Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 4, 2008 4:32:31 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Ice Melt Imperils Baby Seals

Posted Mar 11, 08 12:05 PM CDT in Science & Health,  World 

(Newser) – They’re cute, they’re endangered, and they’re some of global warming’s first casualties. Baby seals throughout the Baltic Sea are dying, Der Spiegel reports, as rising temperatures melt the protective dens they rely on to survive. “The situation is dramatic,” said one environmental activist. “It could turn out that not one of the seal babies born in the last few weeks will survive.”

Seal mothers dig little dens for their pups to grow in, but with Finland’s southwest coast experiencing its least icy winter in 300 years, those dens are melting, sending the babies into freezing water without enough protective fat. They are also too small to stave off predators. The Baltic Sea is home to just 7,000 to 10,000 seals, down from 180,000 a century ago, according to the WWF.

Source Der Spiegel

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Arctic Melting Faster Than Worst-Case Predictions

    Dec 12, 07 4:14 AM CST
    Arctic Melting Faster Than Worst-Case Predictions Greenland's Arctic ice melted at rates far surpassing any previous year in 2007, according to new data, indicating that the change is happening far faster than predicted. "The Arctic is screaming," said one scientist. If melting continues at this rate, the Arctic Ocean would be "nearly ice-free" in 2012, warned another researcher. More »

  • Arctic Melt Nears 'Tipping Point'

    Sep 30, 07 2:15 PM CDT
    Arctic Melt Nears 'Tipping Point' Arctic ice has shrunk so significantly this past summer that scientists fear the region is at a dangerous "tipping point" that could trigger accelerated melting and dangerous consequences for weather patterns and environments. Ice shrank 20% below 2005’s record low. Scientists theorize that the darker sea holds more heat than the reflective ice and will cause even more melting more quickly. More »

  • Heatwaves Double Over 100 Years

    Aug 4, 07 4:42 PM CDT
    Heatwaves Double Over 100 Years The duration of heatwaves in Western Europe has doubled and the frequency of extremely hot days has nearly tripled since 1880, according to a study released yesterday. Periods of sweltering weather last an average of 3 days now compared to 1.5  in 1880, a shift that forebodes a higher rate of extreme weather events in the future, the BBC reports. More »

Baby Seal   (Archive Photos)
A young baby seal.   (Getty Images (by Event))
A baby seal at the Grand Aquarium.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

climate change • global warming • Finland • ice melt • WWF • Baltic Sea


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »