POLAR BEAR RESEARCH IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC: WRANGEL ISLAND, CENTRAL ARCTIC BASIN. Principal investigator Nikita Ovsyanikov

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1 POLAR BEAR RESEARCH IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC: WRANGEL ISLAND, CENTRAL ARCTIC BASIN Principal investigator Nikita Ovsyanikov

2 Research structure: Since Monitoring of local polar bear sub-population in autumn seasons Objectives: - Number and distribution - Demographic composition - Physical condition 2. Research on population and behavioral ecology of polar bears in Wrangel Island region Objectives: - Dynamics in distribution and demographic structure of polar bears stranded on Wrangel Island during ice free seasons; - bear on-shore movement patterns, terrestrial habitat use; - foraging activity and hunting behavior; - social behavior; - behavior during encounters with humans; - reaction to disturbance (to human presence and activity, AVTs and other transportation means, response to deterrent tools); - Dynamics of bear physical condition and mortality.

3 Main goals: Understand processes that govern population dynamics, social life, encounters with other species, including humans.

4 B L FG 2007: 2420km 246h : 2667km 241h Logistics: Land based observations

5 Number of polar bears recorded on Wrangel island year max number of bears in congregation at Cape Blossom at a time overall count on the island overall estimated number of bears on the island ice condition Ice Free Ice Free Ice Free IceFree- Extreme IceFree- Extreme

6 Processes observed on Wrangel Island may illustrate polar bear strategy of surviving Ice free seasons in coastal ecosystems

7 Polar bear survey in the Central Arctic in 2005 and 2007

8 Polar bear recordings 2005 DATE COORDINATES NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND STATUS PHYSICAL CONDITION DATE COORDINATES NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND STATUS PHYSICAL CONDITION º30.79 N 177º34.36 E 1 bear swimming in the water º52.15 N 175º45.50 E tracks of polar bear º34.51 N 177º55.74 E 1 bear; male; subad º52.20 N 176º34.55 E tracks of 1 polar bear leading to the North º40.21 N 178º19.52 E 1 bear; male º47.00 N 178º48.30 W tracks of 1 polar bear º54.50 N 178º46.00 E 1 female with 2 juv º41.90 N 178º22.24 W tracks of 1 polar beark º53.56 N 178º55.67 W 1 bear; male; adult º50.20 N 177º27.40 W 1 female with 1 juv º38.33 N 179º00.73 W 1 female with 2 TY º17.75 N 177º01.59 W tracks of polar bear º26.87 N 179º15.14 W 1 bear; adult º04.10 N 178º26.50 W 1 female with 2 TY º38.00 N 179º13.00 W tracks of polar bear º27.03 N 179º20.92 E tracks of polar bear º24.00 N 179º11.00 W 77º20.47 N 177º23.29 E 1 bear; adult 1 bear; female; adult º39.10 N 179º16.30 E 74º N 179º E 1 bear; adult 4 1 bear in the water 4

9 Polar bear recordings, 2007 DATE COORDINATES 80º24.50 N 66º02.10 E 83º º14.60 N 060º º22.60 E 83º16.80 N 060º17.60 E 84º10.40 N 054º44.60 E 84º º13.00 N 054º º39.50 E NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND STATUS 1 bear; female; adult tracks of 4 polar bears tracks of 2 polar bears track of 1 bear tracks of 6 bears PHYSICAL CONDITION 5 DATE COORDINA TES NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND STATUS PHYSICAL CONDITION º05.00 N 1 bear; adult º32.00 N 49º21.00 E 84º27.00 N 48º51.00 E 83º55.00 N 47º18.70 E 83º º18.00 N 45º º36.70 E tracks of 1 polar bear traces of 1 polar bear traces of 1 polar bear tracks of 7 bears including 1 female with 1 juv º14.40 N 055º48.60 E 1 bear; adult º35.20 N 41º39.70 E 1 bear; male; adult º05.03 N 53º40.00 E 84º º36.20 N 056º º50.60 E 90º º59.00 N 25º E 88º34.80 N 120º13.70 W 89º º06.90 N 48º º52.50 tracks of bear hunt - blood on the ice tracks of 2 polar bears 1 bear; female; adult tracks of polar bear tracks of 2 bears º29.90 N 41º30.10 E 82º27.50 N 41º28.70 E 82º º22.00 N 41º º28.10 E 82º N 41º º58.30 E 82º15.40 N 041º58.9 E 1 bear; adult; male 4 tracks of FG with juv. tracks of 25 polar bears tracks of 8 polar bears 1 bear; male; adult 4

10 Polar bear female recorded at the North Pole, August 1-2, 2007

11 Seal recordings in the Central Arctic Basin number of seals º-76º N 76º-77º N 77º-78º N 78º-79º N degree of Northern latitude º- 82º N 82º- 83º N 83º- 84º N 84º- 85º N 85º- 86º N 86º- 87º N 87º- 88º N 88º- 89º N 89º- 90º N 90º N

12 Ringed seals were recorded at all parts of the route across Ice North of Wrangel from 75 through N All polar bears in CAB were in good physical shape F/1juv was recorded at a killed seal at / , at sea depth 1500 m All bears in the High Arctic were recorded on substantial ice

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14 Seasonal splitting of Chukchi-Alaskan population Ch W A CAB

15 Sept 30, 2009 US FWS

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17 REACTION TO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES 1. Decrease of number, some populations may disappear 2. Global redistribution 3. Increase of gene flow between populations 4. Seasonal splitting of some geographical populations 5. Extended periods of stranding (switch to terrestrial life stile) 6. Switch to alternative food resources 7. Increased maternity denning on drifting ice 8. Increased sociality during periods of stranding 9. Increased nutritional stress and probability of cannibalism

18 OBJECTIVES FOR SAT-TRACKING and HABITAT MONITORING Long-range movements, distribution Sea ice and land habitat use Activity On Ice/land vs in water Sea Ice characteristics, ice dynamics Distribution of food resources

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