Sea Ice: A Critical Habitat for Polar Marine Mammals and Birds

Sea Ice ◽

10.1002/9780470757161.ch8 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 240-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christian Haas

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Critical Habitat

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Using art to explore children’s perceptions of their Arctic community in a changing climate

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16449 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

David Lipson ◽

Kim Reasor ◽

Kååre Sikuaq Erickson

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

School Curriculum ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

The Arctic ◽

Polar Bears ◽

Way Of Life ◽

Subsistence Hunting ◽

Sea Ice Decline

In this project we analyze artwork and recorded statements of 5th grade students from the community of Utqia&#289;vik, Alaska, who participated in a science-art outreach activity. The team consisted of a scientist (Lipson), an artist (Reasor) and an outreach specialist (Erickson) of Inupiat heritage from a village in Alaska. We worked with four 5th grade classes of about 25 students each at Fred Ipalook Elementary. The predominantly Inupiat people of Utqia&#289;vik are among those who will be most impacted by climate change and the loss of Arctic sea ice in the near future. Subsistence hunting of marine mammals associated with sea ice is central to the Inupiat way of life. Furthermore, their coastal homes and infrastructure are increasingly subject to damage from increased wave action on ice-free Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. While the people of this region are among the most directly vulnerable to climate change, the teachers reported that the subject is not generally covered in the elementary school curriculum.The scientist and the local outreach specialist gave a short presentation about sea ice and climate change in the Arctic, with emphasis on local impacts to hunting and infrastructure. We then showed the students a large poster of historical and projected sea ice decline, and asked the students to help us fill in the white space beneath the lines. The artist led the children in making small paintings that represent things that are important to their lives in Utqia&#289;vik (they were encouraged to paint animals, but they were free to do whatever they wanted). We returned to the class later that week and had each student briefly introduce themselves and their painting, and place it on the large graph of sea ice decline, which included the dire predictions of the RCP8.5 scenario. Then we added the more hopeful RCP2.6 scenario to end on a positive note.Common themes expressed in the students&#8217; artwork included subsistence hunting, other aspects of traditional Inupiat culture, nature and family. Modern themes such as sports and Pok&#233;mon were also common. The students reacted to the topic of climate change with pictures of whales, polar bears and other animals, and captions such as &#8220;Save the world/ice/animals.&#8221; There were several paintings showing unsuccessful hunts for whales or seals. Some students displayed an understanding of ecosystem science in their recorded statements. For example, a student who painted the sun and another who painted a krill both succinctly described energy flow in food webs that support the production of whales (for example, &#8220;I drew krill because without krill there wouldn&#8217;t be whales&#8221;). Some of the students described the consequences of sea ice loss to local wildlife with devastating succinctness (sea ice is disappearing and polar bears will go extinct). The overall sense was that the children had a strong grasp of the potential consequences of climate change to their region and way of life.

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Satellite traceology: experience of using in the interests of mammalogy for protection of ice-associated marine mammals

Izvestiya TINRO ◽

10.26428/1606-9919-2014-179-138-157 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 179 (4) ◽

pp. 138-157

Author(s):

Vladimir V. Melentyev ◽

Vladimir I. Chernook ◽

Konstantin V. Melentyev ◽

Alexandr A. Startsev ◽

Tatiyana A. Zakharova

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Bering Sea ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

White Sea ◽

Space Station ◽

Advanced Technology ◽

Pacific Walrus ◽

Kandalaksha Bay ◽

Stormy Weather ◽

High Space

Advanced technology of satellite traceology is presented on the base of using the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with high space and deep resolution installed for the first time onboard Soviet space station Almaz and now functioning successfully onboard the satellites Envisat and RADARSAT. The SAR traceology is the central issue of the satellite eco-criminology and concerns to theory of the traces formation, variability, and preservation in undamaged state. Ships coordinates, their traces and complexity of ice routing are fixed by the method of satellite charting, and their possible influence on ice-associated marine mammals is assessed. Numerous examples of SAR satellite control on navigation in stormy weather and ships’ presence in ice with different compactness, origin and age are overviewed, as well as impact of travel facilities on ice-associated animals welfare. Some incidents potentially dangerous for marine mammals are considered for the Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea). Parameters of the ice cover, as openings, large fractures, and polynyas made by icebreakers in this area were determined on the base of the satellite SAR data, comprehensive digital ice maps with scheme of real ships’ routes in the ice were prepared, and the routes correspondence with ESIMO demands was assessed. The satellite SAR survey in the Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea) allowed to fix that winter navigation in the White Sea provoked formation of fractures and polynyas and reduced the sea ice area suitable for reproduction of greenland seals. For validation of this situation, airborne control was organized aboard the aircraft L-410 «Nord» that provided panoramic and IR images of ship channel through the rookeries of the seals in time of their reproduction. Besides, the aircraft made observations of pacific walruses behavior in the Bering Sea which were superposed with the satellite SAR and passive microwave survey in frame of the project «Pacific Walrus». Traceological control of the sea ice in the Anadyr Bay (Bering Sea) allowed to determine the size of openings in the ice and to assess the influence of tide and wind on welfare of ice-associated marine mammals. Some cases of infringement the regulation of navigation were revealed by means of the satellite SAR traceology.

