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A study in the Ecological Applications journal published by the Ecological Society of America takes a look at arctic animals and how global warming affects them. As discussed in our previous post on 10 effects of global warming, marine arctic animals are threatened by arctic shrinkage or melting of the ice.
The study revealed that seven (7) “core” species, those the spend nearly all their lives in the arctic region, are in danger of being killed-off if global warming escalates. They are the following:
1. Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus).
The Bowhead Whale is also known as Greenland Right Whale or Arctic Whale. A stocky dark-colored whale without a dorsal fin, it can grow to 20 metres (66 ft) in length. Estimated maximum weight of this thick-bodied species is 136 tonnes (152 tons), second only to the Blue Whale, although the Bowhead lags behind several other whales in maximum length. The Bowhead spends all of its life in fertile Arctic waters, unlike other whales that migrate for feeding or reproduction. Current population is estimated from 14,400 to as many as 44,000 (wikipedia.org).
2. Beluga or White whale (Delphinapterus leucas).
The Beluga is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cousin of the narwhal. Popular as the white whales of the St. Lawrence river. This marine mammal is commonly referred to simply as the Beluga or Sea Canary due to its high pitched squeaks. It is up to 5 metres in length and an unmistakable all white in color with a distinctive melon-shaped head. The global population of beluga today stands at about 100,000, mainly threatened by pollution and hunting (wikipedia.org).
3. Narwhal (Monodon monoceros).
The narwhal’s name is ultimately derived from the Old Norse word for “corpse,” thus it is also known as the corpse whale. Narwhals are famous for their long tusks, which served as the basis for the myth of the unicorn. They are an arctic specialist species and are probably the most in danger to the melting of the ice. Narwhals move closer to coasts during summer and retreat to densely-packed ice in winter. The world population is currently estimated to be around 50,000 individuals (wikipedia.org).
4. Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbaratus).
The bearded seal or square flipper seal, is a medium-sized seal that is found in and near to the Arctic Ocean. It is a primary food source for polar bears and for the Inuit of the arctic coast. It is currently considered at a lower risk for extinction (wikipedia.org).
5. Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida).
The Ringed Seal, also known as the Jar Seal, is an earless seal inhabiting the northern coasts. They have a light gray coat spotted with black. Ring seals can be found throughout the arctic ocean. They are well known for maintaining breathing holes in the ice. In addition for threats from predators, due to the effects of global warming, icepacks have begun breaking up earlier than in the past. Birthing lairs are often destroyed before the seal pup is able to forage on its own leading to poor body condition (wikipedia.org).
6. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus).
Walruses are immediately recognizable due to their prominent tusks, whiskers and great bulk. Adult Pacific males can weigh up to 4,500 pounds and are exceeded in size only by the elephant seals among pinnipeds. They spend a significant proportion of their lives on sea ice in pursuit of their preferred diet of mollusks and are considered a keystone species in Arctic marine ecosystems (wikipedia.org).
7. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus).
The polar bear has become almost iconic for global warming but, in reality, the narwhal faces a bleaker future with the melting of arctic ice. Polar bears spends much of the year on the frozen seas as they can hunt consistently only from sea ice, although most polar bears are born on land. Biologists use a working estimate of about 20,000-25,000 polar bears worldwide (wikipedia.org).
Presently, none of these arctic species are on the endangered list. That may change in the future. Which do you think is the most appropriate mascot in our efforts to fight off global warming?
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9 comments ↓
It is a shame that all these majestic species, and many more i am sure, are in danger, only because of humans need to dominate everything they can see. I only hope that something can and will be done to reverse our ignorance.
I haven’t even seen most of these animals except in the television and in they future they’re in danger and might go extinct? That sucks! We should definitely do something before it’s too late.
Mascot for fighting global warming? Hmm… Not into the animal mascots. I’m thinking of babies holding hands encircling the globe. Kinda weird looking but the idea will probably get through. :-)
Nice blog!
@ Smile
Yep, they are only a few of the thousands of species that will possibly vanish due to global warming. The most in danger are coral reefs which are whole ecosystems. They’ll be killed when the ocean increases in acidity and temp.
@ Big Eyed Gal
Yes, not if we can help it. Babies holding hands… hmmnn, I can picture the logo already.
I wasn’t aware it had gone this far. Horrible but great information to know.
Global warming is real and it is not going away! This country needs to step up and start holding companies responsible for not changing business models to help the environment.
Hum…finally we humans are waking up to see our earth brothers/sisters are getting extinct and has that hard realization that we are next in that path. Looks like the sense that we owe to Mother Earth not only for us but for our future generations and for entire planet earth is becoming common knowledge.
This article is a great source of information to awake those who are ignorant and for those are aware. I think to work to reverse the effect global warming is not only responsibility of great nations, multinational corporations and companies but also of common people like you and me. If we start from our house, start preaching and practicing simple practices like switching off electric utilities when not required and turning off water tap and closing refrigerator door quickly, it will add up from each household and may impact faster. Just to exemplify the truth behind simplicity and practicing from home, I would share story of Mahatma Gandhi from Indian Freedom fight . He preached to deny the taxes on salt. For this he walked long distance with his followers and picked up the salt from sea shore. This simple action had ripple effect on the mighty British empire and helped gaining freedom to India. :D)
Well, in this long journey we are all together not only humans but all earth creatures, let us stay that way and help save our mother planet Earth. Best luck and best wishes to all of us. May THE ALMIGHTY bless us to be successful. :D)
Thanks for this informative article, please keep it .
You would think that people would finally realize that Global Warming is serious and try to help as much as possible. I have been keeping up with the effects of global warming and the animals that are being affected, and it breaks my heart.
Global warming not only affect the animal but also human being. To minimize the warming, human being shall do something on reduce pollution. Besides, make more plant is also important
Hello folks…
Thanks for the very nice comments. They are inspiring.
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