Wildlife harvest remains a conservation concern for many species and assessing patterns of harves... more Wildlife harvest remains a conservation concern for many species and assessing patterns of harvest can provide insights on sustainability and inform management. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are harvested over a large part of their range by local people. The species has a history of unsustainable harvest that was largely rectified by an international agreement that required science-based management. The objective of our study was to examine the temporal patterns in the number of polar bears harvested, harvest sex ratios, and harvest rates from 1970 to 2018. We analyzed data from 39,049 harvested polar bears (annual mean 797 bears) collected from 1970 to 2018. Harvest varied across populations and times that reflect varying management objectives, episodic events, and changes based on new population estimates. More males than females were harvested with an overall M:F sex ratio of 1.84. Harvest varied by jurisdiction with 68.0% of bears harvested in Canada, 18.0% in Greenland, 11.8% i...
The file set contains photographic identification and group size data for seal-feeding killer wha... more The file set contains photographic identification and group size data for seal-feeding killer whales observed in Norwegian coastal waters. All records of observations and/or predation events for these killer whales are available. Additionnal records of predation on seal prey by unidentified killer whale individuals are also reported.
Marine mammals are top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems and are key to ecosystem functioning... more Marine mammals are top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems and are key to ecosystem functioning. Many Arctic marine mammal species are important resources and hold special cultural significance in Arctic communities. The CBMP (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme) Marine Mammal Expert Network aggregated and reviewed data on the population status and trends of all 11 ice-associated marine mammal Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs) across eight Arctic Marine Areas as well as the state of current monitoring (and research) efforts for these species. Changes taking place in the physical environment in the Arctic due to global warming are affecting marine mammal behaviour, abundance, growth rates, body condition and reproduction, and impacting the resilience of marine mammal populations with concomitant effects on the people who rely on them for subsistence, economic and cultural purposes. Effective marine mammal population monitoring will need improved techniques and application...
Wildlife management is predicated upon the use of scientific research to assist decision-making. ... more Wildlife management is predicated upon the use of scientific research to assist decision-making. However, assessment of the effectiveness of the management–research relationship is rarely undertaken. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have benefitted from an international agreement that required each of the countries within the species’ range to manage them using the best available scientific data. The objective of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on polar bears to describe research trends and to assess how effectively research has met management needs. We analyzed 1191 peer-reviewed scientific papers from 1886–2016 covering 24 research topics. Annual counts of papers within each research topic were assessed for temporal trends, spatial coverage, and the extent to which they have facilitated management and monitoring needs. The annual number of papers increased from <10 in the early 1960s to >50 in recent years with a mean of 2.2 papers per s...
Wildlife harvest remains a conservation concern for many species and assessing patterns of harves... more Wildlife harvest remains a conservation concern for many species and assessing patterns of harvest can provide insights on sustainability and inform management. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are harvested over a large part of their range by local people. The species has a history of unsustainable harvest that was largely rectified by an international agreement that required science-based management. The objective of our study was to examine the temporal patterns in the number of polar bears harvested, harvest sex ratios, and harvest rates from 1970 to 2018. We analyzed data from 39,049 harvested polar bears (annual mean 797 bears) collected from 1970 to 2018. Harvest varied across populations and times that reflect varying management objectives, episodic events, and changes based on new population estimates. More males than females were harvested with an overall M:F sex ratio of 1.84. Harvest varied by jurisdiction with 68.0% of bears harvested in Canada, 18.0% in Greenland, 11.8% i...
The file set contains photographic identification and group size data for seal-feeding killer wha... more The file set contains photographic identification and group size data for seal-feeding killer whales observed in Norwegian coastal waters. All records of observations and/or predation events for these killer whales are available. Additionnal records of predation on seal prey by unidentified killer whale individuals are also reported.
Marine mammals are top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems and are key to ecosystem functioning... more Marine mammals are top predators in Arctic marine ecosystems and are key to ecosystem functioning. Many Arctic marine mammal species are important resources and hold special cultural significance in Arctic communities. The CBMP (Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme) Marine Mammal Expert Network aggregated and reviewed data on the population status and trends of all 11 ice-associated marine mammal Focal Ecosystem Components (FECs) across eight Arctic Marine Areas as well as the state of current monitoring (and research) efforts for these species. Changes taking place in the physical environment in the Arctic due to global warming are affecting marine mammal behaviour, abundance, growth rates, body condition and reproduction, and impacting the resilience of marine mammal populations with concomitant effects on the people who rely on them for subsistence, economic and cultural purposes. Effective marine mammal population monitoring will need improved techniques and application...
Wildlife management is predicated upon the use of scientific research to assist decision-making. ... more Wildlife management is predicated upon the use of scientific research to assist decision-making. However, assessment of the effectiveness of the management–research relationship is rarely undertaken. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have benefitted from an international agreement that required each of the countries within the species’ range to manage them using the best available scientific data. The objective of this paper is to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature on polar bears to describe research trends and to assess how effectively research has met management needs. We analyzed 1191 peer-reviewed scientific papers from 1886–2016 covering 24 research topics. Annual counts of papers within each research topic were assessed for temporal trends, spatial coverage, and the extent to which they have facilitated management and monitoring needs. The annual number of papers increased from <10 in the early 1960s to >50 in recent years with a mean of 2.2 papers per s...
Uploads