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From sea ice to seals: a moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

Ocean Science ◽

10.5194/os-14-1423-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1423-1433 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Claudine Hauri ◽

Seth Danielson ◽

Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽

Russell R. Hopcroft ◽

Peter Winsor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Chukchi Sea ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Extreme Environment ◽

The Arctic ◽

Zooplankton Abundance ◽

Test Bed ◽

Ecosystem Monitoring ◽

Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high-resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of variables that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical, and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and 8 months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–2016 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure, and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms, and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

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From sea ice to seals: A moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

10.5194/os-2018-82 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Claudine Hauri ◽

Seth Danielson ◽

Andrew M. P. McDonnell ◽

Russell R. Hopcroft ◽

Peter Winsor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Chukchi Sea ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Extreme Environment ◽

The Arctic ◽

Zooplankton Abundance ◽

Test Bed ◽

Ecosystem Monitoring ◽

Cold Temperatures

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of parameters that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and eight months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–16 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time-series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

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Thin ice, deep snow and surface flooding in Kotzebue Sound: landfast ice mass balance during two anomalously warm winters and implications for marine mammals and subsistence hunting

Journal of Glaciology ◽

10.1017/jog.2021.49 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Andrew R. Mahoney ◽

Kate E. Turner ◽

Donna D. W. Hauser ◽

Nathan J. M. Laxague ◽

Jessica M. Lindsay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Flux ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Mass Balance ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Advisory Council ◽

Subsistence Hunting ◽

Ice Growth ◽

Landfast Ice ◽

Ice Mass Balance ◽

Kotzebue Sound

Abstract The inaugural data from the first systematic program of sea-ice observations in Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, in 2018 coincided with the first winter in living memory when the Sound was not choked with ice. The following winter of 2018–19 was even warmer and characterized by even less ice. Here we discuss the mass balance of landfast ice near Kotzebue (Qikiqtaġruk) during these two anomalously warm winters. We use in situ observations and a 1-D thermodynamic model to address three research questions developed in partnership with an Indigenous Advisory Council. In doing so, we improve our understanding of connections between landfast ice mass balance, marine mammals and subsistence hunting. Specifically, we show: (i) ice growth stopped unusually early due to strong vertical ocean heat flux, which also likely contributed to early start to bearded seal hunting; (ii) unusually thin ice contributed to widespread surface flooding. The associated snow ice formation partly offset the reduced ice growth, but the flooding likely had a negative impact on ringed seal habitat; (iii) sea ice near Kotzebue during the winters of 2017–18 and 2018–19 was likely the thinnest since at least 1945, driven by a combination of warm air temperatures and a persistent ocean heat flux.

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Underwater noise and Arctic marine mammals: review and policy recommendations

Environmental Reviews ◽

10.1139/er-2019-0033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 438-448 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

William D. Halliday ◽

Matthew K. Pine ◽

Stephen J. Insley

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

The Arctic ◽

Auditory Masking ◽

Underwater Noise ◽

Noise Levels ◽

Marine Animals ◽

Sound Levels ◽

Ambient Sound

Underwater noise is an important issue globally. Underwater noise can cause auditory masking, behavioural disturbance, hearing damage, and even death for marine animals. While underwater noise levels have been increasing in nonpolar regions, noise levels are thought to be much lower in the Arctic where the presence of sea ice limits anthropogenic activities. However, climate change is causing sea ice to decrease, which is allowing for increased access for noisy anthropogenic activities. Underwater noise may have more severe impacts in the Arctic compared with nonpolar regions due to a combination of lower ambient sound levels and increased sensitivity of Arctic marine animals to underwater noise. Here, we review ambient sound levels in the Arctic, as well as the reactions of Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals to underwater noise. We then relate what is known about underwater noise in the Arctic to policies and management solutions for underwater noise and discuss whether Arctic-specific policies are necessary.

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Retention of ice-associated amphipods: possible consequences for an ice-free Arctic Ocean

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2012.0517 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 1012-1015 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

J. Berge ◽

Ø. Varpe ◽

M. A. Moline ◽

A. Wold ◽

P. E. Renaud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sea Ice ◽

Arctic Ocean ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Deep Ocean ◽

Arctic Sea Ice ◽

Ocean Currents ◽

The Arctic ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

The Arctic Ocean ◽

Deep Ocean Currents

Recent studies predict that the Arctic Ocean will have ice-free summers within the next 30 years. This poses a significant challenge for the marine organisms associated with the Arctic sea ice, such as marine mammals and, not least, the ice-associated crustaceans generally considered to spend their entire life on the underside of the Arctic sea ice. Based upon unique samples collected within the Arctic Ocean during the polar night, we provide a new conceptual understanding of an intimate connection between these under-ice crustaceans and the deep Arctic Ocean currents. We suggest that downwards vertical migrations, followed by polewards transport in deep ocean currents, are an adaptive trait of ice fauna that both increases survival during ice-free periods of the year and enables re-colonization of sea ice when they ascend within the Arctic Ocean. From an evolutionary perspective, this may have been an adaptation allowing success in a seasonally ice-covered Arctic. Our findings may ultimately change the perception of ice fauna as a biota imminently threatened by the predicted disappearance of perennial sea ice.

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