Arctic
Rich in wildlife
Featured Story
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Bristol Bay, An Economic Engine for Alaska
Bristol Bay, referred to as America’s Fish Basket, is an economic engine for Alaska. Read more
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Tracking Narwhals
WWF and partners are using satellite tracking devices to learn more about Arctic whales. Read more
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Arctic Sea Ice Levels Plummet to Record Lows
Extreme melting has driven Arctic sea ice levels to record lows. Read more
Latest News
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WWF and The Coca-Cola Company Team Up to Protect Polar Bears
Coca-Cola and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are joining forces in a bold new campaign to help protect the polar bear’s Arctic home. Read more
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Questions for Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
On October 3, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced that the agency has filed the Record of Decision regarding a 2008 federal oil and natural gas lease sale in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea. Read more
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Politics Trump Science
The Obama administration’s decision to affirm Chukchi Lease Sale 193 in America’s Arctic Ocean is a clear case of politics trumping science. Read more
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20,000 Walruses Hauled Out in Alaska
Just weeks before Arctic sea ice extent reaches a record or near-record annual low, observers estimate that over 20,000 walruses have hauled-out near Point Lay, Alaska. Read more
The Arctic is teeming with wildlife and covers eight countries, including the United States.
Diverse landscapes – from the sea ice to coastal wetlands, upland tundra, mountains, wide rivers and the sea itself – support abundant wildlife and many cultures.
Of all of the wildlife in the Arctic, the polar bear is the most fitting icon for this region. Its amazing adaptation to life in the harsh Arctic environment makes it an impressive species.
Within the Arctic region of the United States, the remarkable waters of the Bering Sea attract marine mammals, such as gray whales, which travel great distances to forage and raise their young. Almost half of the fish caught in the United States comes from this sea. Its fisheries are vital to:
- local communities, whose livelihoods depend on fishing
- millions of people worldwide
Across the Bering Sea, in Russia, the Kamchatka Peninsula’s river systems produce up to one-quarter of all wild Pacific salmon. The salmon provide nourishment to other wildlife, including the Kamchatka brown bear.
All parts of the Arctic now face an uncertain future due to such threats as:
- overfishing
- climate change
- mining
- shipping
- oil and gas development
Among the approaches used by WWF to address these threats are:
- advocate for oil spill prevention, spill response and shipping safety measures as a precondition for offshore oil development
- reward sustainable fishing practices and combat illegal fishing
- support partnerships with biologists, Arctic communities and others to reduce stress on the region’s polar bears
Threats. Main threats to the Arctic include illegal and overfishing, noise and potential spills associated with offshore oil and gas exploration, and increasing temperatures which make it harder for wildlife to find food and areas to nest. Learn more
Species. From the tiniest plankton to the great Arctic icons, the polar bear and walrus, this region is teeming with wildlife. Fish, foxes, birds, whales, brown bears, reindeer and seals abound. Learn more
People. For thousands of years, indigenous people have been closely tied to the wildlife and habitats around the Arctic. Their rich traditions continue to be part of the human fabric of the region.
Meet the US Arctic Team! | Learn more about the Global WWF Arctic Team
Related Global Markets
Climate Change | Forests | Fishing | Aquaculture | Wildlife Trade
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Help Protect the Arctic
Donate through the Arctic Home campaign and The Coca-Cola Company will match your donation.
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Adopt a Polar Bear
Make a symbolic polar bear adoption to help save some of the world's most endangered animals from extinction and support WWF’s conservation efforts.
