Here's a bright spot of news about one of the
19 polar bear
populations, at
least for now:

A new study of the remote Chukchi Sea polar bears, shared by Russia and Alaska, shows that their body condition and reproductive rates have held stable or slightly increased over the past 20 years. What a difference from the adjoining Southern Beaufort Sea population, which has experienced recent drops in condition and survival.

 

"The findings are exactly in line with our predictions," says Dr. Steven C. Amstrup, PBI's chief scientist. "We hypothesized that, due to geographic differences, some populations would do better than others, at least temporarily-and this gives us hope that we'll be able to address man-made climate change in time to prevent the extinction of the species."

 

 

Visit our website to learn more about the Chukchi Sea study and the habitat differences in the Arctic's four sea ice regions.

Know any eco-minded kids, age 11-18? Here's their chance to put their passion to work for polar bears!

 

Polar bears from the three populations that inhabit Hudson Bay are faced with the same ecological problem: the sea ice melts completely in early summer every year, forcing them ashore for four to five months, during which time they largely live off stored fat reserves until the ice returns again in late fall. | more

 

Well, it's about that time of year--we're gearing up for our Fall season in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, just in time for the annual polar bear migration back out to the ice.

This year's Tundra Connections cast is shaping up to be one of the most stellar yet, with some of world's most renowned polar bear and sea ice specialists sharing information and fielding your most astute questions in a series of webcasts brought to you live from the tundra. This year, we've tailored our schedule to more effectively benefit our audience, with a selection of webcasts targeted specifically to kids, colleges, and businesses!

Red Fox

As the Arctic warms, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been moving northward, expanding into the breeding grounds of its northern cousin, the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). Studies have shown that in areas where their territories overlap, the larger and more aggressive red fox dominates its arctic relative, competing for lemmings, voles, nestlings, and other prey.

 

Fast fact: Unlike the arctic fox, which has evolved for life in extreme cold, the red fox is highly adaptable, living in habitats from forests to cities. Because of this flexibility, it is not listed as endangered anywhere. This adaptability doesn't extend to life in true arctic conditions, however, a niche the arctic fox still claims.