In January of 2013, federal biologists established Endangered Species Act protection for two species of Alaska's arctic seals in light of scientific evidence that predicts significant loss of sea ice in the foreseeable future. The federal agency in charge of marine mammal protection, NOAA, will list the Beringia and Okhotsk populations of bearded seals, as well as the Arctic, Okhotsk, and Baltic subspecies of ringed seals as "threatened." The Ladoga subspecies of ringed seals will be listed as "endangered."
These seals, found in the waters off Alaska, are the first species since polar bears, listed as threatened in 2008, to be protected primarily because of global warming trends. Pacific walruses became candidates for listing in 2011 but have not yet been officially designated as threatened.
"Arctic animals face a clear danger of extinction from climate change," said Shaye Wolf, Center for Biological Diversity science director. "The Endangered Species Act offers strong protections for these seals, but we can't save the Arctic ecosystem without confronting the broader climate crisis."
Only three species of artic wildlife have been declared endangered under the Endangered Species Act, the beluga whale, bowhead whale, and the critically endangered Eskimo curlew, a shorebird which may already be extinct.
Beluga whales are well suited to life in frigid Arctic waters because they are have a thick layer of blubber beneath their skin that accounts for as much as 40 percent of their body mass. This fat helps keep the whales warm. They frequent shallow coastal waters, often only a few feet deep, but they can swim in deeper water as well. Among the ice floes of the Arctic and subarctic sea, water temperatures can drop as low as 32 °F. Interestingly, belugas are also known to swim into the freshwater of estuaries and river basins.
The Cook Inlet population of belugas is the only group that is considered endangered because it is the most isolated and its numbers have plummeted over the last several decades. The National Marine Fisheries Society estimates this population numbered as many as 1,300 in the late 1970s, but recent estimates suggest there are now only about 325 beluga whales in the Cook Inlet. This decrease has been attributed to the disturbance of shipping activity, oil and gas production and transport, commercial fishing (use of gillnets), pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, recreation, and noise from offshore oil drilling.
Of all large whales, the bowhead whale is the best adapted to life in icy Arctic waters, living among sea ice for most of the year. It has a layer of blubber up to 1.6 feet thick for warmth, and its huge head is designed to break through thick ice. According to the National Marine Fisheries Society, the historic worldwide abundance of bowhead whales prior to commercial exploitation is estimated at about 30,000 to 50,000 whales. Commercial exploitation drove the worldwide abundance down to about 3,000 by the 1920s, and current populations are estimated to number between 7,000 and 10,000. Threats in recent years have included collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, and noise from offshore oil drilling. Subsistence harvest by native people continues and is regulated by the International Whaling Commission and the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.
The Spitsbergen, Baffin Bay-Davis Strait, and Sea of Okhotsk populations are listed as "endangered." The Hudson Bay-Fox Basin population is listed as "vulnerable," and the Bering-Chukni-Beaufort population is listed as "lower risk, conservation dependent."
The Eskimo curlew is a 12-inch-long shorebird that nests in the Arctictundra. The last sighting was reported 1996 in the Canadian province of Manitoba, but it was not officially documented. The last documented sighting wasreported in Texas, along its migratory route, in 1962. No curlews have been confirmed on their Arctic wintering grounds since 1939. Hunting and habitatloss caused a rapid decline of this species in recent decades. Despite the fact that no Eskimo curlews have been seen in over 40 years, the species isunlikely to be declared extinct until all potential breeding areas have been surveyed and unconfirmed sightings are no longer reported. However, if thereare any left, they remain in such small numbers that their risk of extinction is imminent.
These seals, found in the waters off Alaska, are the first species since polar bears, listed as threatened in 2008, to be protected primarily because of global warming trends. Pacific walruses became candidates for listing in 2011 but have not yet been officially designated as threatened.
"Arctic animals face a clear danger of extinction from climate change," said Shaye Wolf, Center for Biological Diversity science director. "The Endangered Species Act offers strong protections for these seals, but we can't save the Arctic ecosystem without confronting the broader climate crisis."
Only three species of artic wildlife have been declared endangered under the Endangered Species Act, the beluga whale, bowhead whale, and the critically endangered Eskimo curlew, a shorebird which may already be extinct.
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1. Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
Beluga whales are well suited to life in frigid Arctic waters because they are have a thick layer of blubber beneath their skin that accounts for as much as 40 percent of their body mass. This fat helps keep the whales warm. They frequent shallow coastal waters, often only a few feet deep, but they can swim in deeper water as well. Among the ice floes of the Arctic and subarctic sea, water temperatures can drop as low as 32 °F. Interestingly, belugas are also known to swim into the freshwater of estuaries and river basins.
The Cook Inlet population of belugas is the only group that is considered endangered because it is the most isolated and its numbers have plummeted over the last several decades. The National Marine Fisheries Society estimates this population numbered as many as 1,300 in the late 1970s, but recent estimates suggest there are now only about 325 beluga whales in the Cook Inlet. This decrease has been attributed to the disturbance of shipping activity, oil and gas production and transport, commercial fishing (use of gillnets), pollution, habitat destruction and alteration, recreation, and noise from offshore oil drilling.
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2. Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus)
Of all large whales, the bowhead whale is the best adapted to life in icy Arctic waters, living among sea ice for most of the year. It has a layer of blubber up to 1.6 feet thick for warmth, and its huge head is designed to break through thick ice. According to the National Marine Fisheries Society, the historic worldwide abundance of bowhead whales prior to commercial exploitation is estimated at about 30,000 to 50,000 whales. Commercial exploitation drove the worldwide abundance down to about 3,000 by the 1920s, and current populations are estimated to number between 7,000 and 10,000. Threats in recent years have included collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, and noise from offshore oil drilling. Subsistence harvest by native people continues and is regulated by the International Whaling Commission and the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.
The Spitsbergen, Baffin Bay-Davis Strait, and Sea of Okhotsk populations are listed as "endangered." The Hudson Bay-Fox Basin population is listed as "vulnerable," and the Bering-Chukni-Beaufort population is listed as "lower risk, conservation dependent."
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3. Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis)
The Eskimo curlew is a 12-inch-long shorebird that nests in the Arctictundra. The last sighting was reported 1996 in the Canadian province of Manitoba, but it was not officially documented. The last documented sighting wasreported in Texas, along its migratory route, in 1962. No curlews have been confirmed on their Arctic wintering grounds since 1939. Hunting and habitatloss caused a rapid decline of this species in recent decades. Despite the fact that no Eskimo curlews have been seen in over 40 years, the species isunlikely to be declared extinct until all potential breeding areas have been surveyed and unconfirmed sightings are no longer reported. However, if thereare any left, they remain in such small numbers that their risk of extinction is imminent.
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