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May 19 2025
2High above the frozen landscape of Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, a veterinarian perched on the landing skid of a helicopter, took aim with an air rifle, and fired a tranquilizer dart at a polar bear roaming below. The startled bear ran briefly before collapsing into the snow, its massive form lying still beneath the expansive Arctic sky.
This dramatic scene was part of a pioneering scientific effort to better understand the health of polar bears amid the rapid environmental changes unfolding in the Arctic. For the first time, researchers extracted fat tissue biopsies from wild polar bears to investigate how pollutants are affecting their bodies.
The project comes at a critical moment. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, shrinking the sea ice that polar bears rely on for hunting and survival. The research team aimed to simulate real-life conditions in a lab setting using thinly sliced fat tissue from the bears. These samples were exposed to environmental stressors such as chemical pollutants and stress hormones to observe how the bears’ bodies respond.
"We want to replicate the challenges they face in the wild as accurately as possible—but in a laboratory setting," said Belgian toxicologist Laura Pirard, who developed the biopsy method.
Once the sedated bear was down, the helicopter returned to land nearby. Scientists quickly went to work, carefully collecting thin strips of fat and drawing blood samples. Each sample was immediately labeled and stored. Female bears were also fitted with satellite collars for tracking, as their smaller necks allow the collars to stay in place—unlike males, who shed them quickly.
Aboard the Norwegian Polar Institute’s research vessel Kronprins Haakon, the team processed the samples in a temporary lab. There, tissues were tested for several days before being frozen and sent to land-based labs for further analysis. Preliminary results pointed to high levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), man-made chemicals known for their persistence in the environment and widespread industrial use.
Researchers also observed a shift in the bears’ diet due to disappearing sea ice. Though seals remain their primary prey, the bears are increasingly foraging for reindeer, bird eggs, and even seaweed—despite the latter offering little nutritional value. "With less sea ice, they’re forced to spend more time on land than they did a few decades ago," noted Jon Aars, head of the Svalbard polar bear program.
During the most recent season, the team captured 53 bears, fitted 17 of them with GPS collars, and tracked 10 mothers with cubs or yearlings. They also deployed small "health log" devices on five females to monitor vital signs such as heart rate and body temperature. This data, when paired with GPS tracking, provides detailed insight into the animals’ activity and stress levels.
Once heavily hunted, polar bears in Svalbard have made a slow recovery since international protections were introduced in 1976. Now, research like this may help scientists better understand how these resilient predators are adapting—or struggling—in a rapidly changing Arctic.
As the sun dipped below the horizon and the ship’s engines hummed against the stillness, the team packed up, leaving the icy wilderness to its native giants.
Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-05-polar-biopsies-arctic-pollutants.html
This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.
