NATION

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Thousands of
walrus have appeared on Alaska’s northwest
coast in what conservationists are
calling a dramatic consequence of global
warming melting the Arctic sea ice.
Alaska’s walrus, especially breeding
females, in summer and fall are
usually found on the Arctic ice pack.
But the lowest summer ice cap on
record put sea ice far north of the
outer continental shelf, the shallow,
life-rich shelf of ocean bottom in the
Bering and Chukchi seas.
Walrus feed on clams, snails and
other bottom dwellers. Given the
choice between an ice platform over
water beyond their 630-foot diving
range or gathering spots on shore,
thousands of walrus picked Alaska’s
rocky beaches.
“It looks to me like animals are shifting
their distribution to find prey,” said
Tim Ragen, executive director of the
federal Marine Mammal Commission.
“The big question is whether they will
be able to find sufficient prey in areas
where they are looking.”
According to the National Snow and
Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado
at Boulder, September sea ice was
39 percent below the long-term average
from 1979 to 2000. Sea ice cover is in a
downward spiral and may have passed
the point of no return, with a possible
ice-free Arctic Ocean by summer 2030,
senior scientist Mark Serreze said.
“This has all happened faster
than anyone could have predicted.
That’s why it’s so urgent action must
be taken,” said Deborah Williams,
president of nonprofit organization
Alaska Conservation Solutions.