Climate change is affecting Arctic animals by melting their habitat, according to new evidence uncovered by a Greenpeace expedition.
The research found young walruses in particular were affected by the change to the ecosystem, but polar bears, seals and seabirds, who all depend on sea ice for their survival, were also at risk,
The expedition, completed on July 31st, found the polar ice pack in the western Arctic, between Alaska and Russia, was melting rapidly. In parts of the Chukchi Sea, the ice retreated nearly 300 miles during the three-week expedition.
During the expedition on the icebreaker Arctic Sunrise, the team surveyed nearly 5,000 animals.
Steve Sawyer, Greenpeace spokesperson aboard the vessel, said: "The signs of climate change are all around us. It's time to stop pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and phase out the use of fossil fuels in favour of cleaner forms of energy such as solar and wind power."