Journal of Marine Biology and Aquaculture Research

Original Research Article Pages 17-24

Evaluating Environmental Threats to the Trophic Ecology of Arctic Marine Mammals

Authors: Alexander J Werth

Abstract: Marine mammals of the Arctic, including several species of endemic seals, toothed and baleen whales, and the polar bear, face numerous dangers that also threaten the environment of habitats all over Earth. However, the unique nature of the Arctic Ocean's geography, similar to but in key ways distinct from the Antarctic polar region, place Arctic wildlife, and particularly marine mammals as apex predators at the "top" of food webs, at special risk. Further, the climate of the Arctic is rapidly changing (at an estimated pace of twice the warming of other regions), which places Arctic wildlife at even greater risk.

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