08 January: New study examines climate warming impacts on ringed seal breeding habitats in Svalbard

A recent study by Kovacs and colleagues, titled “Climate warming impacts on ringed seal breeding habitat in Svalbard”, was published in Ecological Modelling in July 2024. In this research the authors use a model to explore how rising temperatures are affecting the availability and quality of sea ice, which ringed seals rely on for breeding.

The study highlights the critical role of stable sea ice in providing safe spaces for ringed seals to raise their pups. As warming temperatures reduce ice cover and alter its characteristics, the seals face increasing challenges in finding suitable breeding habitats.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2024.110790

Photo credit: Kit Kovacs