The dangers of climate change to Arctic mammals, such as polar bears and seals, have been studied and publicized widely. Sea birds seem to have received less attention. For one species, the ivory gull, the reason may be the sheer inaccessibility to its habitat — sea ice and the high cliffs of nunataks (hills or mountains completely surrounded by glacial ice) inland.  

The medium-sized gull gets its name from its pure white adult plumage. Small, scattered colonies are found in Arctic Canada, Greenland, Svalbard (an archipelago in the northernmost part of Norway), and the northern islands of Russia in the Barents and Kara seas. Recently, the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna  (CAFF), a biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, published the International Ivory Gull Conservation Strategy and Action Plan

The current global population of the sea bird is estimated to be approximately 6,325-11,500 breeding pairs. About 86 percent of the global population lives in colonies in Arctic Russia. The birds have simple but restrictive habitat needs that confine them to the high Arctic. They must nest close to the ocean because they forage the ice-filled waters during incubation and chick-rearing periods. They also require breeding sites that are safe from land-based predators

 The reduction in the extent of the summer sea ice cover along with a reduction in older, thicker ice can be expected to have an impact on the gulls’ survival. Human activities in the Arctic, including gold mining, diamond exploration, oil drilling, and tourism, pose threats to the gulls’ habitat. The CAFF plan calls for international, national, and regional monitoring programs.  

Another threat to the bird was reported in an article from Reuters News Service in September: Gull Sets Arctic Pollution Record for Birds .Eggs of the ivory gull were found to have the highest known concentrations of PCBs, once used in products such as paints and plastics, and the pesticide DDT.  

Long-lasting chemicals are swept north by prevailing winds and currents from industrial centers and often end in the Arctic where they are found in the fatty tissue of animals The ivory gulls eat cod and other fatty fish and also scavenge dead seals or polar bears.

A 2001 UN convention outlawed most uses of 12 organic pollutants that do not break down over time, such as PCBs and DDT, after the chemicals were found in the breast milk of Inuit women and in polar bears.

Millions of southern Californians are expected to take part in the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history at 10 a.m. on November 13.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut drill is based on a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault.

Not only is the drill unique in its size but it is also an innovation in the way earthquake scenarios are created. The U.S. Geological Survey brought together some 300 scientists, engineers, and others representing a range of specialties to write a detailed technical report on the consequences of a quake of this magnitude.

Geologists considered the amount of stored strain on the fault with the greatest risk of rupture. Seismologists and computer scientists modeled the ground shaking that would occur. Engineers and other professionals used the shaking to produce a picture of the damage to buildings, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Social scientists projected casualties, emergency response, and the impact of the earthquake on southern California’s economy and society.

Building codes and other precautions in the earthquake-prone region have reduced the risk of death in earthquakes, but economic and social systems are still vulnerable to the effects of a major quake, according to drill planners. A weeklong series of events to motivate residents of southern California to get ready for the big earthquake will center on the drill.

A 24-page circular, The Great Southern California ShakeOut Scenario – A Story That Southern Californians Are Writing, includes a fictional narrative that begins 10 minutes before the quake strikes, follows events in minute-by-minute intervals, continues in longer intervals for the following days, and ends two years later. Computer-generated “snapshots” show the ground movements of the earthquake

Earthquakes will be among the natural forces covered in the theme of the December issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears—Earth’s Changing Surface—with an emphasis on the polar regions.

On Thursday, November 6 at 7 p.m. ET, you can participate in an online chat about the latest issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears magazine. Kimberly Lightle will host the chat at Tapped In, the online workplace of an international community of education professionals. During the chat, participants will learn about resources available from the latest issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Polar Festivals. Beyond Penguins holds Tapped In events the first Thursday of each month.

Participation in Tapped In events is free and does not require special software. You can sign in as a guest or sign up for a free membership. There are many professional development events held at Tapped In each month covering all content areas and grade levels.

We hope to chat with you on Thursday night!

Looking for an exciting way to incorporate polar science into your curriculum? A polar festival might just be your answer! Festivals are flexible, informal learning events that engage students as they learn science through hands-on activity. A festival might be a daylong event for the entire school, or a special family science night.

Our latest issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears - Polar Festivals - Issue 8, November 2008 explores this creative way to squeeze more science into your busy school year. In this month’s issue, discover planning guides, suggested activities, arts and crafts ideas, and ways to incorporate literacy into your event. Of course, we still have our virtual bookshelf and nonfiction stories for students!

Finally, check back in February and March 2009 as we hold our own series of polar festival events! Of course, we’ll announce and report on these events here on the blog. We hope you’ll plan your own special event and share it with us by posting a comment or sending us an email!

Check out Polar Festivals - Issue 8, November 2008 today!

