MOESM23 of BMC ecology image competition 2017: the winning images

Additional file 23. Polar bear. “Polar bear predation of common eider nests seems to be increasing because of sea ice loss. We are working to understand how sea ice loss is influencing polar bear foraging behaviour, and what effects this might have on common eider duck populations. This research is being done by boat-based surveys in the Hudson Strait, east of Cape Dorset in northern Canada, in close collaboration with local Inuit guides and assistants. On pre-surveyed islands, we counted the number of active and destroyed common eider nests, to quantify numbers of nest and their breeding success. We also recorded any polar bear signs, such as scat, footprints, and destroyed nests to quantify polar bear abundance. This image highlights the unpredictable nature of our work and sometimes you encounter a face to face with a giant male polar bear scavenging for eider eggs.” Attribution: Sjoerd Duijns (Carleton University, Canada).