CLIMATE CHANGE THREATENS ARCTIC SPECIES BY DESTROYING HABITATS AND FOOD SOURCES

Increasing temperatures have led to ice caps melting at faster rates, potentially forcing species to migrate northward into regions of higher land density to escape from warming oceans and rising sea levels as food sources also become scarce. Krill are a major food source for these species; they reside on the underside of ice sheets where they consume algae. As Antarctic Sea ice melts, the krill habitat may decrease, which could lessen food availability for penguins and certain whales.

The Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) native to South America, has invaded every continent except Antarctica and is expected to broaden its range as the climate continues to warm. The presence of hyacinth deoxygenates rivers, killing fish populations and reducing income and food supply for local communities (IUCN, 2021).

The Adélie penguins live along the coast of Antarctica. Due to the melting ice sheets, they are also being forced to migrate. Some northern colonies migrated inward about 500 km in search of areas of higher ice concentration (Ballard, 2010).

North Atlantic Right Whales are critically endangered due to increasing water temperatures and changing wind and ocean currents, leaving behind only 200-250 mature individuals. As a result, their food sources are likely to move and become scarcer in the coming years (IUCN, 2020).

Whales need specific ocean temperatures for migration, feeding, and reproduction, but rising temperatures are disrupting habitats and threatening species survival. Specifically, female North Atlantic Right Whales are traveling farther for food and facing other threats, which has led to a decrease in birth rates (ifaw, 2023).

Vulnerable polar bears rely on ice for hunting, sleeping, and mating and for dens to raise their cubs. Climate change reduces the availability of Arctic Sea ice, as ice would begin to melt earlier in spring and freeze later in fall threatening the polar bear population (IUCN, 2015). Risk of human-wildlife conflict would also increase, since polar bears would start to spend more time on land than ice. This has led to the creation of a new species: the pizzley, which is the offspring of a polar bear and grizzly bear.

To conclude, climate change is a major threat to arctic species by endangering populations through destroying habitats and food sources and forcing northward migration in search of colder environments.