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sea ice
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A review of climate change impacts on migration patterns of marine ... frontiersin.org Oct 25, 2024 62 facts
referenceFalardeau et al. (2023) published 'Impacts of stronger winds and less sea ice on Canadian Beaufort Sea shelf ecosystems since the late 1990s' in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, analyzing ecosystem changes in the Canadian Beaufort Sea.
claimReduced sea ice coverage could facilitate increases in cross-Arctic migration for seabird species.
claimIn the eastern Chukchi Sea of the Pacific Arctic, reduced sea ice and warmer ocean temperatures have led to longer open-water seasons, higher zooplankton abundance, and increases in boreal fish species, as reported by Mueter et al. (2021).
measurementIn the southern Beaufort Sea, polar bears remaining on land exhibit annual utilization distributions that are 88% smaller than those of polar bears remaining on sea ice, which have increased their home range sizes and migrate longer distances, according to Pagano et al. (2021).
claimPagophilic (ice-loving) species, such as the red-legged kittiwake, will be forced to adapt their migratory patterns in the future to survive as their primary sea ice habitat disappears.
claimThe red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris), which nests on islands in the central Bering Sea, maintains a strong association with sea ice-influenced waters during the winter season.
claimFor most populations of bowhead whales, migration timing is linked to the northward retreat of sea-ice in the spring and the southward expansion of sea-ice in the fall.
claimMandt’s black guillemot (Cepphus grylle mandtii) in the Pacific Arctic, and the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) and Ross’s gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in the Atlantic Arctic, are closely tied to sea ice year-round and often follow the marginal ice zone.
claimWhile changes in sea ice influence actively migrating seabirds in the High Arctic, red-legged kittiwakes in the Bering Sea may not alter their use of overwintering areas based solely on ice conditions.
claimSubarctic species are expanding their distributions by altering migratory routes, while the distributional ranges of some Arctic species are contracting northward toward areas more influenced by sea ice or cold deep waters along slopes or basins of fjords (Huserbråten et al., 2019; Bonnet-Lebrun et al., 2021).
claimHistorically, seasonal sea-ice formation in the Arctic expanded from November to March.
referenceUrbanski and Litwicka (2022) documented the decline of Svalbard land-fast sea ice extent as a result of climate change.
claimYoung ringed seals must travel farther north to reach sea ice due to changing environmental conditions, as noted by Hamilton et al. (2016; 2019).
referencePacific Arctic beluga whales have exhibited decadal shifts in their autumn migration timing, which are related to delayed annual sea ice formation, according to a 2017 study by Hauser et al.
claimArctic cod (Boreogadus saida) perform seasonal movements inshore to shallow waters during summer for juvenile development, adult feeding, and pre-spawning schooling, while moving to deeper areas for spawning and overwintering below sea ice.
claimAt least a portion of the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) population travels over the Arctic from a colony in the Barents Region to overwintering sites in the Chukchi and Bering seas, and more cross-Arctic migrations of this species could occur as sea ice declines.
claimThe retraction of sea ice removes essential habitat for certain animals and increases the spatial overlap between different species.
measurementChukchi Sea beluga whales delayed their fall migration by 2 to over 4 weeks during the 2007–2012 period compared to the 1998–2002 period, a time frame characterized by less sea ice and a later freeze-up, according to Hauser et al. (2017).
claimSea ice acts as a factor in seabird distribution and ecology in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering Seas.
referenceLone et al. (2019) observed that ringed seals (Pusa hispida) select specific summer habitats within the drifting sea ice of the northern Barents Sea.
referencePosdaljian, N., Soderstjerna, C., Jones, J. M., Solsona‐Berga, A., Hildebrand, J. A., and Westdal, K. published the paper 'Changes in sea ice and range expansion of sperm whales in the Eclipse Sound region of Baffin Bay, Canada' in Global Change Biology in 2022.
claimSea ice and cold water act as physical barriers to the movement of anadromous fishes.
