ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2012) — As Arctic sea ice melts, Alaska's whales, walruses, and polar bears may face a new obstacle as they navigate local waters: traffic. According to an assemblage of Alaska Native groups and WCS, the rapid increase in shipping in these formerly frozen waterways poses a heightened risk to the region's marine mammals and the local communities that rely on them for food security and cultural identity.
The groups recently convened at a workshop in Anchorage, Alaska to examine these potential impacts. At issue is the effect of climate change on Arctic waters, which over the last few decades have become increasingly ice-free during summer and fall. The lengthening of the open-water season has led to new industrial developments, including oil and gas activities and a rising number of large maritime vessels. The ships transit either the Northern Sea Route over the Russian Arctic from Europe, or the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic from the Atlantic. Both routes require passage through the Bering Strait, the only gateway to the Pacific and a key migratory pathway for marine mammals heading to and from the Arctic Ocean.
Read on: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120316112549.htm
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