They eat on ice and they give birth on ice. So if ice will disappear for a significant part of the year, these animals will be lost. The number of polar bears has already started to decrease and that is due to global warming. Scientists believe that although polar bears are great swimmers and they can swim for long distances, they drown because the number of ice sheets is becoming lower and lower.
Another arctic animal that is affected by the global warming is the walrus. Scientists discovered in summer of 2004, in the Canada Basin, a number of lonely walrus caves. They were swimming alone, far away from shore. Until then, scientists did not see walrus calves swim so far away from the shore in the summer. But because of the ice melting and the warmer temperature they need to look for food far away and let their pups alone. Walrus pups rely on their mothers until the age of two years. Sea ice is used by the walrus, especially by the walrus pups, as a resting place. Because they are left alone, they are vulnerable and an easy prey for predators. Bearded, ribbons, ringed and spotted seals are other arctic animals that are dependent of sea ice. Scientists believe that because of melting this entire branch of animals is going to suffer significant problems.
Animals from the Antarctic Peninsula are also affected by global warming. The rising of temperature determined a decrease in Adelie and Emperor penguins. These two species of penguins are the only ones dependent by ice. Adelies use sea ice for resting and feeding. Because of climate...
"The gentoo penguins thrive in open water and are using the same nesting sites that Adelies use, making things tougher for them." (Ibidem) Gentoo penguins are not the only animals that are migrating toward temperate climates. Red foxes from Canada are also migrating towards the Poles and are invading the Arctic fox's territories.
"Antarctic creatures are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures because the roughly circular Antarctic continent stops them moving south to escape warmer conditions." (Ocean warming threatens Antarctic wildlife) Professor Park claimed that arctic animals cannot adapt to higher temperatures. Their bodies are not designed to accept higher temperatures and because of that a lot of arctic animals will diminish or even disappear as wild species.
Scientists showed that global warming is a natural process, but because of human activity the process is accelerated. Variations in temperatures were normal until pollution from human activities started to be constant. Because global warming was accelerated Arctic animals do not have time to adapt to new conditions.
Reference:
1. Adam, David, Ocean warming threatens Antarctic wildlife, October 19, 2005, Retrieved December 5th, 2012, from the Guardian website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2005/oct/19/frontpagenews.climatechange
2. Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Impacts of a Warming Arctic -- Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, Cambridge University Press, December 13, 2004
3. Baker, Stuart, in the Artic, Marshall Cavendish, September 1, 2009
4. Effects on Wildlife and Habitat, Retrieved December 5th, 2012, from the National Wildlife Federation website: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat.aspx
5. Hassam, Threat to Polar Animals Due to Global Warming, Retrieved December 5th, 2012, from the Hubpages website: http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Threat-to-Polar-Animals-Due-to-Global-Warming
