Last year saw the warmest global ocean temperatures in recorded history and, not coincidentally, the largest summer melt-back of Arctic sea ice on record. Just a few years ago, scientists predicted ice-free Arctic summers within this century; today, those estimates have been revised to within the next few years.
For the polar bear, a highly specialized animal that lives out its days on the sea ice, this change is cataclysmic. The polar bear’s habitat—the means of satisfying the species’ basic needs—is literally melting away. The conclusion of the panel of scientists and government representatives charged with assessing the polar bear’s status for the International Union for Conservation of Nature is dire: “It seems unlikely,” the committee report states, “that polar bear will be able to adapt to the current warming trend in the Arctic.”