News from the polar regions in October included further analysis of the summer Arctic sea ice melt, genetic discoveries in remarkable Antarctic fish, and preparations for a challenging Antarctic expedition. Missed these stories the first time? Read on!

In September, we reported that the Arctic sea ice extent during the 2008 summer melt season dropped to the second lowest level since satellite measurements began in 1979. While the minimum extent did not surpass the 2007 low, sea ice melted faster in August 2008 than any August before. Preliminary data also suggest that the Arctic sea ice hit the lowest volume ever recorded, due to the increased presence of thin annual ice. In March 2008, this thin, first-year ice covered a record high 73% of the Arctic Ocean. Thin ice is much more susceptible to melting in the summer. Arctic sea ice is now in its annual freeze-up period, closing the Northeast and Northwest passages. Both passages were open at the same time for the first time since satellite measurements began. The German research vessel Polarstern recently returned from an expedition through both passages, effectively circling the North Pole. Researchers on the expedition studied the geology of the Arctic area and the distribution of many marine species. 

Summer 2008 also meant extreme melting and a record number of melting days along the northern portion of Greenland’s ice sheet. Scientists hypothesize that high surface temperatures and possibly other factors such as solar radiation played a role in the increased melting. The northern region is typically colder than the southern portion of the ice sheet, which experienced record melting in 2007.

A new book published by the US geological survey shows that more than 99% of glaciers in Alaska are experiencing significant retreat, thinning, or stagnation. Alaskan glaciers are currently found in 11 mountain ranges, one large island, one island chain, and one archipelago.

Two studies are providing insight into Arctic ice of the past. Mapping of beach ridges on the north coast of Greenland suggests that the Arctic Ocean may have had significantly less ice cover 6000 to 7000 years ago and may have been periodically ice free. A second study attributes the sudden 1997 thinning of the Jakobshavn Isbrae glacier to changes in the atmospheric circulation in the north Atlantic.

A warming climate (and warmer ocean waters) means more frequent, higher intensity Arctic storms, and in turn, a higher rate of sea ice drift. A new NASA study confirms the link between climate and storminess and connected the trend to sea ice movement. Moving sea ice forces mixing of ocean water, and increased mixing may greatly increase the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide - a negative feedback to climate change.

Much attention has been paid to climate change’s impact on polar bear populations, but the polar regions’ other iconic species is threatened as well. A new World Wildlife Federation report shows that half to three quarters of Antarctica’s major penguin colonies (Emperor and Adelie) are threatened with decline or disappearance if global temperatures rise by more than 2°C. Such a climb (which could be a reality in less than 40 years) would reduce the Southern Ocean’s ice cover, an essential nesting and feeding ground. Decreased sea ice would also negatively impact the krill population, which is an important food source for the penguins.

Scientists have long been amazed by the nototheniods, a type of fish that live in the icy waters off Antarctica. Nototheniods make their own “anti-freeze proteins” that bind to ice crystals in the blood to prevent the fish from freezing. Geneticists analyzed the fishes’ DNA and found that the Antarctic dwelling fish had three to 300 times the number of genes that code for the anti-freeze proteins as compared to other nototheniods that live in warmer waters. More copies of these genes lead to greater amounts of anti-freeze proteins, allowing the fish to live in these cold waters.

The ozone hole - actually a thinning in the ozone layer over Antarctica - is larger now than in 2007, but smaller than in 2006. Weather conditions cause the size of the hole to vary from year to year, making detection of signs of ozone recovery difficult. 

As Antarctic tourism grows, concerns over the effects of this increase with respect to safety, the environment, and the lack of financial resources for monitoring and enforcement grow as well. One possible solution proposed is marketable visitor rights - a concept used in climate change policy. If accepted, a number of visitor days would be set and sold to the highest bidder, who could then trade the rights among other companies. Marketable visitor rights would limit the scale of tourism while also providing a source of revenue for monitoring and enforcement. Tourism in Antarctica is a difficult issue since Antarctica is not a sovereign state. 

Finally, an international team of scientists are preparing for an exciting and challenging new expedition: a study of the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains, buried by up to 4 km of ice. The researchers will work from remote field camps at high altitude and temperatures of -40°C. They will use state-of-the-art technology to map this mysterious landscape.

Know of another significant news story from October that you’d like to share? Reactions to one of the stories discussed here?  Post a comment-we’d love to hear from you!

Tonight, Carol Landis and Jessica Fries-Gaither will present the second Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears web seminar as part of the NSDL/NSTA web seminar series. Physical Science From the Poles discusses the many types of ice found in the polar regions and how elementary teachers can use ice and the polar regions as a real world context for teaching physical and earth science concepts such as states and changes of matter, buoyancy, density, and even the water cycle.

