Polar Bear on a Floating Ice Floe

About this drawing

A polar bear on ice, floating far out at sea, sums up its whole way of life. The ice floating on the Arctic Ocean is its home, its hunting ground and its resting spot between long journeys.

Sea ice forms when ocean water freezes in winter, and part of it melts away each summer. From that frozen platform, bears ambush seals that come up to breathe or rest. Without ice, hunting gets far harder, because seals easily outswim bears in open water.

In recent decades, Arctic ice has been forming later and melting earlier in many areas. That forces some bears to swim longer distances and spend more time on land with little to eat, so scientists keep a close eye on the species.

Polar bears are listed as vulnerable. Protecting the Arctic and slowing the warming of the planet are the best ways to help them. Even small energy-saving habits at home add up to keep that floating ice around. Researchers use satellite collars and aerial surveys to follow polar bears and learn how they adapt. Their work helps governments decide how to protect the places where these bears hunt, rest and raise their cubs.

• polar bear
• sea ice
• arctic
• ocean
• wild animals