Arctic Ringed Seals Risk Predation by Polar Bears to Access Diverse Food Sources According to New UBC Tracking Study

UBC study finds Arctic ringed seals will enter dangerous polar bear territory to access a diverse fish menu, highlighting new challenges for conservation.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of British Columbia

The Strategic Gamble of Arctic Marine Mammals

New research published in Ecology Letters by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of British Columbia has identified a complex trade-off between nutrition and survival in the Arctic. By tracking 26 ringed seals and 39 polar bears in eastern Hudson Bay, scientists discovered that seals do not simply avoid their primary predators at all costs. Instead, they perform a calculated risk assessment, choosing to dive for longer periods in dangerous territory when the "fish buffet" below is particularly varied. This suggests that as climate change reshapes the Arctic food web, the availability of diverse prey is a more powerful driver of seal movement than the immediate threat of predation.

Mapping the Landscape of Fear in Hudson Bay

To understand these interactions, lead author Dr. Katie Florko and her team combined GPS tracking data with daily sea-ice maps and yearly models of fish species distribution. This allowed them to visualize the "landscape of fear"—the areas where polar bears are most active and seals are most vulnerable. The study found that while seals generally move quickly through high-activity bear zones to minimize exposure, they "roll the dice" when they detect a high variety of fish. In contrast, in safer areas where bears are absent, seals actually spend less time diving for a varied menu, likely because they can feed efficiently without the pressure of an imminent attack.

The Portfolio Effect in Marine Foraging

The researchers theorize that the seals' behavior is driven by the "portfolio effect," a biological equivalent to diversified financial investing. By consuming a wide variety of fish species, seals reduce the overall risk of encountering a food shortage in the rapidly changing ocean conditions of the Arctic. Rather than putting all their "fish in one basket," the seals prioritize a robust dietary portfolio even if it requires venturing into risky territory. This strategy ensures that if one prey species declines due to shifting temperatures, the seal has other reliable energy sources to fall back on, increasing its long-term resilience.