Natural Resources Canada has renewed its support for the Energy Modelling Hub (EMH) activities for a further four years beginning, providing $5 million to strengthen Canada鈥檚 capacity for transparent, evidence-based energy, climate and energy transition policy development and planning. The new mandate, Reinforcing Canadian Energy Modelling Capacities: Enhancing Tools and Expertise for Canada鈥檚 Electricity and Renewable Energy Sector, will be headquartered at the University of Calgary and delivered through a four-institution consortium: the University of Calgary, 91亚色, Polytechnique Montr茅al and the University of Victoria.

The four-year project is led by Associate Professor Blake Shaffer from the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary, Professor Mark Winfield from the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change at 91亚色, Associate Professor Madeleine McPherson from the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria, and Professor Normand Mousseau from the Institut de l鈥櫭﹏ergie Trottier at Polytechnique Montr茅al.

The renewed funding advances NRCan鈥檚 Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program鈥檚 (SREPs鈥�) capacity building objectives. EMH supports these objectives by providing a national platform for enhanced collaboration and convening to connect policymakers, modellers and other stakeholders working on Canada鈥檚 clean-energy transition.

Through three targeted capacity-building activities, EMH addresses the real needs of end-users, fostering inclusivity, generating economic and social benefits, and supporting Canada鈥檚 shift toward a decarbonized, sustainable, affordable, reliable and equitable energy system. This includes strengthening open-source modelling tools, improving access to high-quality open data, and expanding user-centred knowledge sharing and training.

The renewed mandate positions EMH to build a pan-Canadian network of modellers, policymakers and experts working together to guide the transformation of Canada鈥檚 energy systems in the directions of decarbonization and sustainability. By linking analytical capacity across the country, EMH will help bridge the gap between data and policy, ensuring modelling informs responses to the most pressing energy challenges.

鈥淭his announcement demonstrates听Canada's support for energy modellers as they address challenges and develop new insights on energy technologies and systems that can help Canada unlock the full potential of听the听workers, businesses and resources we have right here at home.鈥澨�- Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson

鈥淭he University of Calgary is proud to serve as the host institution for the Energy Modelling Hub for the next four years. This is an important national institution, and its presence here reflects our longstanding leadership in energy research, policy, and innovation. We look forward to working closely with partners across the country to advance the Hub鈥檚 mission and help shape Canada鈥檚 energy future.鈥� - Associate Professor Blake Shaffer, Department of Economics, University of Calgary

鈥淭he federal government鈥檚 renewed support to the Energy Modelling Hub will reinforce EMH鈥檚 capacity building work in support of evidence-based policy-making around energy, decarbonization, sustainability and energy systems transitions in Canada.鈥� - Professor Mark Winfield, co-chair, Sustainable Sustainable Energy Initiative, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, 91亚色

鈥淭he Energy Modelling Hub provides tools and models that are essential to the Institut de l鈥櫭﹏ergie Trottier鈥檚 work at Polytechnique Montr茅al. Future editions of our Canadian Energy Outlook will greatly benefit from the expanding suite of resources now available. Beyond this, the Canadian government鈥檚 support reflects both a recognition of the strength of Canadian expertise and a commitment to amplifying its impact.鈥� - Scientific Director Normand Mousseau, Institut de l鈥櫭﹏ergie Trottier at Polytechnique Montr茅al and Professor at Universit茅 de Montr茅al

鈥淐harting Canadas energy transition is complex; modelling helps by exploring possible pathways and illuminating the most effective decisions. The EMH hosts is Canada's only open-source suite of integrated models, which together enable a comprehensive and transparent conversation about how to move forward. The highly collaborative work at the hub is a catalyst for our transition to a low-carbon, affordable, and reliable energy system.鈥� - Associate Professor Madeleine McPherson, Civil Engineer and associate director, Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria

The post Canada renews support for Energy Modelling Hub appeared first on News@91亚色.

