Original piece for Wild Art 2021

Watercolour and gouache on paper
180mm x 180mm, signed, unframed

Polar bears are the only bear species to be considered a marine mammal as they are entirely dependant on the sea for their diet and habitat. This is reflected in their scientific name Ursus maritimus meaning ‘sea bear’.

According to NASA, sea ice in the Arctic ocean is currently declining at a rate of 13.1 percent per decade due to global warming. Polar bears can be seen as a sentinel species (or the canary in the coal mine) for global warming and the overall health of the Arctic ecosystem, as their reliance on sea ice for hunting, breeding, and shelter makes them one of the most noticeably susceptible species.

As global temperatures rise, Arctic regions are heating up twice as fast compared to the rest of the world. Seasonal sea ice is now forming later in autumn and breaking up earlier in the spring. A 2020 study published in Ecological Applications observed the effect that these shrinking habitats had on polar bear behaviour. Tagged bears in Baffin Bay were shown to spend more time on land away from potential food sources, as well as longer fasting periods between hunts and smaller litters.

The IUCN currently lists polar bears as a vulnerable species. Although numbers are difficult to estimate accurately due to remoteness and low population density, they estimate that worldwide populations will decrease by roughly 30% by 2050.