Polar bears likely survived past warm periods in the Arctic, when sea ice cover was low, by scavenging on the carcasses of stranded large whales. This food source sustained the bears when they were largely restricted to land, unable to roam the ice in search of seals to hunt. A new study led by the University of Washington found that although dead whales are still valuable sources of fat and protein for some polar bears, this resource will likely not be enough to sustain most bear populations in the future when the Arctic becomes ice-free in summers, which is likely to occur by 2040 due to climate change.
Read more at UW Today »Forest fires, narwhals, and more: summer research and fieldwork at UW Environment
Many faculty members and students from UW Environment spend their summers collecting data, monitoring conditions and altogether applying concepts from the classroom in the field.
Read more »Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell brings leadership to UW community, new EarthLab initiative
UW Environment is honored to announce former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell as the volunteer advisory council chair for EarthLab.
Read more at UW Today »High CO2 levels cause plants to thicken their leaves, which could worsen climate change effects, researchers say
New research finds that plants with thicker leaves may exacerbate climate change impacts because they would be less efficient in sequestering atmospheric carbon.
Read more at UW Today »NSF awards contract to carry OOI into the next decade and beyond
The National Science Foundation announced that it has awarded a coalition of academic and oceanographic research organizations a five-year, $220 million contract to operate and maintain the Ocean Observatories Initiative. The coalition, led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with direction from the NSF and guidance from the OOI Facilities Board, will include the University of Washington, Oregon State University and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Read more at UW Today »