LIFE SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -The polar bear’s Latin name, Ursus maritimus, means “sea bear.” It’s an apt name for this majestic species, which spends much of its life in, around, or on the ocean–predominantly on the sea ice. In the United States, Alaska is home to two polar bear subpopulations.

Detailed explanation-2: -The wide paws prevent sea ice from breaking by distributing the polar bear’s weight as it walks. The webbed feet results in making polar bears, unlike other bear species, considered to be “marine mammals” along with seals, sea lions, walruses, whales, and dolphins. However, they are still bears.

Detailed explanation-3: -Polar bears are only found in the Arctic. The most important habitats for polar bears are the edges of pack ice where currents and wind interact, forming a continually melting and refreezing matrix of ice patches and leads (open spaces in the sea ice).