Polar Bear Scientists

Question 1

True or false. When the polar bear is studied, it lies directly on snow and ice.

Answer 1

False. A Therm-a-Rest pad is underneath the bear to insulate it from contact with snow and ice.

Question 2

What is bioelectrical impedance analysis?

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

How and why are polar bears tattooed?

Answer 3

An instrument punches ink holes into both sides of the upper lip of the polar bear. This helps identify polar bears for ongoing research.

Question 4

“Now it takes all three of them to roll this guy on his stomach again.”

Answer 4

Finishing the capture and data collection in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 5

“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.”

Answer 5

The polar bear awakens after a completed capture in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 6

“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.

Answer 6

Steven Amstrup in Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 7

In this book there is sometimes only daylight for 24 hours.

Answer 7

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 8

“As if to mimic his positive feelings, the people in the streets of Barrow are smiling too.”

Answer 8

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 9

“Sunlight is increasing by ten minutes each day, so that by May there will be twenty-four hours of daylight.”

Answer 9

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 10

“The weather is usually clear and stable, although temperatures can fall to - 30 degrees Farenheit.”

Answer 10

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 11

“Only one subpopulation is thought to be increasing in number.”

Answer 11

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 12

“The subpopulations that are declining are thought to be doing so because of loss of sea ice during the last four decades.”

Answer 12

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 13

“These magnificent creatures, top predators in the food chain, are exquisitely adapted to the Arctic marine environment.”

Answer 13

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 14

“Scientists from all over the world now come to NARL to study all things Arctic.”

Answer 14

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 15

“Steve loves these animals because they’re the largest bears in the world and they live in the most mysterious environment.”

Answer 15

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 16

“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.”

Answer 16

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 17

“Galen thinks they’re following fresh bear prints.”

Answer 17

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 18

“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.’”

Answer 18

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 19

“Mike and Kristin unload all their gear into the back of the pickup.”

Answer 19

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 20

“For the last few years Kristin and Mike have noticed that there is more water out there than in the past.”

Answer 20

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 21

“So far, though, this year’s open water cannot be directly linked to the man-caused warming of the planet.”

Answer 21

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 22

“Weather is not the same thing as climate.”

Answer 22

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 23

“Climate is the sum of weather over long periods of time.”

Answer 23

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 24

“Kristin asks, ‘Did you see that group of five just off the point?’”

Answer 24

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 25

“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.”

Answer 25

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 26

“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.”

Answer 26

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 27

“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.’”

Answer 27

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 28

“I do worry about missing or making a bad hit, so that the drug doesn’t inject.”

Answer 28

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 29

“When we go out, we make a hell of a mess.”

Answer 29

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 30

“Once we saw a male pursuing a female, and when we went in, the male ran off.”

Answer 30

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 31

“She came to Alaska for a summer vacation in 1984 and never left.”

Answer 31

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 32

“Diamond dust is falling out of the perfect blue sky.”

Answer 32

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 33

“Even on perfectly cloudless days, the microscopic crystals seem to hang in the air like specks of diamonds.”

Answer 33

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 34

“A mild but nevertheless palpable nervousness fills the silences as everyone works to prepare for the capture.”

Answer 34

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 35

“You know about the weather up here,” says Mike. “Things can change drastically in a few minutes.”

Answer 35

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 36

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

Answer 36

C. 20,000 - 25,000

Question 37

True or false. Polar bears always live in large groups.

Answer 37

False. Polar bears are solitary animals except when mating, mother with cubs, or concentrated around large food sources

Question 38

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

Answer 38

D. Over 20 miles

Question 39

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

Answer 39

D. Polar bears main food source is seals; they do not communicate

Question 40

True or false. Weather and climate are the same thing.

Answer 40

False. Climate reflects weather over a long period of time.

Question 41

What is the greatest threat to polar bear population numbers?

Answer 41

Global warming. 50 years ago it was hunting. The sea cap disappearing makes it harder for polar bears to find food.

Question 42

What is Usus maritimus?

Answer 42

Scientific name for polar bears

Question 43

What does the International Agreement On Conservation of Polar Bears do?

Answer 43

Requires that nations share the information they learn so as not to repeat research or waste time.

Question 44

“We saw lots of bears. . . it was pretty cool. Lots of water too.”

Answer 44

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 45

“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).”

Answer 45

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 46

“Gaylen thinks they’re following fresh bear prints.”

Answer 46

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie

Question 47

“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.”

Answer 47

Polar Bear Scientists by Peter Lourie