Ice platforms in the Artic are a critical resource for the survival of Artic animals. Seal pups nurse and rest on the ice platforms for the first six weeks of life. Recent data suggests that warming sea water and air temperatures will melt 20 percent or more of the Artic sea ice over the next 40 years, disrupting the Artic food web.
Partial Artic Food Web
Killer Whale Polar Bear
^ ^
| |
Seal
^ Artic birds
| ^
Artic cod /
^
|
Zooplankton
^
|
Phytoplankton
Based on the partial Arctic food web, melting sea ice might lead to a decrease in the number of ---
A.) Polar bears
B.) Artic cod
C.) Artic Birds
D.) Phytoplankton
The correct answer is A) Polar bears.
Polar bears primarily rely on seal pups as a food source. Seal pups, in turn, rely on ice platforms for nursing and resting during the first six weeks of life. If melting sea ice decreases the availability of ice platforms, it would disrupt the seal pup population, leading to a decrease in the number of polar bears.