Seals' Survival Tactics: Choosing Icebergs Amid Melting Challenges

Research presented at the American Geophysical Union's annual meeting reveals that harbor seals in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park choose icebergs based on their speed, with slower-moving ones preferred during pupping season for stability and faster ones during molting season for feeding opportunities. The study highlights the impact of the advancing Johns Hopkins glacier on seal habitats and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research to understand climate change effects on tidewater glacier fjord ecosystems. Meanwhile, climate change poses a significant threat to these environments, with potential warming of 3.6°F in many regions.