place they roam, sea ice is current for under about 100 days of the 12 months. Since polar bears hunt on sea ice, that usually would have left them with lower than a 3rd of the 12 months to search out meals.

Polar bears can quick for as much as 180 days of the 12 months, however the absence of sea ice for longer than that on this area might need left them to starve. Fortunately, the bears right here discovered one other useful resource when sea ice disappears: floating freshwater ice at a glacier entrance. Right here, they might stalk seals from their respiration holes or sniff seals out from above after which break by the ice to succeed in them as they usually would on sea ice.

Whereas some pockets of bears have been identified to do that much less incessantly on freshwater ice, this group is believed to be distinctive in how a lot it is dependent upon it. With out the freshwater ice, their inhabitants wouldn’t actually have the ability to survive right here.

The vanishing sea ice of their house is a preview of what’s to return for the Arctic sooner or later. By the tip of the century, a lot of the icy Arctic is predicted to see greater than 100 days a 12 months with out ice. And with no ice, there’s no seal searching and never sufficient meals for the bears. That’s what’s made the polar bear the type of poster little one for tales about impending local weather doom.

Picture: NASA

The way in which that the newly found pack of polar bears has discovered a approach to persist in this sort of surroundings suggests freshwater glacial ice may function a restricted “local weather refugia” for another bears sooner or later, the researchers write. However Laidre cautions towards overselling the newly discovered bears as a hit story or a mannequin for different bears going through an unsure future. There are few areas with this sort of considerable freshwater ice, referred to as glacial mélange, so not too many bears will have the ability to depend on it. And whereas that ice has up to now been considerably spared from rising temperatures on this a part of Greenland, it’ll develop into more and more weak if the planet retains heating up.

That each one implies that motion to sluggish local weather change and preserve these environments will proceed to be essential for polar bears’ survival. As it’s, the worldwide polar bear inhabitants is predicted to say no by 30 % over the subsequent three generations, in response to Laidre.

She’s hopeful that if the newly noticed group of bears are designated internationally and by the nation of Greenland as a novel “subpopulation” distinct from different polar bears, they’ll get extra of the highlight in conservation efforts. The group’s genetic isolation makes them an essential a part of sustaining genetic range amongst all polar bears — a key consider holding the species wholesome.

Picture: Kristin Laidre/College of Washington

Since this group of bears was found by chance, Laidre isn’t very certain how massive the inhabitants is. She estimates that there are maybe “a number of hundred” and that the group has possible been right here for a pair hundred years. The band of bears has slowly grown from migrating newcomers, too. Her analysis recognized no less than two “immigrants” who assist maintain the inhabitants wholesome by including to the genetic pool. Laidre is hoping to launch a brand new analysis effort to give attention to this particular group of bears to get a greater thought of what number of are there and what their lives are like.