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Potential synergistic impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activity on Arctic marine mammals
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DOI：10.1139/er-2025-0174.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Arctic marine mammals are increasingly affected by the combined pressures of climate change and expanding human activity. Although individual stressors such as sea ice loss, underwater noise, and chemical pollution are well studied, their interactive effects remain poorly understood, complicating ecosystem-based conservation. We systematically screened 1084 peer-reviewed studies from 1984 to 2025 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)) to identify dominant stressor pathways and species-specific vulnerabilities. Six major stressors emerged: sea ice decline, noise pollution, chemical contaminants, industrial expansion, shifts in prey availability, and disease or biotoxins. We synthesize these findings into a stressor-interaction framework classifying combined effects as additive, synergistic, or antagonistic; Antagonistic interactions occur when the combined effect of two stressors is weaker than expected based on their individual impacts. Across taxa, overlapping pressures reduce movement, foraging success, and habitat use, particularly for narwhals, belugas, bowhead whales, and polar bears, whose ice dependence and slow reproduction heighten risk. High-risk combinations, such as contaminant remobilization during nutritional stress or the dual effects of sea-ice loss and industrial noise, highlight the need for dynamic protected areas, strengthened regulatory measures, and co-management approaches incorporating Indigenous knowledge. A clearer understanding of synergistic and cumulative effects is essential as environmental change accelerates.
Keywords:
Arctic marine mammals
Climate Change Impacts
Anthropogenic Impacts
Synergestic Impacts
Adaptive Managment
Conservation
Journal
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5.1
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100
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3.5K
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