Bioenergetics and population dynamics of polar bears
In the Arctic, climate change is leading to declines in seasonal sea-ice cover. Polar bears are particularly vulnerable to sea-ice loss because they use the ice as a platform to hunt seals, their primary food source. When the ice melts seasonally, bears rely on their stored energy reserves as fuel, but climate-driven changes in sea-ice melt and refreeze dates have forced bears to undertake longer periods of fasting. With sea-ice declines expected to continue, I am using bioenergetic modelling and dynamic energy budget theory to understand how bears allocate their energy towards survival and reproduction across the year. This research aims to forecast how polar bear populations will respond to never-before-seen declines in sea ice, ultimately contributing to the proactive management and conservation of vulnerable polar bear subpopulations.
This research forms the basis of my postdoc at University of Toronto Scarborough, in partnership with Polar Bears International.