Space use of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Davis Strait in relation to sea ice and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) rely on seals as their primary prey, yet predator–prey spatial relationships are poorly understood. We examined the spatial relationship between Davis Strait polar bears and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus Erxleben, 1777), using satellite telemetry for...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Arctic Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2023-0052 |
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| Summary: | Polar bears (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) rely on seals as their primary prey, yet predator–prey spatial relationships are poorly understood. We examined the spatial relationship between Davis Strait polar bears and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus Erxleben, 1777), using satellite telemetry for both species. We analyzed sea ice trends using remote sensing (1979–2021) to examine how their environment may be changing using four sea ice seasons (freeze-up, winter, break-up, and summer). Sea ice cover decreased and summer season lengthened over time. Polar bears (n = 18) tracked in 1991–2001 for 7–12 months had a mean 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home range size of 108 146 km2 (standard error of the mean (SE) = 18 252 km2) and a mean 95% kernel density home range size (kernel density estimate (KDE)) of 76 863 km2 (SE = 12 260 km2). Harp seals (n = 22) tracked for 5–8 months in 1993–2005 had a mean 95% MCP of 693 403 km2 (SE = 74 384 km2) and a mean 95% KDE of 395 316 km2 (SE = 48 688 km2). During freeze-up, the core-use areas of both species did not overlap, but the broad-use areas did. During break-up, the broad-use areas overlapped more than the core-use areas. The space use of both species was influenced by the sea ice seasons and these seasons have changed over time. |
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| ISSN: | 2368-7460 |