In recent studies, pollutants have been detected within the Arctic food chain.
As polar bears hunt other animals, they consume the toxic pollutants that were carried by their prey. These toxins stay within the polar bears and other animals, which can cause death, birth defects, and other problems.
In recent years, sea ice has been melting at alarming rates.
With receding ice sheets, polar bears were added to the United States endangered species list in 2008. Along with being on the endangered species list, the polar bear conservation status is labeled as “vulnerable” due to their notably decreasing population