A new study observed that the polar bears are migrating towards icier regions in the North while their original habitat continues to experience ice loss.
Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) observed that polar bears are shifting to areas with more sea ice: the Eastern Polar Basin, Western Polar Basin, Canadian Archipelago and Southern Canada. They also looked at the directional gene flow in the area and found that this might be the first time that the 19 recognized sub-populations of polar bears are moving to these regions.
"The polar bear's recent directional gene flow northward is something new," Elizabeth Peacock, USGS researcher and lead author of the study, said in a press release. "In our analyses that focused on more historic gene flow, we did not detect movement in this direction."
"By examining the genetic makeup of polar bears, we can estimate levels and directions of gene flow, which represents the past story of mating and movement, and population expansion and contraction," she added. "Gene flow occurs over generations, and would not be detectable by using data from satellite-collars which can only be deployed on a few polar bears for short periods of time."
The researchers explained that polar bears are traveling to somewhere they have better access to prey and mates. These animals cannot survive long in an area with less sea ice because they had to swim greater distances in the open water just to feed. Sometimes, polar bears would rather stop eating than swim that far.
"The longer the ice-free period, the longer the time without feeding," Peacock told the Discovery News.
This study is not the first to observe that polar bears are adapting to climate change. Early last year, another study saw that polar bears have begun hunting food on land because of the melting sea ice in the Arctic. When the sea ice melts, polar bears hunt for different foods like snow geese (and other animals) as well as mushrooms and berries.
The recent study was published in the Jan. 6 issue of PLOS One.
