The ice plays a vital role in the life of a walrus. It serves as protection from predators and storms, a migrational route, a resting place while foraging, and as a breeding habitat. The ice is receding, therefore moving farther away from land and into deeper water. The receding ice edge is interfering with the walrus migration pattern because they are using the coastal haulouts more frequently than before because they are located closer to the foraging grounds. However, they do not provide them with enough adequate food. Therefore, it causes nutritional stress and leads to a decrease in reproduction and …show more content…
The cows and the calves are affected the most, which are the females and the young. When on land for the majority of the time, with a herd of walruses piled together, the calves are easily stomped on and killed by bigger walruses if they are startled. The cows need the sea ice in order to protect the calves from this, because then they could spread out. In addition, they need to provide their calves with protection from predators and storms. They also need the calves to have easy access to food for