Alaska News

Video: Polar bear's POV of life in the Beaufort Sea

To survive the harsh conditions of the Arctic, polar bears roaming Alaska's Beaufort Sea coastline subsist on the equivalent of about one adult ringed seal every 10 days and, to make those fatty calories last, spend most of their daylight hours lounging around on the ice and snow, new research shows.

Beaufort Sea polar bears equipped in 2014 and 2015 with Fitbit-like devices and neck cameras revealed their daily routines to scientists studying their food needs.

Data from the seven adult female bears tracked in the springs of 2014 and 2015 showed they spent, on average, about 70 percent of daylight hours resting, the U.S. Geological Survey-led research has found. They spent only about 15 percent of their time walking, the research found. The rest of the time was divided among swimming, grooming, eating, interacting with males and other activities.

Despite their low levels of exercise, the bears need to consume a lot, said Anthony Pagano, the USGS research biologist who is leading the study.

READ MORE: Scientists put the animal equivalent of a Fitbit on polar bears. Here's what they learned

ADVERTISEMENT