91亚色 bee scientists are available to explain the best ways to help protect bees
and other pollinators facing increased threats

TORONTO, May 15, 2025 鈥� As tariffs continue to threaten Canada鈥檚 food supply chain, it鈥檚 more important than ever to protect Ontario鈥檚 pollinators this World Bee Day, May 20. 91亚色 experts are available to discuss how people can help protect pollinator habitats.

The theme this year is Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all. According to the United Nations, pollinators contribute directly to food security and are needed to pollinate some 75 per cent of food crops worldwide.

In the Greater Toronto Area, there are more than 350 native bee species with about 1,000 across the country 鈥� many of which are wild bees, compared to managed honeybees - which depend on natural and diverse green areas, as well as floral gardens to sustain their populations.

鈥淲ild native bees and other pollinators are often overlooked as honeybees often steal the spotlight, but native bees are incredibly important and are facing increasing threats from changing land use, pesticides and disease,鈥� says 91亚色 Research Chair in Behavioural Genetics , director of 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation (BEEC).

鈥淭here are many ways people and communities can help support our wild bees by planting native plants and flowers which bloom at different times during the season and being careful not to destroy wild bee habitats during spring clean-up,鈥� says Rehan.

Every year, BEEc and the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) hosts a Garden Party for bees, where volunteers prune, weed, mulch and revitalize the University鈥檚 native plant garden, while being careful not to disrupt ground-nesting bee habits.

A way to celebrate and support bees and other pollinators, sponsored in part by World Wildlife Fund Canada, the will take place on Tuesday, May 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. Media are invited. 

Examples of bee species that visit the EUC Native Plant Garden include Toronto's official bee 鈥� the green metallic sweat bee Agapostemon virescens 鈥� as well as tiny, smooth, black solitary bees that can be mistaken for flies or ants, and fuzzy bumblebees, whose queens are easily seen this time of year. 

鈥淥ne of the main goals of the garden party is to get as many people involved and learning about native plantings, especially native plants to help our local native pollinators,鈥� says Katherine Chau, BEEc coordinator and 91亚色 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Rehan bee lab.

BEEc鈥檚 bee researchers can help better understand bees, the risks to their health, habitats, behaviour, genetics and diseases, and what people can do to help.    

Have some buzzworthy questions? Just ask the experts listed below. 

, BEEc as well as the , is an expert in wild bee genomics, behaviour and conservation and a professor in the Faculty of Science, can talk about: 

鈥� Loss of plant-pollinator networks and how some plants will now bloom too soon or too late for bees that rely on them 

鈥� Are the gut microbiomes of city bees missing key beneficial bacteria? 

鈥� Biodiversity conservation and why it鈥檚 important 

鈥� How maternal care of bee offspring has expanded the social life of bees 

鈥� Population and behavioural genomics 

鈥� Climate change, land use change and the effects on bees 

Gordon Fitch of the , and an assistant professor in the Faculty of Science, can discuss:

鈥� How environmental stressors, like urbanization, agriculture, and disease, shape interactions between bees and the plants they pollinate

• How disease affects wild bees; why pathogens are both an essential part of healthy ecosystems and a potential threat to wild bees.

• How bees cope with disease, and the 鈥渕edicine鈥� that plants can provide them

鈥� How urbanization and agricultural land management impact the ability of wild bees to move about their environment.

鈥� The role of parasites in shaping bee foraging preferences and the effects of the built environment on bee-parasite interactions

鈥� Nectar robbery and its effect on pollination 鈥� when some pollinators, including certain bumblebees, carpenter bees and fruit bats, access nectar through a bite hole in a flower, which does not facilitate pollination as the pollinator avoids the pollen

The post Bee good on Word Bee Day - plant bee-autiful pollinator flowers and gardens appeared first on News@91亚色.

Several studies have looked at lake ice quantity and its duration, but there is little research on the quality of the ice which directly corresponds to how safe it is to venture out on.