Jessica Fries-Gaither will also present Physical Science From the Poles on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the NSTA regional conference in Charlotte, NC.

Did you miss the web seminar? View the archived presentation in the NSTA Learning Center. Archives are typically available a few days after the presentation.

Not able to attend the NSTA conference in Charlotte? Download a pdf of the slides here.

This presentation includes many teaching resources. We’ve compiled a reference list here. You can also download and print pdf of the resource list.

Formative Assessment Probes

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volumes 1, 2, and 3. These three books, published by NSTA Press, provide formative assessment probes to help elicit student ideas and misconceptions on a variety of topics. Tonight’s seminar specifically referenced the following probes:

• “Ice Cubes in a Bag” (Volume 1)
• “Freezing Ice” (Volume 2)
• “Floating Logs” (Volume 2)
• “Floating High and Low” (Volume 2)

Children’s Literature

Water as a Solid and Water as a Liquid by Helen Frost

Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers by Allan Fowler

Looking at Solids, Liquids, and Gases: How Does Matter Change? by Jackie Gaff.

Icebergs and Glaciers by Seymour Simon

These titles (and more) are available in the Virtual Bookshelf of the August issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.

Stories for Students

Growing Floaters and Shrinking Sinkers by Stephen Whitt (written for grades 4-5)

Floating Ice by Jessica Fries-Gaither (versions for grades K-1 and 2-3)

These stories are available as text-only documents, full-color illustrated books, and electronic books in the Feature Story article of the August issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.

Lessons and Activities

Water and Ice (Grades K-2)

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=4

Students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again.

Heat Energy and Water (Grades 3-5)

http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=9830

Students investigate heat’s effect on water.

How Do Snowflakes Become Ice? (Grades K-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib005.pdf

Model glacier formation with marshmallows.

Do It Yourself Iceberg Science (Grades K-5 with modifications)

http://www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/education/documents/MS%20Icebergs.pdf

Create icebergs with film canisters. The lab itself is written for middle school students, but elementary teachers can use the general procedure to simulate icebergs.

Sea Ice Set (Grades K-5)

http://www.contentclips.com/services/getPresenterHtml?uri=:cli:6012

A collection of ice-related images and video. Great in the computer lab or with an Interactive White Board.

Blue Ice Cube Melt (Grades K-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib008.pdf

Students learn that ice can melt with pressure.

Sink or Float? (Grades K-2)

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=4&DocID=164

Students determine whether objects sink or float in water. Include ice in various shapes and sizes!

Water Molecule Pockets (Grades 3-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib003.pdf

Demonstrate liquid water’s molecular structure with a discrepant event and a model.

The Magic Trick with Ice (Grades 3-5)

https://www.cresis.ku.edu/education/iibLessons/iib011.pdf

A discrepant event - an ice cube floats in water but not rubbing alcohol. Can your students explain why?

For more resources, books, and information about these topics, check out Water, Ice, and Snow - Issue 5, August 2008.

Two upcoming web seminars from the National Science Teachers Association will focus on integrating polar science concepts into the elementary curriculum. Both seminars are led by Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears project staff and are part of the NSDL/NSTA web seminar series.

On Wednesday, October 29, Carol Landis and Jessica Fries-Gaither will present Physical Science From the Poles. The seminar will focus on the many types of ice found in the polar regions and how elementary teachers can use polar ice as a real world context for teaching physical and earth science concepts such as states and changes of matter, buoyancy, density, and the water cycle.

On Thursday, November 13, Carol Landis and Jessica Fries-Gaither will present Energy and the Polar Environment. The seminar will focus on solar energy, albedo, climate change, and the changing energy balance of the Arctic and Antarctica. Participants will gain content knowledge and strategies for incorporating these concepts into their science and literacy instruction.

Participation in these 90-minute, interactive, and engaging web seminars is free! Register for these and other seminars at the NSTA Learning Center.

Did you know that polar bears are at high risk of population decline and future extinction in our warming world? Dr. Steven Amstrup, a Research Wildlife Biologist with the United States Geological Survey, discussed the status of the iconic marine mammal in the lecture, “Polar Bear: Climate Change Sentinel.” The lecture was part of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium’s Conservation Lecture Series. Dr. Amstrup works at the Alaska Science Center in Anchorage and has conducted research on polar bears for the past 28 years. He was part of the research group that prepared reports used in the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species.

Polar bears are the apex predator of the Arctic. They are closely tied to the sea ice, depending on it for mate selection, breeding, caring for young, and most importantly, hunting ringed and bearded seals. Pregnant females come on land in the fall and den for the entire winter to give birth and care for their cubs. The other bears continue to hunt on the sea-ice year round.

