Question

What arctic animals will climate change affect? How will it affect these animals? (Site 1)

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Answer 1

Climate change is reshaping the Arctic and threatens many of its animals. Species that depend on sea ice—especially polar bears, ice-associated seals, walruses, and ice-dependent whales like narwhal—are harmed as ice melts earlier and forms later, reducing hunting platforms, breeding sites, and access to prey. Terrestrial animals such as caribou (reindeer) suffer from altered plant growth timing and more frequent rain‑on‑snow events that create ice layers over forage, while warming allows red foxes to move north and outcompete smaller Arctic foxes. Small mammals and birds (lemmings, seabirds) face disrupted snow cover and mismatched food timing that lower reproductive success, and cold‑water fish like polar cod decline as water warms and the food web shifts. In addition, thawing permafrost, more pathogens, and increased human activity (shipping, oil development) raise stress, disease, and mortality across Arctic wildlife, leading to population declines, altered ranges, and ecosystem change.