News Ecosystems

Some polar bears in Greenland survive on surprisingly little sea ice

‘Glacial mélange’ could provide a last, temporary refuge for some bears as the Earth warms

A polar bear stands atop glacial mélange — a floating mishmash of icebergs, sea ice fragments and snow that exists year-round

A polar bear stands atop glacial mélange — a floating mishmash of icebergs, sea ice fragments and snow that exists year-round — in southeast Greenland in September 2016.

Thomas W. Johansen/NASA Oceans Melting Greenland

By Nikk Ogasa

“Pihoqahiak” means “ever-wandering one,” and is an Inuit name for the polar bear, a creature known to roam vast expanses of sea ice, sometimes plodding thousands of kilometers a year in search of seals.