Walruses may soon be endangered, thanks to warming

Walruses prefer sea ice for molting, mating, nursing, and resting between dives for food  

Trouble is, as the century progresses, there’s going to be far less ice around. The US government in 2008 listed polar bears as a threatened species because of diminished sea ice brought on by climate warning. That same year the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to do the same for walruses. Historically hunted for ivory tusks, meat, and blubber, walruses since 1972 have been shielded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

 An Endangered Species Act listing would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat for their recovery. Inaccessibility protected walruses for decades, but a rapid decline in summer sea ice has made them vulnerable.