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Aullaviat/Anguniarvik

Demographic Study of Southern and Northern Beaufort Sea polar bears

Researchers in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and Alaska have been collaborating since 2019 on a demographic study of Southern and Northern Beaufort Sea polar bears. This study will help us understand approximately how many bears there are, and what's changed over the last twenty years. This study brings together Western science and Indigenous knowledge. By bridging Western science and Inuvialuit and Inupiat knowledge of polar bears, we can understand the world of the polar bear at multiple geographic and temporal scale, painting a fulsome picture of the world of Southern and Northern Beaufort Sea polar bears, from twenty years ago to today.

Genetic Mark-Recapture

One component of this study is a field work approach called genetic (or biopsy) mark-recapture. Genetic mark-recapture is must less invasive than the tradition approach of sedation and collaring. Curious how it works? Join Inuvialuk graduate student, Jessica Norris, as she and regional biologists head out on to the ice to survey North and South Beaufort polar bears. 

Incorporating Indigenous knowledge into Integrated Population Models

Inuvialuit and Inupiat have emphasized the importance of co-producing research and finding ways to bridge Indigenous knowledge with Western science toward improving our understanding of Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. Specifically, Inuvialuit and Inupiat were interested in bringing Indigenous knowledge and Western science together during all stages of the project, including the statistical model that is used to estimate polar bear abundance. Following this guidance, in 2020, the Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Integrated Population Models project was initiated. 

Framework for Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into Integrated Population Models

The first step in this project was to create a framework for bringing Indigenous knowledge into an integrated population model. Project partners hired Steve Braund and Associates and Eric Regehr to build out this framework. You can read the report below. 

Documenting Inuvialuit and Inupiat Knowledge

Between 2023 and 2025, workshops were held in Alaska and the Northwest Territories to bring polar bear harvesters together and document their recent knowledge of Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears. Researchers used maps and an interview protocol tailored to document knowledge relating to polar bear demographics that could be included in a demographic model. Read the Inuvialuit report and download a visual summary, below.

What's Next?

The study is in the analysis phase. Partners are working together to finalize the demographic models for Southern and Beaufort Sea polar bears.  

Sharing Knowledge of Nanuq
Demographic Study of Southern and Northern Beaufort Sea polar bears

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