U of A researcher says climate change threatens polar bears

In the Canadian Arctic, retreating northern ice cover caused by climate change could be disastrous to polar bears, says a University of Alberta researcher. Professor Andrew Derocher, in the Department of Biological Sciences, says the northern carnivores are at such great risk that many populations are likely to disappear by mid-century if warming continues unabated.

"Sea ice monitoring is showing massive changes in polar bear habitat and at a faster pace than we had expected," says Derocher. "Sea ice specialists predict that by 2030, we could see an ice-free polar sea in summer." Usually, the polar bears migrate northward in summer to the permanent pack ice to await colder temperatures.

There are now about 15,000 polar bears in northern Canada, which are about two-thirds of the world's total population.

For more information on U of A research, check out the university website.

Photo courtesy of University of Alberta

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