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2024 鈥� Ice may look safe for a game of pick-up hockey on the lake, but as a new study out of 91亚色 found, looks can be deceiving. Warming winters are not only affecting ice thickness and timing 鈥� when a lake freezes and thaws 鈥� but also quality, making it potentially unstable and unsafe.

When lakes and rivers freeze, there are two predominant layers of ice, what鈥檚 called white ice and black ice. White ice is generally opaque, like snow, and filled with more air bubbles and smaller ice crystals, diminishing its strength and stability, while black ice is clear and dense with few air pockets and larger ice crystals making it a lot stronger.

鈥淚ce quality is important because of its direct implications for load bearing capacity for human safety and also how much light will transmit under ice for life under frozen lakes,鈥� says 91亚色 Professor of 91亚色's Faculty of Science.

The problem, says lead author and 91亚色 Postdoctoral Fellow Joshua Culpepper, is that the unpredictable and warmer winter weather is creating thinner layers of black ice and sometimes a corresponding thicker layer of white ice, the unstable kind. The two combined can make for treacherous conditions for skaters, hockey players, snowmobilers, ice anglers and ice truckers.

鈥淲e know that in general, lake ice is forming later in the season and breaking up earlier, which implies an overall shorter duration of ice cover, but our study looked at what the ice is doing. How is it changing? You might get periods of time when people are on the ice and they think it's safe, but it really isn't. It's not sufficiently thick enough given the changes in the quality,鈥� says Culpepper.

10 cm no longer the golden rule

Thickness alone is no longer a good predictor of safe ice. If there is too much white ice and not enough black ice, the ice it may not be strong enough to hold a person鈥檚 weight. It鈥檚 what the researchers are calling a dangerous combination.

鈥淔or a human to go out on the ice to skate or play, that requires about 10 centimeters or four inches of black ice鈥ut what we're seeing and what we're predicting is that climate change is contributing to more white ice conditions,鈥� says Sharma, who recommends people measure the ice and if there is only a thin layer of black ice to double the usual recommended thickness to at least 20 cm.

鈥淏lack ice is clear and there's no slush. You shouldn't be walking over slush,鈥� says Sharma, she adds that it鈥檚 always best to go with someone or a group.

On thin ice

The lack of consideration for quality ice is already leading to a loss of life. In Canada last December, six people, including a couple of teens in Ontario, died within a week plunging through thin ice. Two more died in Ontario this February. In Finland, four people died from falling through weak ice in January and February alone, where the average is said to be 18 people annually. In Sweden, 16 people drowned from falling through the ice in 2014 and at least nine in 2021, for example.

The findings from a 2020 study led by Sharma found widespread drowning across the Northern Hemisphere, but surprisingly, northern Canada, the territories, had the highest drownings per capita even though it was the coldest.

鈥淭hat is because of the dramatic changes in the Arctic which is warming four times faster than the rest of the globe so it's not just southern regions that are experiencing these changes in ice conditions, but also far north. What you would consider to be like extremely cold icy areas,鈥� says Sharma.

鈥淔or a transport truck, they require 100 cm or about 42 inches of black ice. So those benchmarks on transportation are no longer viable because there is more white ice, which is approximately less than half the strength of black ice. What we鈥檙e predicting is a 95 to a 99 per cent loss in winter ice road transportation infrastructure without meaningful adaptations for ice safety.鈥�

That could mean remote communities are at risk of not being cut off and unable to access food, supplies, medicine and the like, during the winter.

Unseasonable winter weather

For this study, Culpepper and some of his co-authors had to stop taking ice measurements in mid-February on Lake Simcoe and early March on Paint Lake in the Muskoka region because the ice cover was dangerously thin.

Changes in precipitation from unseasonably warm weather is creating a lot of the unsafe ice conditions and unpredictability. Warmer temperatures, rain and even snow can alter the strength and thickness of lake ice.

