DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION OF POLAR BEARS, PACIFIC WALRUSES AND GRAY WHALES DEPENDING ON ICE CONDITIONS IN THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC (17th Symposium on Polar Biology)

Abstract

This report presents a review of available data concerning the influence of ice cover on distribution, density and migration of three species of marine mammals inhabiting the Russian Arctic. Association of marine mammals with ice cover is as follows: (1) the polar bear is distributed in ice zone in the whole year, (2) the walrus is associated with the ice zone only in summer, and (3) the gray whale inhabits the southern area of the ice zone