Efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas emission levels combined with reductions in other stress factors related to Polar bears, like pollution, tourism and hunting, could help preserve the species.
The rapidly advancing erosion of shoreline is an obvious threat the existence of coastal villages in Alaska. This threat effects both wildlife habitat and culturally important sites.
The Arctic is experiencing some of the world’s most dramatic and rapidly evolving effects from climate change. Increasing air and ocean temperatures, thawing permafrost, loss of sea ice, and shifts in ecosystems are evidence of widespread and dramatic ongoing change. Critical environmental, economic, and national security issues are emerging that affect lives and livelihoods in coastal communities and inland areas across the region. NOAA’s diverse capabilities to address these emerging issues are the backbone of the strategy.
There is still much to learn about the interaction of organisms found in high latitude ecosystems. Rising temperatures in the north may not automatically equate to a positive feedback to the soil carbon feedback cycle.
Scientists with the USGS believe sea-surface temperatures that existed during the mid-Pliocene era that were too warm to support sea ice during the summer season.
As an arctic state, it is recognized that Alaska will bear the significant effects of climate change. Extensive beach erosion and disappearing lakes offer clues of coming change. The state worldview of the issue is at times tenuous. While many leaders here deny even the existence of climate change, most will concede change is underway. [...]
Currently sea ice covers some 1.8 million square miles of the arctic during the summer season. Recent research expects the ice extent to rapidly decrease over the next 30 years to an average area of 390,000 square miles, which is a much shorter period than previous anticipated. Muyin Wang and James Overland had their study [...]
