11 Arctic species affected by climate change

Pacific walrus in a haul-out in Chukotka © Anatoly Kruchnev 

Walruses can weigh over a tonne and both sexes sport impressive tusks. 

Many walruses use the sea ice as a platform for resting, and a place to leave young calves while they’re diving for food. But loss of their sea ice habitat is forcing larger numbers ashore. On land, they’re highly susceptible to disturbance from people, aircraft and predators such as polar bears, which can spook them and cause crushing stampedes. 

Reindeer herd, Canada © Peter Ewins / WWF-Canada 

Reindeer are the only deer where both males and females have antlers. 

Reindeer numbers across the Arctic have fallen by more than half in the past two decades. They survive by migrating to find food, using their hooves to dig through the snow to eat the nutritious lichen buried underneath. But climate change means herds must swim across previously frozen rivers and many young calves drown – and rising temperatures mean more rain, covering plants with ice instead of snow, making grazing harder.

Saimaa ringed seal pup © Ismo Marttinen / WWF-Finland 

In the southeast of Finland lies a vast, ancient lake – Lake Saimaa – the only home to around 380 Saimaa ringed seals.

They’re dependent on the lake’s ice and snowy surface in winter when it’s time to give birth and raise their pups. Over the past several years, the snow cover on the lake hasn’t been deep enough for seals to build their birthing dens, posing a huge risk to the future of this species. 

Polar bear swimming in Alaska © naturepl.com / Steven Kazlowski / WWF 

Polar bears are the largest terrestrial carnivore in the world and can weigh up to 800kg (that’s around 9 people!)

Polar bears depend on sea ice to travel, hunt seals, and find mates. As sea-ice decreases, many will be forced to travel further for food and spend more time on land. Less access to food will affect survival, particularly of cubs and young bears, and longer periods fasting on land will increase the likelihood of encounters with people. 

We could lose more than 30% of the world’s polar bears by 2050 if we don’t urgently tackle climate change.  

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Narwhal, Canada © Paul Nicklen / National Geographic Stock / WWF-Canada 

Narwhals are the unicorns of the sea. Most males and even some females have a beautiful spiraling tusk, which can be up to 3m long.

Narwhals are totally adapted to living amongst thick sea ice. They evolved without a dorsal fin, allowing them to travel closely under ice to take refuge from faster predators. But with sea ice melting earlier, predators like orcas can potentially access new areas that they previously couldn’t because of their large dorsal fin. And they hunt narwhal.

Melting sea ice is opening the door for more industrial activity and shipping – noise from which can cause hearing loss, increase stress reduce the ability to communicate, and even scare away fish.

Arctic fox, Canada © Donna Pomeroy 

These beautiful creatures have an entirely white coat in winter to camouflage them in the snow.

Climate change is extending the range of red foxes - the treeline is moving further north as the tundra retreats - so they're increasingly crossing paths with their tundra dwelling relatives, Arctic foxes. Red foxes are twice the size of Arctic foxes and not only compete for prey, but can take their dens by killing or chasing them away.

Orca, Canada © Natalie Bowes / WWF-Canada 

Orcas are actually the world’s biggest dolphin. They live in close-knit, life-long pods. Over the last decade, warmer summers and less sea ice has meant orcas are able to access new areas of the Arctic, visit earlier and stay for longer, hunting Arctic species such as narwhals.

Due in part to a large dorsal fin and unfamiliarity with the territory, orcas can become trapped in sea ice and die of  starvation.  However, in regions where sea ice continues to shrink and be replaced with open water for longer periods, it is possible that orcas will take over from polar bears as the top predator. 

Scandinavian lemming, Sweden © Tom Arnbom / WWF-Sweden 

Lemmings are small rodents that live in the Arctic tundra. They rely on snow cover for survival in winter, living and breeding under it - it provides insulation and protection from predators such as foxes and owls.  

Lemmings have a “boom-bust” population cycle (a rapid growth followed by a decrease) and are an essential food source for Arctic predators like Arctic foxes and snowy owls. Climate change can decrease snow cover, melting it away or reducing overall snowfall. This threatens the survival of lemmings and the predators (and their young) that depend on them. 

Beluga whale © Kevin Schafer / WWF 

Beluga whales are extremely sociable mammals that live, hunt, and migrate together in pods in the Arctic. They are easily distinguishable by their white skin, ‘smiling’ mouth and bulbous forehead called a “melon”, which can change shape and allow them to make different facial expressions and noises, earning them the nickname of the canary of the sea. 

Sea ice loss due to warming air and ocean temperatures is opening up Arctic waters to shipping, fishing, seismic surveys and military activity for a larger proportion of the year. Amongst other impacts, these activities make the oceans noisier, potentially affecting beluga whales’ ability to communicate, navigate, find food and search for mates.  

Red Knot juvenile, Tresco, Isles of Scilly © James Sellen  

Red knots are migratory wading birds who breed in the Arctic. They’re often found on UK estuaries as they migrate – sadly we don’t usually see the birds’ stunning red plumage in the UK; this tends to be seen in the Arctic at their breeding grounds. 

A study has shown that insects in the Arctic are hatching earlier as climate change causes snow to melt earlier, so by the time red knot chicks hatch, it’s not peak insect time and they don’t have as much food. 

 
Predators such as Arctic foxes and skuas may also be hunting birds and their nests, if loss of snow cover is causing other prey (like lemmings) to be scarcer. 

Muskox, Norway © Wild Wonders of Europe / Munier / WWF 

Muskox have a distinctive shaggy coat which keeps them warm as they roam the frozen Arctic tundra in search of moss and lichen to eat. 

Studies suggest that muskox are finding it harder to find food as the climate changes.  They use their noses and legs to dig through the snow to reach food. But with warmer temperatures, rain is falling then freezing into a hard layer of ice which is difficult to break through. 

More rain may also mean that calves are getting too cold and freezing to death, as their coats aren’t able to protect them from vast amounts of rain.