Sharma and Culpepper recommend checking the weather reports for the last month.

鈥淟ake ice has a memory,鈥� says Sharma. 鈥淎ll of the weather fluctuations are stored in the ice. If the temperature was over 0 C for a period of time, if there was rain or if there were extremely sunny conditions, all of that can affect the safety of the ice for human use. When there are freeze thaw events or temperatures are above 0 C, the ice becomes weaker, and it becomes structurally less stable.鈥�

Underneath the ice

The diminishing quality of ice is also affecting life below, the amount of nutrients available for fish and other aquatic life, such as invertebrates, as well as phytoplankton which needs light for photosynthesis, but with more white ice, it鈥檚 blocking some of that light and compromising the health of the ecosystem.

But as Culpepper says, their study is one of only a few that looks at the quality of lake ice and yet that ice is changing dramatically. 鈥淭he thing that stuck out to me first is the surprising lack of data that we have on ice quality broadly,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were diving into what data was available, but trying to find exactly what we could work with in terms of data that's available in the Northern Hemisphere was pretty challenging.鈥�

What鈥檚 needed, he says, is regular measurements of ice quality, including black and white ice thickness, throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

The paper, , was published today in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment.

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91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Lake ice quality degrading as planet warms 鈥� skaters, hockey players, ice truckers on thin ice appeared first on News@91亚色.

Data generated by researchers at shows 2023 to be a record-breaking year for humanity鈥檚 Ecological Footprint, which is predicted to exceed what the Earth can regenerate this year by tomorrow (August 1) 鈥� . 

All components of the Ecological Footprint 鈥� cropland, grazing land, fish harvests, built-up land, forest products, and carbon emissions 鈥� were larger than ever before.

The annual Overshoot Day prediction, based on data produced out of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, continues to worsen.

鈥淓arth Overshoot Day highlights excess consumption that needs to be reduced. It can also measure the significance of actions such as carbon pricing and reducing food waste,鈥� says Eric Miller, director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change. 鈥淗umanity needs to reduce its Ecological Footprint by 2.1 per cent annually, every year from now until 2050 to end overshoot. Ending overshoot is necessary to reach net zero emissions.鈥�

The Ecological Footprint is calculated as the area occupied by settlements, plus the land used for agriculture, the waters used for capturing or culturing fish, the area of harvested forests, and the area of unharvested forests that would be needed to absorb humanity鈥檚 carbon emissions. Researchers also measured the biocapacity of lands and waters within all countries. Calculations integrated tens of millions of data points from international data sources.

Humanity needs to reduce its Ecological Footprint by 2.1 per cent annually, every year from now until 2050 to end overshoot.

Eric Miller

Canada is one of . More than 9,000 companies, 1,000 cities, 1,000 educational institutions, and 600 financial institutions have joined the  to reduce emissions.

Net zero emissions can be achieved by reducing greenhouse gasses to the point at which their annual total can be sequestered by ecosystems within the same year. Ecosystems can only do this if they are not being used for other purposes, such as housing people, supporting infrastructure or being harvested. A comprehensive accounting of these different uses and capacities of lands and waters is provided by National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts. This accounting is necessary for effective policy and legislation around the world.

鈥淥ur dataset is the most comprehensive and recent measure of what鈥檚 necessary for sustainability,鈥� says Miller, who leads a team of researchers and graduate students to produce the听听for the听, a Canadian not-for-profit organization.

Quick facts

Mississauga and Toronto:

• 56 times the area of Mississauga was needed to support Mississauga鈥檚 Ecological Footprint.
• Toronto鈥檚 average per-person Ecological Footprint was lower than the Ontario average.

