{"id":254176,"date":"2023-04-22T20:08:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-22T18:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=254176"},"modified":"2023-04-22T20:08:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-22T18:08:45","slug":"earth-day-sea-ice-habitat-during-critical-spring-season-for-arctic-seals-polar-bears-and-walrus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=254176","title":{"rendered":"Earth Day sea ice habitat during critical spring season for Arctic seals, polar bears, and walrus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From polarbearscience<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the most important time of year for Arctic marine mammals that spend time above the ice: birthing,\u00a0breeding<\/a>, and\u00a0feeding<\/a>. And there is plenty of the right kind of ice available for those activities this year, as there was\u00a0two years ago<\/a>\u00a0at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arctic overall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NSIDC MASIE<\/a>\u00a0chart for 21 April 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sea ice thickness<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazing band of 3-5m thick ice in Foxe Basin (north of Hudson Bay), and along the entire\u00a0east coast of Greenland<\/a>\u00a0and the Russian Far East. This doesn\u2019t show up on other charts as significant because its very thick first year ice rather than the thick multi-year ice seen in the Arctic Basin north of Greenland and\u00a0Ellesmere Island<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the Chukchi Sea, this thick ice charts as \u2018thick first year\u2019 ice (dark green). Areas of purple in the Bering Sea are thinner ice that are critical feeding habitat at this time of year for\u00a0Pacific walrus<\/a>, especially pregnant females that will give birth next month. Walrus need areas of easily-broken thin ice or open water so that they can enter the water to feed, as do\u00a0bearded seals<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barents Sea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courtesy\u00a0Norwegian Ice Service<\/a>. Note the abundance of ice along the coast of Greenland and between the Svalbard archipelago (at centre) and\u00a0Franz Josef Land<\/a>\u00a0to the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sea ice around the Svalbard archipelago in the middle of the Barents Sea ice has been above the long-term average for weeks now, as the graph below shows. This is great news for polar bears and seals because this is when they need sea ice the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Polar bears on Hudson Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female bears with satellite collars (blue and orange) or males or juveniles with ear tags (purple) can be seen well on the ice of Hudson Bay, along with females that gave birth earlier in the year with their 4 month old cubs. Chart below courtesy\u00a0Andrew Derocher.<\/a>\u00a0Blue icons are Western Hudson Bay females and the orange are Southern Hudson Bay females.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Note that the dark green in the chart below is thick first year ice, over 1m thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the most important time of year for Arctic marine mammals that spend time above the ice: birthing,\u00a0breeding, and\u00a0feeding. And there is plenty of the right kind of ice available for those activities this year, as there was\u00a0two years ago\u00a0at the same time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":254193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818896,691818897,691818601,691818894,691818251,691818895,691818335],"class_list":{"0":"post-254176","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-barents-sea-ice","9":"tag-bering-sea","10":"tag-chukchi-sea","11":"tag-female-bears","12":"tag-polar-bears","13":"tag-sea-ice","14":"tag-seals","16":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/0Polar-bears.jpeg?fit=2048%2C1300&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-147C","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":208624,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=208624","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":0},"title":"Arctic sea ice still quite abundant for early summer","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"15\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite\u00a0rhetoric to the contrary, there is still plenty of sea ice over Arctic regions this summer, supplying feeding platforms for polar bears, ice-dependent seals, and walrus cows nursing their young calves. Forget about whether the numbers are below or above some short-term average, there is no catastrophe in the making\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0masie_all_zoom_4km-2022-july-13.png?fit=835%2C835&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0masie_all_zoom_4km-2022-july-13.png?fit=835%2C835&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0masie_all_zoom_4km-2022-july-13.png?fit=835%2C835&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0masie_all_zoom_4km-2022-july-13.png?fit=835%2C835&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":261014,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=261014","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":1},"title":"Polar bear sea ice habitat near the end of Arctic spring 2023","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Arctic sea ice is beginning to melt and the end of spring is drawing near.\u00a0Mating season\u00a0is over for polar bears as is the gorging on young seals in most regions as weaned pups head into open water to feed for themselves. Only\u00a0predator-savvy adult and subadult seals\u00a0remain on the ice while\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Arctic sea ice\"","block_context":{"text":"Arctic sea ice","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arctic-sea-ice"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00-polar-bear-174.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00-polar-bear-174.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00-polar-bear-174.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00-polar-bear-174.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00-polar-bear-174.jpeg?fit=1200%2C806&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":417814,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417814","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":2},"title":"Sea ice conditions continued to favour Arctic marine life in\u00a02025","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"19\/12\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Increased primary productivity\u00a0in the Arctic generated by reduced summer sea ice has continued into 2025, according to NOAA\u2019s annual\u00a0Arctic Report Card\u00a0published yesterday, which means Arctic seals and whales, walrus, and polar bears will continue to flourish.","rel":"","context":"In \"Arctic sea ice\"","block_context":{"text":"Arctic sea ice","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arctic-sea-ice"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/00Screenshot-2025-12-19-144656.png?fit=1200%2C877&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/00Screenshot-2025-12-19-144656.png?fit=1200%2C877&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/00Screenshot-2025-12-19-144656.png?fit=1200%2C877&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/00Screenshot-2025-12-19-144656.png?fit=1200%2C877&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/00Screenshot-2025-12-19-144656.png?fit=1200%2C877&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":244331,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=244331","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":3},"title":"Low mid-winter polar bear habitat in Barents Sea spawns warnings of more human-bear conflicts","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"19\/02\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Any time there is a bit less sea ice than usual the catastrophists begin caterwauling but this time the rhetoric is a little different.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-444.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-444.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-444.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-444.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-444.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":208451,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=208451","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":4},"title":"Arctic sea ice is constantly changing which means polar bears must be flexible in their requirements","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In honour of upcoming\u00a0\u201aArctic Sea Ice Day\u2018\u00a0(15 July), I revisit my 2015 essay on sea ice stability and polar bears, called\u00a0The Arctic Fallacy. It challenges the flawed and out-dated ecological concept that under natural conditions, sea ice provides a stable and predictable habitat for polar bears, walrus and seals. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0chukchi-sea-polar-bear-arctic_early-august-2018_a-khan-nsidc.jpg?fit=1200%2C951&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0chukchi-sea-polar-bear-arctic_early-august-2018_a-khan-nsidc.jpg?fit=1200%2C951&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0chukchi-sea-polar-bear-arctic_early-august-2018_a-khan-nsidc.jpg?fit=1200%2C951&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0chukchi-sea-polar-bear-arctic_early-august-2018_a-khan-nsidc.jpg?fit=1200%2C951&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0chukchi-sea-polar-bear-arctic_early-august-2018_a-khan-nsidc.jpg?fit=1200%2C951&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":280246,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=280246","url_meta":{"origin":254176,"position":5},"title":"Polar Bear and Seal Biology Exposes the Utter Stupidity of Climate Alarmist Environmentalists!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As shown here, any critical thinking person knows the alarmist polar bear narratives are just totally false, ignorant and manipulative fear mongering. It is not ice that bears depend on, but ringed seals. An understanding of seal biology reveals that less ice is good and more ice is bad for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Arctic Ocean\"","block_context":{"text":"Arctic Ocean","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=arctic-ocean"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0F6pqrD8aAAIKDc6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0F6pqrD8aAAIKDc6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0F6pqrD8aAAIKDc6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0F6pqrD8aAAIKDc6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/0F6pqrD8aAAIKDc6.jpeg?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254176","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=254176"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254176\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254195,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254176\/revisions\/254195"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/254193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=254176"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=254176"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=254176"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}