![]() ![]() ![]() Ice-dependent marine mammals are suffering die-offs and population declines as they lose the sea-ice habitat they need to give birth, raise young, hunt, rest and hide from predators.On land, it faces the northward retreat of tundra habitat, declines in lemming prey, and increased competition with red foxes, which are moving north as temperatures warm. At sea, it faces the loss of sea-ice foraging grounds. The Arctic fox, which roams across tundra and sea ice, is disappearing from the southern edge of its range.Many species are suffering declines in abundance, and for some, extinction may not be far off. The report highlights climate change impacts on 17 species: the Arctic fox polar bear Pacific walrus four ice seals (ringed, bearded, harp and ribbon seals) four whales (gray, beluga, bowhead and narwhal) sea butterfly three seabirds ( Kittlitz’s murrelet, spectacled eider and ivory gull) and two terrestrial mammals (caribou/reindeer and muskox).Wildlife on the edge: Species being pushed to the brink The Arctic plays a critical role in keeping the rest of the planet cool, keeping powerful greenhouse gases locked up in its permafrost layer and driving the circulation of the global ocean climate change is breaking down the Arctic’s ability to carry out these functions.The Arctic Ocean is becoming more acidic as it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which threatens to make conditions unlivable for many shell-building species by 2050.The Greenland ice sheet is rapidly thinning as meltpools and moulins form on its surface and enormous chunks of ice break off its edges.Summer sea ice fell to a record low in 2007 and has not recovered since.The Arctic has warmed at twice the rate of the rest of the globe on average.Key findings of the report:Īrctic meltdown: Losing the Arctic as we know it Because what’s happening in the Arctic is an early example of climate change’s frightening effects on the entire planet, we must protect this region if we want to protect ourselves. The report concludes with a roadmap of actions needed to preserve the Arctic as we know it today. ![]() Soaring temperatures, rapidly melting ice and snow, rising sea levels and acidifying oceans are threatening all Arctic wildlife, from great whales to tiny plankton - not just the iconic polar bear.Ī new report from the Center and Care for the Wild International, Extinction: It’s Not Just for Polar Bears, chronicles the most profound climatic changes in the Arctic and documents the impacts those changes are already having on wildlife, with a focus on 17 species at risk. The consequences of climate change are unfolding far more rapidly and intensely in the Arctic than anywhere else in the world. This report was produced in partnership withĮXTINCTION: IT’S NOT JUST FOR POLAR BEARS ![]()
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