Ontario compared to the Canadian average:

• Ontario鈥檚 Ecological Footprint and biocapacity were measured in 2020 from 2005-2015.
• Ontario鈥檚 Ecological Footprint declined between 2005 to 2015, resulting from the end of coal-fired generation and changing diets in Ontario. The province鈥檚 Ecological Footprint declined to 11 per cent below the Canadian average, from a prior high of 14 per cent more than the average.
• Cropland in Ontario yielded almost twice as much than average cropland in Canada, and with yields above the world-average in 2015.

Ontario鈥檚 greenbelt:

• Ontario鈥檚 greenbelt provided an average of twice the level of biocapacity per hectare as other lands in Ontario. Most of this biocapacity was provided by cropland in the greenbelt.
• Ontario鈥檚 greenbelt yielded crops that could satisfy the total needs of 2.2 million Ontarians.

Canada compared to the rest of the world:

• An average consumer in Canada had an Ecological Footprint of 7.4 global hectare (gha). This was about the same as the United States average, higher than the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development country average of 5.6gha, and much higher than the global human average of 2.6gha. More than half of Canada鈥檚 Ecological Footprint comes from burning fuels, followed by high consumption of forest products.
• More than four per cent of global biocapacity existed within Canada, ranked fifth highest in the world.
• Each dollar of Canadian exports required twice as much Ecological Footprint for its production than each dollar of imports. Canada exported footprint-intensive timber products, grains and edible oils, fuels and minerals.

91亚色:

• 91亚色 measures its Ecological Footprint and biocapacity and greenhouse gas emissions. Data published in 2023 shows that 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Toronto and Costa Rica provide one per cent of the land area needed to support its Ecological Footprint.
• 91亚色鈥檚 emissions have trended below the Canadian university sectoral average.
• 91亚色 aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.

The post Record-breaking year of consumption leads to Ecological Footprint overshoot appeared first on News@91亚色.

Forging of joined-up approach at COP29 and COP16 vital for urgent action for climate and nature

TORONTO, July 23, 2024 鈥� World leaders must take advantage of a pivotal window of opportunity for forging a much-needed joined-up approach to tackle and biodiversity loss, say scientists from 91亚色 and ZSL. Without this, work on tackling either crisis could inadvertently harm progress on the other.

Published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, a paper from international conservation charity ZSL and researchers at 91亚色, Toronto, 鈥�,鈥� conceptualizes how a joint work program between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) could be established.

Highlighting the issues the joint program must tackle, and recommendations for successful implementation, the paper argues that such a unified political tool is critical to meet international commitments under both the Paris Agreement and the .

鈥淭he world is currently at a crossroads. World leaders have signed international treaties that commit them to take action to address these two crises, but there is currently a massive gap in the tools available to ensure this action is unified,鈥� says Professor of 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.

Boran and , a researcher at who has long been calling for united solutions to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, are co-authors of the paper.

鈥淲e urgently need a global approach that addresses the nature and climate crises together 鈥� because they are intrinsically connected,鈥� says Pettorelli. 鈥淭he UNFCCC and CBD are incredible platforms for providing the evidence to, and guiding the way through the changes we need, but higher levels of integration between the biodiversity and climate change agendas are needed to plug implementation gaps.

鈥淭he upcoming Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC and CBD present a clear policy window for the two conventions to introduce a formal governance structure that brings together ideas, people, organizations and processes necessary for joining the dots on how to both stabilize our climate and recover our nature.鈥�

World leaders will come together later this year for two global conventions to separately tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. In October, the CBD will meet in Columbia for the 16th United Nations Biodiversity conference (COP16). A week after its close in November, the UNFCCC will meet in Azerbaijan for the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP29).

Pettorelli adds: 鈥淲ith the closely related policy agendas of the upcoming UNFCCC and CBD's COPs, negotiators have a key opportunity to take coordinated, bold and transformative action to deliver a new, more integrated and coherent approach to addressing the entwined nature and climate crises. The urgency is such that both conventions need to work together now, and take advantage of the many potential synergies we highlighted between climate change and biodiversity policies to change humanity鈥檚 course towards a sustainable future".

