Hudson Bay Population Study

Why it Matters

• As one of the best studied polar bear populations globally, Hudson Bay gives us a unique long term data set to examine trends and test new hypotheses that will inform areas less studied.
• Both the Western and Southern Hudson Bay polar bear populations have experienced declines directly tied to sea ice loss.

The Impact

• We're learning about polar bears’ on-ice ecology during their prime spring feeding period and on land ecology during the ice free period
• We're gaining insights into polar bear movements, reactions to changing sea ice patterns, distribution, health, predation of seals, terrestrial feeding, and defining their essential habitats
• Long-term monitoring is suggesting that the polar bears of James Bay could be a genetically unique group. 
• These studies refine previous research on topics like genetic aging, maladaption, and the possible merging of historical subpopulations.

These studies use a range of sampling efforts, including capture, satellite tracking, traditional and genetic mark-recapture methods, aerial surveys, biopsy darting and hair trapping, comprehensively sampling prey, and remote sensing and modelling sea ice.

Project Partners

• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures
• McGill University
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• University of Alberta
• University of Manitoba
• University of Toronto
• York University