Re-estimating the Size of the Polar Bear Population in Western Hudson Bay

ARCTIC ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
N.J. Lunn ◽  
I. Stirling ◽  
D. Andriashek ◽  
G.B. Kolenosky
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Western Hudson Bay

Distribution and abundance of ringed (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) in western Hudson Bay

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 914-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
N J Lunn ◽  
I Stirling ◽  
S N Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Current Estimate ◽  
Ringed Seals ◽  
Erignathus Barbatus ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Western Hudson Bay ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Bearded Seals

We flew a medium-altitude, systematic, strip-transect survey for ringed (Phoca hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) over western Hudson Bay in early June 1994 and 1995. The mean density (per square kilometre) of ringed seals hauled out on the ice was four times higher in 1995 (1.690) than in 1994 (0.380). The 1994 survey appeared to underestimate seal abundance because it was flown too late. Ringed seals preferred high ice cover habitat (6 + /8 ice) and, within this habitat, favoured cracking ice and large floes. We found no consistent effect of either wind or cloud cover on habitat preference. We estimated a total of 1980 bearded seals and 140<|>880 ringed seals hauled out on the sea ice in June 1995. A recent review of the relationship between ringed seal and polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations suggests that a visible population of this size should support a population of up to 1300 polar bears, which is in general agreement with the current estimate of 1250-1300 bears in western Hudson Bay.

scholarly journals Polar bear foraging behavior during the ice-free period in western Hudson Bay : observations, origins, and potential significance

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Gormezano ◽  
Andrew Barnas ◽  
Susan N. Ellis-Felege ◽  
David T. Iles ◽  
Robert F. Rockwell
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Potential Significance ◽  
Western Hudson Bay

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) maternity denning habitat in western Hudson Bay: a bottom-up approach to resource selection functions

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 860-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Richardson ◽  
Ian Stirling ◽  
David S Hik
Keyword(s):  
Resource Selection ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Landsat Imagery ◽  
Ursus Maritimus ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Selection Function ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Western Hudson Bay

We examined habitat characteristics of 101 polar bear (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) den sites and 83 adjacent unoccupied sites in western Hudson Bay, Canada, between mid-August and early October 2001 and 2002. Bears denned almost exclusively in peat banks (n = 100) along the edges of creeks, rivers, and lakes adjacent to open lichen tundra sites. Den sites differed from unoccupied sites by having greater tree cover (P = 0.002), less moss cover (P < 0.001), and less herbaceous cover (P = 0.005). The presence of tree roots improved substrate stability, providing support to den structures. Den entrance azimuths were weighted toward a southeasterly aspect (P < 0.005), away from the prevailing northwest winds. To identify habitats with the greatest relative probability of having a den, a resource selection function (RSF) model was developed using remote sensing imagery and 1245 known den locations. High normalized difference vegetation index and brightness values derived from Landsat imagery, which were in close proximity to water, corresponded well with polar bear den sites. Identification of critical denning areas through the use of RSF will provide resource managers with a valuable tool for ensuring the protection of denning habitat, and consequently female bears and their young.

Revisiting Western Hudson Bay: Using aerial surveys to update polar bear abundance in a sentinel population

2014 ◽  
Vol 170 ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth Stapleton ◽  
Stephen Atkinson ◽  
Daryll Hedman ◽  
David Garshelis
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Aerial Surveys ◽  
Western Hudson Bay ◽  
Sentinel Population

Hair Mercury Concentrations in Western Hudson Bay Polar Bear Family Groups

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 5313-5319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thea Bechshoft ◽  
Andrew E. Derocher ◽  
Evan Richardson ◽  
Nicholas J. Lunn ◽  
Vincent L. St. Louis
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Hair Mercury ◽  
Western Hudson Bay ◽  
Family Groups

Mercury and cortisol in Western Hudson Bay polar bear hair

Ecotoxicology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1315-1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bechshoft ◽  
A. E. Derocher ◽  
E. Richardson ◽  
P. Mislan ◽  
N. J. Lunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Western Hudson Bay

scholarly journals Polar Bear Foraging Behavior During the Ice-Free Period in Western Hudson Bay: Observations, Origins, and Potential Significance

2017 ◽  
Vol 3885 (3885) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda J. Gormezano ◽  
Susan N. Ellis-Felege ◽  
David T. Iles ◽  
Andrew Barnas ◽  
Robert F. Rockwell
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Potential Significance ◽  
Western Hudson Bay
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