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Tape-record low May sea ice rings alarm bells for Canada's Hudson Bay polar bears

The degree of sea ice covering Canada's Hudson Bay struck a record low for May, magnifying concern on the fate of the some 4,000 polar bears that live there, as new research study contributes to a growing scientific agreement that the area's bears are on track to vanish within decades.

Three of the world's staying 19 polar bear populations live in and around Canada's vast Hudson Bay, which links to the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The area is unique compared to the Arctic as the Bay defrosts out completely in summer, requiring bears to come ashore while they wait for the ice to return. The bears do not consume throughout this time, as they require sea ice to hunt seals.

While the Bay usually remains covered in ice in May, this year the eastern portion of

Hudson Bay

opened up, the National Snow and Ice Data Service stated, as strong winds shifted ice westward. This led Hudson Bay to register its least expensive extent of ice for May in the satellite record going back to 1979, at 205,000 square kilometres (79,000. square miles) below par.

It's a very uncommon scenario, stated polar bear biologist. Andrew Derocher of the University of Alberta. There are less. bears in eastern Hudson Bay, but there is much less learnt about. where they come from.

Bears using the location, he included, most likely vacated as the. ice moved this year. However if they got stuck on the overseas. islands, they'll likely remain in trouble as the ice disappeared. from that area and hasn't come back, he said.

Derocher said the bears he observed during spring fieldwork. in Western Hudson Bay seemed in excellent condition, however that. will not continue as climate change overthrows the bears' habitat.

LOCAL TERMINATION. A study released in the journal Nature Communications Earth and. Environment on Thursday highlighted the peril dealing with the world's. southernmost polar bear populations.

If the world were to breach the U.N. Paris Agreement target. of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees. Fahrenheit) above preindustrial temperatures, the research study. recommends polar bears in Western Hudson Bay and Southern Hudson. Bay would be in serious problem.

Under present emissions policies, the world is on track to. surpass 1.5 C of warming in the 2030s.

The disappearance of the Southern Hudson Bay polar bears is. imminent, with Western Hudson Bay not far behind, said research study. lead author Julienne Stroeve of the University of Manitoba.

If we discuss the 2 C of warming, we can't really hope that. those bears will still stay there.. The Western Hudson Bay polar bear population has actually already fallen. by half given that 1987.

The research study, which utilized warming forecasts from 20 environment. models, determined Western Hudson Bay would become an unsuitable. environment for polar bears at around 2.2 C (4 F) of warming.

Southern Hudson Bay would no longer have the ability to support bears. at in between 1.6 C and 2.1 C (2.9 F and 3.8 F) of warming, as the. extended open water period would force bears to quick beyond. the point of survival.

While previous studies have made similar forecasts, the. brand-new research study factored in sea ice thickness for the very first time. Even if sea ice exists, it may not be thick adequate to. support the weight of an adult bear.

Previous research studies examining future polar bear survival, Stroeve. stated, may have undervalued how long polar bears will be. forced to go without searching by around 50 days when just. analyzing sea ice degree.

(source: Reuters)