Polar Bears and Artificial Islands Solution is Questionable
According to Geoff York, the WWF Global Arctic Programme Polar Bear Conservation Coordinator, the idea of building artificial islands for polar bears would be more challenging than we may have realized. It turns out that the ecosystem beneath the sea ice is actually more important than the ice above ground. This ecosystem attracts fish such as cod, which attract seals that feed on the cod...and polar bears feed on the seals. Therefore, these bergs or floes, as they are called below, would need to be developed into ecosystems capable of sustaining all of these life forms. Given that some polar bears can weigh over 1,000 lbs, these ecosystems would need to attract a lot of fish and a lot of seals..
Geoff also points out that these islands would essentially be crushed during the winter once the sea ices returns. Now tessahenry proposes that the the islands be motor powered to move south in the winter. Perhaps this could be a solution if the complexity of such as creation could be figured out.
The next question of course is whether enough islands could be created to truly create an alternative for the polar bear? The arctic is a vast place. Maybe we would be able to estimate were to position the islands based on what we know about the bears' mitigation. This seems complex. Not necessary impossible, but very complex.
The next question of course is whether enough islands could be created to truly create an alternative for the polar bear? The arctic is a vast place. Maybe we would be able to estimate were to position the islands based on what we know about the bears' mitigation. This seems complex. Not necessary impossible, but very complex.
We definitely need to create a safe place for polar bears...until we have a solid solution, everything should be considered. Regardless of the solution however, the heart of the problem might still be climate change.
Hi, I am an architect and a good friend of mine is a naval architect. We were discussing the creation of artificial islands as you mention in this post. Are you involved with WWF and/or in touch with Geoff York? It would be great to get more information about what would be needed to help create these islands, even if it is more complex, and whether these ecosystems that typically exist beneath the ice can be fostered through other means. Of course climate change is the number one problem to attack, but trying something in the meantime seems crucial. My name is Seanna Walsh and you can find me on Facebook or G+. Please contact me, my hope is to work with others more knowledgeable about marine biology and contribute our team's skills as architect and naval architect. Thanks!
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