claimFemale polar bears in Svalbard leave coastal sea ice in early summer to travel on shore and feed at ground nesting bird colonies along the west coast, according to Hamilton et al. (2017) and Bengtsson et al. (2021).
claimUnusual Mortality Events among ice-dependent marine mammal species in the Pacific Arctic have been linked to reductions in sea ice, as reported by Barratclough et al. in 2023.
claimWarmer conditions and early spring sea-ice melt in the Arctic have led to earlier spring blooms, increased chlorophyll levels, and higher zooplankton biomass that experiences faster turnover, though this biomass consists of smaller, low-nutrient prey species.
claimThe disappearance of summer offshore sea ice in Baffin Bay during the 2000s led to reduced movement rates for polar bears compared to the 1990s, according to Laidre et al. (2018).
claimPolar bears in Svalbard no longer migrate south to islands like Hopen Island for denning because sea ice no longer forms that far south in the late fall and early winter, as noted by Andersen et al. (2012).
claimBaffin Bay narwhals (Monodon monoceros) select bathymetry over sea ice during winter, according to a 2018 study by Kenyon et al.
claimThe foraging behaviour of the ivory gull (Pagophila eburnea) is influenced by sea-ice-related features and anthropogenic subsidies.
claimThe retreat of seasonal sea ice creates a layer of cool, fresh water that influences water masses, currents, and productivity, according to Lin et al. (2019) and Danielson et al. (2020).
claimThe timing and extent of sea-ice retreat in the Arctic acts as a primary driver for marine systems, affecting water-column characteristics, the phenology and spatial extent of primary production, and the abundance, species composition, and nutritional quality of lower trophic organisms.
claimMigratory movements of Arctic marine vertebrates are often driven by the timing and extent of sea ice, which defines suitable habitat for some animals and limits access to open water and prey for others.
claimAltered animal distributions, changes in phenology, and reduced sea ice affect access to animals that are critical nutritional, economical, and cultural components of Indigenous people’s lives in the Arctic.
referenceA. R. Szesciorka and K. M. Stafford found that sea ice directs changes in bowhead whale phenology through the Bering Strait in a 2023 study published in Movement Ecology.
claimBowhead whales in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region wintered farther north into the Chukchi Sea during 2018 and 2019, moving away from their typical winter home range in the western Bering Sea due to a lack of sea ice, according to Citta et al. (2023).
claimThe ivory gull is an ice-dependent seabird that feeds on prey ranging from marine invertebrates to seal carcasses and is tightly linked to sea ice habitats throughout the year.
claimArctic sea ice has experienced a decline in area, thickness, and seasonal duration over the last 20 years, a trend expected to continue as northern latitude air and water temperatures increase.
claimThe reduction in sea ice in the Arctic is likely to increase human activities such as vessel traffic, oil, gas, and mining exploration and extraction, and coastal construction, which introduce artificial light, ocean noise, and collision risks that impact the migratory behaviors of some species.
claimThe lifestyles of Indigenous coastal communities in Arctic North America, Greenland, and eastern Eurasia are closely associated with seasonal sea ice, and their traditional harvests are being impacted by a warming environment that alters the spatiotemporal patterns of migratory marine mammals, seabirds, and anadromous fishes.
referenceReduced sea-ice conditions have created a "boom time" for large whales in newly exposed areas of the Pacific Arctic (Moore, 2016).
claimSea-ice cover influences basic marine productivity and access to prey, which in turn affects both the temporal and spatial aspects of marine animal migration.
claimSeasonal and long-term sea ice have historically functioned as critical structural components of marine ecosystems throughout the circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic, as noted by Taylor et al. (2022) and IPCC et al. (2023).
claimSea-ice loss removes ecological barriers and creates ecological bridges across the Arctic, providing marine animals with increased access to prey and new travel corridors.
claimChristie et al. (2018) observed that spectacled eider survival declines at both extremes of the sea ice spectrum, indicating a non-linear effect of sea ice on the species.