Government representatives at CBD COP16 will be tasked with assessing the state of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was adopted in 2022 and outlines a path for humanity to live in harmony with nature by 2050. The goals include halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. Discussions during COP29 will be key in progress towards the landmark international treaty to limit global temperature increases to 1.5掳C above pre-industrial levels, known as the Paris Agreement.

Climate change and biodiversity loss are ; rapidly changing conditions drive the loss of species and the subsequent breakdown of ecosystems across the world 鈥� however healthy, functioning ecosystems are absolutely key to tackling climate change and mitigating its impacts.

鈥淲e need a program that fills these gaps, identifies areas where climate actions may harm to biodiversity, provides clear recommendations and develops methods to monitor progress on shared goals,鈥� says Boran. 鈥淲ithout this, we risk action to tackle one crisis creating major setbacks for the other. For example, the replacement of natural grasslands with forests may help capture and store planet-warming carbon dioxide, but it does so at a cost of the ecosystems and wildlife that previously used the land.鈥�

Properly implemented Nature-based Solutions (see note below) 鈥� natural systems that help achieve societal goals 鈥� tackle climate change and biodiversity loss simultaneously, while also bringing benefits to people. For example, the restoration of not only helps with carbon storage, but also protects the homes of species such as endangered Bengal tigers and critically endangered Philippine cockatoo, and provides food and resources for local communities.

The paper also calls for the vital need for the reallocation of resources to address imbalances in funds and support available for action to address climate change in comparison with biodiversity loss.

鈥淭here is a wider need for world leaders to ensure they鈥檙e putting nature at the heart of their decision making. Functioning ecosystems aren鈥檛 just important for addressing rapid climate change 鈥� losing them impacts every aspect of our lives, from food security to access to clean water,鈥� says Pettorelli. 鈥淲e need these to be recognized and conservation to receive the resources needed for it to be part of the solution towards tackling climate change and championing human well-being.鈥�

From restoring in the Philippines equivalent to over 1,000 football pitches to calling for the to help protect city dwellers from the worst impacts of climate change, this call is part of ZSL鈥檚 wider global work pushing for and implementing urgent action to build a better future for people and planet. 

ZSL believes nature can recover, and that conservation is most effective when driven by science. ZSL call for science to guide all global decisions on environment and biodiversity and build a healthier future for wildlife, people and the planet. Find out more and support ZSL鈥檚 world-leading, collaborative science and conservation work at

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations | sandramc@yorku.ca

Anna McConachie & Sophie Teall | anna.mcconachie@zsl.org |sophie.teall@zsl.org | press.office@zsl.org| 07890039163

91亚色

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

ZSL 

Founded in 1826, ZSL is an international conservation charity, driven by science, working to restore wildlife in the UK and around the world; by protecting critical species, restoring ecosystems, helping people and wildlife live together and inspiring support for nature. Through our leading conservation zoos, London and Whipsnade, we bring people closer to nature and use our expertise to protect wildlife today, while inspiring a lifelong love of animals in the conservationists of tomorrow. Visit for more information.  

Nature Based Solutions

Nature-based Solutions are environmental approaches that address societal challenges, such as climate change, through actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems, benefiting people and nature at the same time. These approaches include restoring ecosystems and protecting landscapes. Professor Pettorelli鈥檚 past work has highlighted the importance of political support for nature-based solutions in order to turn the tide on climate change and biodiversity loss, alongside specific examples of how steps such as rewilding cities and the inclusion of nature nature-friendly spaces within new housing developments are key to building a better future for all. 

The post A window of opportunity for climate change and biodiversity appeared first on News@91亚色.

