Polar Bear Scientists Flashcards
True or false. When the polar bear is studied, it lies directly on snow and ice.
False. A Therm-a-Rest pad is underneath the bear to insulate it from contact with snow and ice.
What is bioelectrical impedance analysis?
A measurement of opposition to flow of electric current through body tissues to measure polar bear body fat, with fat being protective for survival of polar bears. The study measures from tail to lip.
How and why are polar bears tattooed?
An instrument punches ink holes into both sides of the upper lip of the polar bear. This helps identify polar bears for ongoing research.
“Now it takes all three of them to roll this guy on his stomach again.”
Finishing the capture and data collection in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Blowing snow rushes by him and he blinks as he watches the helicopter rise into the sky. Soon he will be on his feet, a big number 3 painted on his back.”
The polar bear awakens after a completed capture in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“There’s lots of give-and-take between the project and the consultant,” says Steve. It’s a process of fine-tuning the collection of data and the application of statistical tests.
Steven Amstrup in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
In this book there is sometimes only daylight for 24 hours.
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“As if to mimic his positive feelings, the people in the streets of Barrow are smiling too.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Sunlight is increasing by ten minutes each day, so that by May there will be twenty-four hours of daylight.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“The weather is usually clear and stable, although temperatures can fall to - 30 degrees Farenheit.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Only one subpopulation is thought to be increasing in number.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“The subpopulations that are declining are thought to be doing so because of loss of sea ice during the last four decades.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“These magnificent creatures, top predators in the food chain, are exquisitely adapted to the Arctic marine environment.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Scientists from all over the world now come to NARL to study all things Arctic.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Steve loves these animals because they’re the largest bears in the world and they live in the most mysterious environment.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“In fact, the onboard Geographic Positioning System receiver, or GPS, is finding its location from no fewer than nine satellites at any one time, and the accuracy of the reading is to witching fourteen feet of the helo’s actual location.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Galen thinks they’re following fresh bear prints.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Gaylen, who for hours has been staring at the computer screen, quickly snaps out of a stupor in this overheated building and says,’They’re coming in.’”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Mike and Kristin unload all their gear into the back of the pickup.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“For the last few years Kristin and Mike have noticed that there is more water out there than in the past.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“So far, though, this year’s open water cannot be directly linked to the man-caused warming of the planet.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Weather is not the same thing as climate.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Climate is the sum of weather over long periods of time.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Kristin asks, ‘Did you see that group of five just off the point?’”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“In the truck riding back to NARL after the first run of the season, there is much happiness and chitchat and talk of getting pizza as a late night dinner for everyone working up samples.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Today Mike was the darter and Kristin was the note taker, but over the next six to eight weeks they will take turns at both jobs.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Mike explains, ‘Every once in a while you throw a zinger out there, and it’s about five hundred dollars a pop if you miss.’”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“I do worry about missing or making a bad hit, so that the drug doesn’t inject.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“When we go out, we make a hell of a mess.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Once we saw a male pursuing a female, and when we went in, the male ran off.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“She came to Alaska for a summer vacation in 1984 and never left.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Diamond dust is falling out of the perfect blue sky.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Even on perfectly cloudless days, the microscopic crystals seem to hang in the air like specks of diamonds.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“A mild but nevertheless palpable nervousness fills the silences as everyone works to prepare for the capture.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“You know about the weather up here,” says Mike. “Things can change drastically in a few minutes.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
How many polar bears are alive today? A. 500 - 1,000 B. 5,000 - 10,000 C. 20,000 - 25,000 D. Over a million and more being born every day
C. 20,000 - 25,000
True or false. Polar bears always live in large groups.
False. Polar bears are solitary animals except when mating, mother with cubs, or concentrated around large food sources
How far away can polar bears smell food? A. Not very far because the cold weather always makes their noses runny. B. 50 feet C. 1 mile D. Over 20 miles
D. Over 20 miles
All of the following are adaptations that help polar bears survive in the Arctic environment except:
A. Water repellant underfur
B. Claws to grip the ice
C. Bumps on their feet for traction
D. Being able to communicate with seals
E. Storing large amounts of fat for when food is unavailable
F. White fur for camouflage
G. Distribution of feet on snow/ice for stability and not to crack ice
D. Polar bears main food source is seals; they do not communicate
True or false. Weather and climate are the same thing.
False. Climate reflects weather over a long period of time.
What is the greatest threat to polar bear population numbers?
Global warming. 50 years ago it was hunting. The sea cap disappearing makes it harder for polar bears to find food.
What is Usus maritimus?
Scientific name for polar bears
What does the International Agreement On Conservation of Polar Bears do?
Requires that nations share the information they learn so as not to repeat research or waste time.
“We saw lots of bears. . . it was pretty cool. Lots of water too.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Biologists search for bears generally from about 300 feet above ground level (AGL) and fly at about 75 to 80 knots (86 to 92 mph).”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Gaylen thinks they’re following fresh bear prints.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
“Very rarely, the capture crew gets stuck out on the ice because of bad weather and has to spend a night camped out in the cold. This has happened once in 19 years that George Durner has been capturing bears.”
Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie
