Habitat Use by the Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) along the Coastline throughout the Year According to Satellite Monitoring Data

Abstract

A female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has been captured and tagged with a satellite collar of the Argos system on Vaigach Island. The data of the location relative to the coastline in the Kara Gate from April 2016 to September 2017 have been analyzed. An analysis of the polar bear movement pattern has revealed periods of its greater (on the ice) and less (on the land) mobility and a movement direction. The largest area of the polar bear habitat on an average monthly scale was in May 2016, when moving on the finely crushed ice; the smallest area was in January 2017 on the land without ice. We have estimated the distance to the coast to analyze the use of environmental resources (27% of the time on the coast, 33% on the inland, and 40% in the offshore). As follows from the comparison with our previous studies, the bears adhere to the land even during the sea-ice season.