A project involving 91亚色, 3M and Polar Bears International presents field research deploying the first-ever fur tracking tags on polar bears, a less invasive method advancing wildlife research and coexistence; the report publishes on Arctic Sea Ice Day

TORONTO, July 15, 2024 鈥� Studying polar bears just became a lot easier with new 鈥渂urr on fur鈥� trackers which confirmed scientists鈥� belief that subadult and adult males spend most of their time on land lazing around, conserving energy until the ice returns.

A multi-institutional research team led by 91亚色 and including the University of Alberta, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Manitoba Sustainable Development, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Polar Bears International, used three different 鈥渂urr on fur鈥� prototypes to study their effectiveness.

The paper, 鈥�,鈥� published in the journal Animal Biotelemetry, details the first peer-reviewed examination of these new tracking devices that adhere to the fur of polar bears.

Studying polar bears is a difficult feat with current radio collars only suitable to be used on female bears leaving out a swath of the population, but new technology is providing researchers with a new tool which has confirmed the behaviour of adult male polar bears while on land waiting for the ice to form again.

Efforts to develop less-invasive tracking options and tools that could work on polar bears of both sexes and nearly all ages have been ongoing for years with varying success. Collars have been and remain the primary means of studying polar bear movements. More recently, ear tag transmitters have been used as a lighter-weight alternative. While both technologies serve an important role in helping study and conserve polar bears, researchers continually strive to develop methods that are both minimally invasive and provide quality data.

This led to a new tracking initiative known as 鈥淏urr on Fur,鈥� which began as a challenge from Polar Bears International to 3M scientists, the global science and manufacturing company behind Post-It notes, to create a temporary, simple method for affixing small tracking units to polar bear fur. Three 鈥淏urr on Fur鈥� prototypes were recently tested on wild polar bears along the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada, alongside traditional ear tag transmitters.   

The shortcomings with traditional tracking methods: The ear tag and 鈥淏urr on Fur鈥� devices fill an important niche for scientists and wildlife managers. The new tags allow researchers to follow the movements of adult male and subadult polar bears, two groups that can鈥檛 be studied using traditional satellite collars. Adult males can鈥檛 wear collars because they slip off their cone-shaped necks and heads, and subadult bears grow too rapidly for safe collar use. Traditional ear tags are an alternative to collars. However, they currently require recapture to remove and, although rare, can pose a risk of injury to the ear. The new Burr on Fur tags are designed to be temporary, minimally invasive, and can be applied to both sexes and nearly all ages of polar bears.

鈥淪uccessfully attaching telemetry tags to polar bear fur has never been done before, and we鈥檙e excited to share the results of this innovative work,鈥� said Tyler Ross, lead author of the paper and a researcher at 91亚色's Faculty of Science. 鈥淭he fur tags showed great promise and give researchers the ability to study the behaviors and movements of polar bears that we have very little data on, like subadult and adult male bears.鈥�

The study: 58 wild bears were tagged using ear tags and three distinct fur tag designs to compare both the duration of time the tags remained active while attached to the bears and the accuracy of the trackers. Applied alongside a traditional ear tag, which relied on an Argos Transmitter, the three fur tags were:

• The Pentagon Tag: this five-sided device included five holes punched into its corners, allowing tufts of fur to be pulled through. It utilized an Argos Eartag Satellite Transmitter.
• The SeaTrkr Tag: an oval-shaped tag that had 10 holes punched to allow 10 fur-tuft attachments. This design used an Iridium-linked Telonics GPS SeaTrkr-4370 transmitter.
• The Tribrush Tag: a triangle tag outfitted with tubes along its borders, through which pipe brushes ensnared the fur, twisting it inside the tubes. This tag used the same Argos transmitter as the Pentagon tags.

The research took place from autumn 2016 to 2021 with bears handled near Churchill, Canada, by the Polar Bear Alert Program and researchers at the University of Alberta, supplemented with operations by researchers at Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 91亚色, and Manitoba Sustainable Development in 2021-22 near the Manitoba-Ontario border.

