It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to call the Polar Bear and “indicator species”. An Indicator Species is an animal or plant that acts as a kind of “canary in the coal mine”. They often reflect the health of an ecosystem based on factors including abnormal physiological changes, impacts of pollution, or even climate change. In this case, climate change is a big factor.

Polar Bears have evolved over the last 200,000 years to be masters of cold climate ice hunting. They have a layer of insulating fat that can be up to 4.5 inches thick, a multi-layered coat of transparent, pigment-free hollow fur, large footpads, etc. And, to top it off, they are big — that’s why they win the prize for the largest land predator.

Their hunting grounds are shrinking due to rapid ice melt. This influences range, birth rates, animal health, food supply, and the bear’s resilience through leaner times. One sub-population saw more than a 20% decline in their population since 1980. That’s the equivalent of 572,000 Chicago residents disappearing off the planet. That would cause some concern wouldn’t it? How would you respond if I told you that the number jumped to 1,887,000 over the next 40 years? The time to act is now. Not only for the Polar Bear, but with respect to positive change — period!

Countries with Polar Bear populations recognize the need for conservation, education, and environmental protection for the species. The US Government updated the status of the Polar Bear to “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (May 14, 2008).

Kudos to all involved in assisting the Polar Bear, the planet, and its species.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can help? Please visit PolarBearSOS.org for more information and education on the subject.

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O.k., I have no scientific proof of that calculation in the title. But, after you read this you may start to wonder if my estimate was a bit low with respect to the amount of plastic in our oceans.

There really is a place in the Pacific Ocean where you can see floating plastic at counts reaching a million pieces per square mile. Yes, it’s real. You betcha!

The Pacific Ocean is host to what some refer to as the “Garbage Patch”. That may sound “cute” to some, but it’s a horrible, massive blob of trash including discarded fishing nets, plastic bottles, caps, and containers, even items you may not think about like tooth brushes, combs, and even computer monitors.

• Why does it gather in that location? That’s where the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is located. A gyre is a spiraling collection of currents. And, in the North Pacific, you have some powerful currents converging.
• What else makes it collect in that manner? A phenomenon called Langmuir Circulation. It’s when two masses of water push together. You have likely seen this in action if you have ever seen long, organized streaks of sea foam or perhaps seaweed on the water’s surface. During this process, anything that floats stays on the surface.

I highly recommend the following article on the topic.

Why you will make a difference: Whether you are walking on the beach or fishing, take proactive action the next time you see trash. You help the environment by picking it up and disposing/recycling it appropriately before it can be carried away and cause harm. You may be helping protect property too…ever know someone who got fishing line, or other stuff, caught in their boat prop? Not fun.

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I keep hearing it…But, what does it mean when a species is “threatened”?

No, no…this does not mean that a predator projected ill intentions that will cause harm to its prey. It really means that a species is placed into one of three categories as part of the Threatened sub-set according to the ICUN. The catalyst is a decreasing population of that species through all, or a significant portion, of its range. There are three tiers of threatened. They are Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable. I will provide more on these definitions later.

Plants and animals on the list can change from on category to another. Animals can be “rediscovered” or one can have a surviving population deteriorate. Also, species can be “delisted” by the proper authority if sufficient data points to healthy and recovered populations. Most of the time the populations get worse. 99% of the threatened species can be linked directly to human complacency.

Read the full article here.

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