Scientists have noticed significant ecological changes in the North Pacific near Alaska, including premature whales and slimmer seals, which they have linked to rising temperatures.
The life-cycle of the Chukchi and Bering Seas is driven by seasonal fluctuations in sea ice and water temperatures. Whales, walruses and other species move southwards into the Bering Sea in the winter months when the water freezes over. Snow melt and algae growth in the spring allows marine species to flourish in summer.
These balmier seasons have encouraged animals to migrate to the seas prematurely and stay longer. Bowhead whales were showing up near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, almost a month earlier than usual and some forewent their typical winter migration to a spot south of Anadyr Strait, the Bering Sea. Instead, choosing to stay in Chukchi.
Meanwhile, warmer temperatures are encouraging subarctic species like the Pacific cod to move further north, placing added pressure on the animals that already live there as they compete for limited food supplies. "It is possible that 2017 marked the crossing of a threshold that precludes return to the system state that was common just a decade ago," write the study's authors.
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