鈥淥ur results are an important step in better understanding the movements and behavior of polar bears, especially adult male bears, which are difficult to track because they can鈥檛 be fitted with satellite collars. Temporary, fur-mounted tags could also help track the movements of bears relocated after potentially coming into conflict with people, making these tags an important tool for conserving polar bears and keeping northern communities safe,鈥� says 91亚色 Associate Professor and Sustainable Environmental Management Coordinator of the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and the report鈥檚 co-author.

Results: The top-performing fur tag was the SeaTrkr Tag, which remained attached to the bears for an average of 58 days and had superior accuracy due to its use of GPS/Iridium technology. In second place, the Tribrush Tags remained attached for an average of 47 days. However, for the Tribrush Tag, the times varied widely, with one falling off after only two days while another lasted 114 days 鈥� the longest of all the tags.

Because they are permanently attached to the bears鈥� ears, the traditional ear tags remained in place for 137 days on average, while the shorter-term fur-based trackers proved to be reliable for shorter periods. The fur tags proved useful for monitoring bear behavior, and show great promise for future use in tracking polar bears, especially those that must be relocated after approaching too close to communities. Further testing and refinement are also being conducted on bears in zoos and aquariums through zoo and aquarium partners, allowing researchers to further refine the designs and see how they perform throughout different seasons. In the most recent round of zoo testing, a refined tag stayed on a bear for 75 days.

Important Data about Male and Subadult Polar Bears: The new data adds to our growing understanding of subadult and adult male polar bear movements and behaviors, which have been historically understudied because they cannot be safely collared for long periods. Findings confirm that adult and subadult male bears reduce their activity while on land, consistent with prior studies that showed bears spent approximately 70 to 90 per cent of their time resting during the ice-free period in Hudson Bay.     

Implications: While the ear tags remained attached to the bears longer, the temporary and easily affixed fur tags give scientists a new tool for enhanced tracking of bears for purposes of both applied research and managing human-bear interactions. The tracking tech could be applied to other types of bears, supporting efforts to reduce human-bear conflict, and future applications could include testing on other species with fur. While traditional tracking methods, such as collars, will remain critical for longer-term studies, the fur tags will prove a as the climate warms. 

鈥淭he collaboration between Polar Bears International, 3M, academic institutions, and governmental partners is a testament to our commitment to improving Arctic wildlife research and conservation technology,鈥� says Geoff 91亚色, Senior Director of Research and Policy at Polar Bears International, adding, 鈥淭hese advancements will have tangible implications for wildlife management, aiding in tracking polar bears and promoting improved human-bear coexistence. We鈥檙e eager to further refine and deploy this pivotal technology.鈥� 

About Arctic Sea Ice Day: These findings publish on July 15, which is , an annual event created by Polar Bears International to spark actions and conversations about the rapidly melting Arctic ecosystem, including its global significance and how people can help slow this warming trend. The Arctic is now warming nearly than the rest of the planet, causing the sea ice to melt, which causes polar bears to spend longer periods fasting on land.

Polar Bears International invites people to access the full report and urges the scientific community to consider the implications of these findings for further research and application in conservation and coexistence efforts.

About 91亚色

91亚色 is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91亚色's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91亚色鈥檚 campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-272-6317, sandramc@yorku.ca

About 3M

3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what's possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we're working to improve lives and make what's next at . 

About Polar Bears International

Polar Bears International鈥檚 mission is to conserve polar bears and the sea ice they depend on. We also work to inspire people to care about the Arctic, the threats to its future, and the connection between this fragile ecosystem and our global climate. Polar Bears International is the only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to wild polar bears and Arctic sea ice, and its staff includes scientists who study wild polar bears. The organization is a recognized leader in polar bear conservation. For more information, visit .

Media Contacts

Annie Edwards, for Polar Bears International, +44 07307 139782, annie@fabricmedia.net

Melissa Hourigan, for Polar Bears International, +1 720-608-1919, melissa@fabricmedia.net

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