claimClairbaux et al. (2019) suggest that climate change could alter bird migration patterns, potentially leading to transarctic flights and high-latitude residency in an Arctic free of sea ice.
claimPolar bears in Hudson Bay are spending more time on sea ice that is distributed farther north than in the past, with migrations to and from coastal areas tightly coupled to sea-ice concentrations and fragmentation, according to Miller et al. (2022) and Biddlecombe et al. (2021).
referenceHuntington et al. (2016) used traditional knowledge interviews to document the effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and subsistence hunters in northern Alaska.
claimThe marine dispersal of Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) is limited by the extent of sea-ice during the summer.
referenceFerguson, S. H., Dueck, L., Loseto, L. L., and Luque, S. P. (2010) published 'Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus seasonal selection of sea ice' in Marine Ecology Progress Series, volume 411, pages 285–297, examining how bowhead whales select sea ice habitats seasonally.
claimThe polar bear population in the southern Beaufort Sea has shown a trend toward less denning on sea ice and more denning on land, as documented by Olson et al. (2017).
claimAdult female polar bears in Baffin Bay favored lower sea-ice concentrations when it provided access to the continental shelf and delayed den entry, resulting in shorter denning durations, as reported by Escajeda et al. (2018).
claimFemale polar bears generally migrate between foraging areas on offshore sea ice during the summer and denning areas on land for the winter, with landfast sea ice serving as an important spring foraging area for mothers with young-of-the-year cubs.
claimFemale walruses and young animals, which previously remained year-round near sea ice over the shallow shelf of the Pacific Arctic, now move to land-based haul-out sites along the coasts of Alaska and Russia between feeding trips due to the northward retreat of sea ice, as reported by Jay et al. (2012).
claimPolar bear migrations involve significantly more swimming time in areas where sea ice has declined, which has energetic implications for individuals, according to Pilfold et al. (2017).
claimRinged seals (Pusa hispida) have maintained similar start times for their summer foraging migrations to preferred sea-ice concentrations, but they now require longer travel distances compared to previous decades.
referenceSpencer et al. (2014) published a study titled 'Annual movement patterns of endangered ivory gulls: the importance of sea ice' in PLoS ONE.
claimDolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) enter the ocean after land-fast ice breaks up, and their marine dispersal is limited by the extent of sea-ice in the summer.
claimIvory gulls forage on sea ice by scavenging on the remains of kills made by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) or polar foxes (Vulpes lagopus).
claimChukchi Sea polar bears are moving onto land for longer time periods due to reduced sea-ice cover, as reported by Rode et al. (2015; 2022).
claimReductions in sea ice are causing phenological changes in polar bear movement patterns, with some bears moving onto land earlier in the fall and departing later in the spring.
accountThe Nunavummiut, who are Inuit residents of Nunavut, have observed an increase in killer whales in Nunavut waters, which they associate with reductions in sea ice and changing movement patterns of the marine mammals that killer whales prey upon.
claimSea-ice loss in recent decades has drastically altered the physical and biological properties of Arctic marine systems, as reported by Fossheim et al. (2015), Descamps et al. (2017), Baker et al. (2020), and Danielson et al. (2020).
Climate Change & Its Impact on Migration and Breeding Cycles husson.edu Aug 20, 2025 3 facts
claimThe decline of Antarctic krill is driving population drops in chinstrap penguin colonies as the penguins lose both sea ice and their primary prey.
accountEmperor penguins experienced mass breeding failures in 2023, resulting in the likely loss of tens of thousands of chicks due to record low sea ice.
claimMarine species are negatively impacted by rising temperatures, shifting currents, and shrinking sea ice.
How Climate Change is Changing Animal Habits neefusa.org Oct 4, 2023 1 fact
claimBeluga whales are being pushed out of their normal migration routines due to unpredictable ice patterns caused by climate change, which increases the threat of getting trapped in the ice.