Description

Objective 7 Presentation Summary

Speaker: Lindsey Mangipane, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

This presentation provides a summary of the work completed under Objective 7: carry out coordinated circumpolar population research and monitoring to monitor progress toward achieving the vision of the CAP. Two actions were initiated and completed under this objective during the 2020–2023 implementation period with the intent to 1) investigate the feasibility of developing and implementing a long-term plan to monitor the Arctic Basin Subpopulation (RMV-A1), and 2) Identify studies already conducted/published which investigate how climate change effects vary among polar bear subpopulations on both temporal and spatial scales  and to conduct a cumulative effects analysis of climate change and human activities on polar bear and their habitats (RMV-A2).

The RMV-A1 report provided important information to inform the decisions on pursuing efforts to monitor the Arctic Basin subpopulation. The extreme effort and expense necessary to monitor the Arctic Basin subpopulation is reflected in the lack of data and recommendation that these funds and efforts be expended on other data-deficient subpopulations with fewer logistical challenges to monitoring. RMV-A2 was fulfilled through the U.S. Species Status Assessment and provides detailed information on current and future conditions of polar bear subpopulations across their circumpolar range.