The Arctic

Hear WWF's President & CEO talk about polar bears in the Arctic.

Find out what’s it’s like to work in the Arctic.

Meet Izzy, a female polar bear monitored through a satellite collar.

A once-in-a-lifetime whale encounter illustrates urgent need to keep waters healthy.

Bristol Bay, referred to as America’s Fish Basket, is an economic engine for Alaska.

WWF and partners are using satellite tracking devices to learn more about Arctic whales.

High-ranking public officials from the eight countries that border the Arctic Ocean agreed for the first time on a set of rules and actions geared toward protecting the fragile Arctic environment.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was a disaster for the people and wildlife in the Gulf region. It was also a reminder of the negative impact offshore oil and gas drilling could have on America’s Arctic.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) concurs with the Department of Interior’s decision on February 9, 2011 to recognize that the Pacific walrus, the largest pinniped species in the Arctic, merits protection under the Endangered Species Act. Pacific walrus use sea ice to forage in the shallow waters of the Chukchi and Bering seas, as well as to rest and give birth to their young. That ice is melting at a rapid pace and, as a result, there is a dramatic decrease in walrus habitat.

A large segment of Alaska’s sea ice, islands, and coastline that is considered important to polar bears is now designated as critical habitat. As a result of the designation, federally regulated activities – such as oil and gas drilling – that may have an adverse affect on polar bears and others species will get an extra level of review by the government.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced today that Russia will create a new 1.5 million hectare park in the Arctic, a central area for the Barents and Kara Sea polar bear populations.

On Monday, April 6, ministers from nations representing the Arctic and Antarctic regions gathered at the State Department in Washington for high-level talks on climate change and other issues that are affecting the two Poles. The summit marked the first time that Arctic Council nations and Antarctic Treaty members have ever gathered to meet as one body.

Climate change is destroying vital polar bear habitat, putting the species at risk of extinction, the U.S. government said today as it listed the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the world’s largest conservation organization, said the government’s decision clearly indicates that climate change impacts are already threatening the survivability of animals and habitats, and illustrates the urgency of preparing for and adapting to a rapidly changing climate.

WWF has joined with a coalition of Alaska Native and conservation groups who filed suit in federal district court in Alaska on January 31, arguing that in making its decision to hold the lease sale, Minerals Management Service (MMS) – an agency within the DOI – did not adequately weigh the impacts oil and gas activities would have on wildlife like polar bears, or on native villages along Alaska’s North Slope.