Space-Use Strategy Is an Important Determinant of PCB Concentrations in Female Polar Bears in the Barents Sea

2003 ◽  
Vol 37 (21) ◽  
pp. 4919-4924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gro H. Olsen ◽  
Mette Mauritzen ◽  
Andrew E. Derocher ◽  
Eugen G. Sørmo ◽  
Janneche U. Skaare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Important Determinant ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

scholarly journals Stability of space use in Svalbard coastal female polar bears: intra-individual variability and influence of kinship

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clément Brun ◽  
Marie-Anne Blanchet ◽  
Rolf A. Ims ◽  
Jon Aars
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Gps Telemetry ◽  
Svalbard Archipelago ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Kin Structure

Philopatry influences animal distribution and can lead to a kinship-based spatial structure, where proximity and relatedness are tightly linked. In the Barents Sea region, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the coastal ecotype remain year-round within the Svalbard archipelago. This coastal strategy is thought to be stable across years; however, little is known about the intra-individual variability in site fidelity or the influence of kinship on space use. Using high-resolution GPS telemetry, we looked at multi-year philopatry among 17 coastal female polar bears over eight years (2011–19) and investigated whether it is linked to the females’ degree of kinship. Individuals showed a stable space use in both consecutive and non-consecutive years. Yearly individual home ranges (HRs) overlapped, on average, by 44% (range: 9–96%), and their centroids were, on average, 15 km (range: 2–63 km) apart. The space use of related females revealed a year-round strong female kin structure. Annual HRs of related females overlapped, on average, by 24% (range: 0–66%), and their centroids were, on average, 18 km (range: 2–52 km) apart. In contrast, non-related females had much larger distances between centroids (average: 160 km, range: 59–283 km). Additionally, females showed a great site fidelity in all seasons: individual seasonal HR centroids were, on average, less than 30 km (range: 1.8–172 km) apart. Bears in this region seem to exhibit a stronger site fidelity than those reported from other parts of the species range. These findings also highlight the importance of maternal learning in space use.

Aerial strip surveys of polar bears in the Barents Sea

1990 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-311
Author(s):  
Øystein Wiig ◽  
Vidar Bakken
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

scholarly journals Sea ice resource selection models for polar bears in the Barents Sea subpopulation

Ecography ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lone ◽  
Benjamin Merkel ◽  
Christian Lydersen ◽  
Kit M. Kovacs ◽  
Jon Aars
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Selection Models ◽  
The Barents Sea

scholarly journals Pelagic vs Coastal—Key Drivers of Pollutant Levels in Barents Sea Polar Bears with Contrasted Space-Use Strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 985-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Blévin ◽  
Jon Aars ◽  
Magnus Andersen ◽  
Marie-Anne Blanchet ◽  
Linda Hanssen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Key Drivers

scholarly journals Space-use strategy affects energy requirements in Barents Sea polar bears

2020 ◽  
Vol 639 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Blanchet ◽  
J Aars ◽  
M Andersen ◽  
H Routti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Sea Ice ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Gps Collars ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
High Caloric Diet

Polar bears Ursus maritimus are currently facing rapid environmental changes with loss of sea ice and shifts in their prey distribution. Two distinct ecotypes exist in the Barents Sea, where sea ice is decreasing at the highest rate in the Arctic. Coastal bears remain within the Archipelago of Svalbard year-round, whereas offshore bears follow the marginal ice zone (MIZ). We explored these 2 ecotypes’ habitat use, activity and energy needs as well as seasonal variation within these parameters. During the period from 2011-2018, adult female polar bears were equipped with GPS collars and activity sensors (n = 84); 46 of these were equipped with conductivity switches to record aquatic behaviour. Offshore bears travelled longer distances at a higher speed on land and at sea away from land and had a higher activity rate compared to coastal bears. This translated into higher overall energy expenditure. Offshore bears also undertook more distant and energetically costly trips from land to the MIZ, swimming in open water. Both ecotypes showed similar seasonal patterns of activity and movement consistent with their life history linked to sea ice phenology. Despite higher energy expenditure, the offshore strategy seemed to be as profitable as the coastal one as females had marginally better spring body condition, likely due to their specialized high caloric diet of seals throughout the year. However, both ecotypes are currently experiencing habitat changes. Future studies should aim to predict how rapidly declining sea ice in the Barents Sea may challenge polar bears energetically during the coming decades.

Female polar bears, Ursus maritimus, on the Barents Sea drift ice: walking the treadmill

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Mauritzen ◽  
Andrew E Derocher ◽  
Olga Pavlova ◽  
Øystein Wiig
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

Families in space: relatedness in the Barents Sea population of polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 735-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. ZEYL ◽  
J. AARS ◽  
D. EHRICH ◽  
Ø. WIIG
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

Serosurvey for Trichinella in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea

2010 ◽  
Vol 172 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 256-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjetil Åsbakk ◽  
Jon Aars ◽  
Andrew E. Derocher ◽  
Øystein Wiig ◽  
Antti Oksanen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

scholarly journals BRUCELLA SP. ANTIBODIES IN POLAR BEARS FROM SVALBARD AND THE BARENTS SEA

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Tryland ◽  
Andrew E. Derocher ◽  
Øystein Wiig ◽  
Jacques Godfroid
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
The Barents Sea

scholarly journals Choose Your Poison—Space-Use Strategy Influences Pollutant Exposure in Barents Sea Polar Bears

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 3211-3221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Tartu ◽  
Jon Aars ◽  
Magnus Andersen ◽  
Anuschka Polder ◽  
Sophie Bourgeon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barents Sea ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Polar Bears
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