The Future of the Ringed Seal
It has been predicted that with ongoing melting of their icy habitat earlier in the spring and the later freezing during the winter that the mortality of ringed seal pups is likely to increase and local populations will begin to reduce (Stirling and Smith 2004). The mortality of seal pups is likely to continue to grow due to exposure to the elements, increasing risk of predation, and the high-energy requirements of swimming (Ferguson 2005). As a result of the decreasing ringed seal population the polar bear reproduction and cub survival is also likely to suffer as they rely on ringed seals as their primary food source (Rosing-Asvid 2006 and Stirling and Smith 2004). In this situation extinction, rather than adaptation, is the more likely scenario.