Arctic Ice Melt Endangers Polar Bears as Antarctic Study Probes Climate Past

Sea‑ice in the Arctic is shrinking at about 13 % per decade, cutting the hunting platform of polar bears (Ursus maritimus). The species now numbers roughly 22,000‑31,000 individuals across Canada, the United States (Alaska), Russia, Norway (Svalbard) and Greenland (Denmark). Loss of ice forces bears to fast on land and threatens their long‑term survival.

An international scientific team is drilling deep ice cores in Antarctica to retrieve ice up to two million years old. By analysing trapped air bubbles, the project will extend direct records of atmospheric CO₂, methane and other gases far beyond the existing 800,000‑year archive, helping to resolve past climate transitions and improve future climate projections.