Studies have shown that polar bears prefer medium to thick sea ice over the shallower waters of the continental shelf. However, as Arctic sea ice has retreated in past years, bears are forced to travel out further (and over much deeper and less productive water) to hunt from the ice edge. In the West Hudson Bay area, females are coming ashore up to three weeks earlier and thus losing valuable time to feed before denning. In both cases this leads to decreased weight and a decreased survival rate of cubs and older individuals. Years of sea ice decline correlate with population decline in the Hudson Bay and Beaufort Sea areas, trends which are most likely consistent with other polar bear populations around the world.

Based on this data, researchers projected that as a result of global warming and sea ice decline, polar bear populations have a very high risk of extinction within the next century. One particular population in the Canadian archipelago may be able to survive through the end of the century, as the ice there is still thick and covering shallow water. Ice thinning in that area may open up increased hunting opportunities and support a larger population. However, if warming trends persist, this population will also eventually be at risk.

When asked how individuals could help polar bears, Amstrup spoke of immediate changes to reduce our carbon footprint. While large scale action by governments and corporations is certainly necessary, it is worthwhile to remember that changing our individual habits (and encouraging others to do the same) can make a difference.

Learn more about polar bears at the Polar Bears International web site. PBI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the worldwide conservation of the polar bear.

Saying the world is in an “extinction crisis,” the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released its 2008 Red List of Threatened Species during a meeting in Barcelona, Spain, October 5-14.

 A new study to assess the world’s mammals shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487 wild mammal species, or almost one in four, are known to be threatened with extinction. The assessment was compiled by 1,800 experts in 130 countries over five years. It ranks species according to their population status and threat levels. It also shows the effects that habitat loss and degradation, over-exploitation, pollutants, and climate change are having on the world’s species. 

The Red List groups species in five threat categories, from “Extinct” to “Least Concern” to “Insufficient Data.”  More than 836 mammals are listed under insufficient data, which means they could be at-risk and would fall in the threatened category if more information became available. For example, one Arctic mammal, the narwhal, went from data deficient to near-threatened when more was learned about the species. Narwhals spend their lives in the Arctic waters bordering Russia, North America, and Greenland and are threatened by hunting, trade, habitat loss, and toxics and pollution that accumulate in the seas and affect their health and reproduction.

Some 188 mammals are in the highest-threat category of Critically Endangered. Habitat loss and degradation affect 40 percent of the world’s mammals. It is most extreme in Central and South America, West, East and Central Africa, Madagascar, and in South and Southeast Asia.

Environmental, business and indigenous leaders and representatives of states and nongovernmental organizations are among the 8,000 members of the IUCN who meet every four years to seek action and solutions for a diverse and sustainable world. Major analyses of the IUCN Red List were produced in 1996, 2000 and 2004. The 2008 Review of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is available at  www.iucn.org/redlist

Stormy weather in the Arctic may have unanticipated effects on global warming, according to a new study by NASA. Researchers were looking to confirm a theory that a warming climate could cause an increase in storminess. They now believe it may be possible that new sinks for carbon dioxide may emerge from the relationship between sea ice drift and increasingly turbulent weather.

 NASA researcher Sirpa Hakkinen of Goddard Space Flight Center and her colleagues from other institutions analyzed 56 years of storm-track data and found an accelerating trend in storm activity in the Arctic from 1950 to 2006. They also found evidence that the pace of sea ice movement along the Arctic Ocean’s Transpolar Drift Stream from Siberia to the Atlantic Ocean accelerated in both summer and winter during the 55-year period. Because the surface wind is known to be the driving force behind the movement of sea ice, they concluded that the increase in storminess and the sea ice drift speeds are linked.

This linkage has great implications for predictions of global climate change and the computer models used by scientists. Hakkinen points out that her group has provided proof that a cause-and-effect relationship exists between storm activity and sea ice movement.

The moving sea ice forces the ocean to move, which sets off more mixing of the upper layers of the ocean than would occur without the push from the ice. The increased mixing of the ocean layer forces a greater degree of ocean convection and instability. Globally, oceans absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide carried by the atmosphere. According to the new findings by Hakkinen and her colleagues, the Arctic’s capacity to absorb carbon dioxide could climb.

 “Although it remains to be seen how this may ultimately play out in the future, the likelihood this increasing trend and link between storminess and ice drift could expand the Arctic’s role as a sink for extracting fossil fuel-generated carbon dioxide from the air is simply fascinating,” said Hakkinen. “If it unfolds in the way we suppose, this scenario could, of course, affect the whole climate system and its evolution.”

 Find more on sea ice and climate change in Issue Five (Water, Ice, and Snow) and Issue Seven (Energy and the Polar Environment) of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears.