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This article was published 20/2/2016 (1672 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A key component of the Journey to Churchill exhibit at the Assiniboine Park Zoo is the "state-of-theart" Leatherdale International Polar Bear Conservation Centre.

Molecular ecologist Stephen Petersen, the head of conservation and research for Assiniboine Park Zoo, runs field- and zoo-based programs from the centre’s labs and offices. He is assisted by numerous other researchers.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Before polar bears are moved to the Journey to Churchill exhibit (above), they are kept at the zoo’s conservation centre.

Recent research projects have focused on the ecology and genetics of Arctic mammals, such as polar bears and seals, as well as engaging citizen scientists to help monitor Arctic species.

Petersen spoke to the Free Press earlier this winter about his work and the role of the centre in wildlife conservation, education and other related issues.

FREE PRESS: What sort of research and other types of related work is being done?

STEPHEN PETERSEN: We have a number of research projects that are ongoing at the centre relating to polar bears and other Arctic mammals, but also related to Manitoba species we are interested in. We started research programs in 2012 when the facility opened, and since then we have established programs that relate to polar bear denning habitat, developing noninvasive thermography techniques for polar bears, the genetics of northern species and examining ringed seal and harbour seal dynamics in Churchill.

We tend to focus most of our effort on polar bears and Arctic seals, but there are usually a couple projects every year involving our research staff or students with a focus on other important Manitoba species, such as cougars or monarch butterflies. Most of our projects are also in collaboration with other organizations, institutions and researchers in the province, as we are all interested in learning more about the natural heritage of Manitoba.

FP: What is molecular ecology, your speciality, and what can it teach us about polar bears and other species?

SP: Molecular ecology is really just using genetics (the study of DNA) to answer ecological questions. In particular, I use genetics to help answer a number of questions that can help manage or conserve animals in the wild. One benefit to using DNA is that we don’t need to touch the animals because we can pick up hair or scat. An example of this is a new project that is underway to understand if the same female polar bears come back to the same dens whenever they have a cub.

We know they come back to the same denning area, but we want to know the specifics, and we can do that by visiting dens, picking up samples and then trying to match the DNA profiles of samples from different years. If there are matches in the DNA at the same den over multiple years, it would suggest female polar bears use the very same den year after year. If the same den is used time and time again, then we have to wonder what happens if that habitat changes.

In Manitoba, we are lucky because a lot of the polar bear denning areas are already protected in various ways, but we may learn things that would help other jurisdictions to protect their polar bear denning habitats.

FP: In what other ways is genetics useful in wildlife studies?

SP: We also use genetics to look at population structure, especially in Arctic seals. We want to know if there are barriers to gene flow, which probably reflects where animals can move across the Canadian Arctic. This information is important because the Arctic environment is changing, and increasing human activity may actually lead to new separations or connections of animal populations. Understanding gene flow can help wildlife managers maintain healthy populations of these species even in the face of climate changes.

At the zoo, we also use genetics to help with conservation programs and to manage our collection of animals. For the Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program, we help by determining if young owls are male or female through DNA analysis. This information helps the program co-ordinators decide which animals will be paired up for breeding or released into the wild. We use the same techniques to rapidly determine if baby animals at the zoo are males or females in species where it is difficult to physically tell before adulthood.

Using DNA can really improve our understanding of wildlife, and over the last 20 or so years, molecular ecology has become an important tool for conservation.

FP: What is the centre’s mandate, and what is its relationship to the Assiniboine Park Zoo?

SP: Our main purpose is to house and transition orphaned polar bear cubs and at-risk polar bears found in northern Manitoba that have been identified by Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship as candidates for rescue.

The centre is also the hub of the zoo’s research and conservation efforts and allows the zoo to actively contribute to environmental and wildlife education and conservation, conduct research and support visiting researchers.

FP: What are the main threats to the survival of polar bears and other Arctic species, as well as species elsewhere, in the wild?

SP: The threat for wild populations varies from species to species and from location to location. For polar bears and other Arctic species that have adapted to life in or on the sea ice, the main threat is climate change. As ice conditions change in the Arctic, it is affecting the whole ecosystem. For polar bears in some regions, especially in Hudson Bay, this means less time to hunt in the spring and more time on land and fasting in the summer.

For polar bears in other regions, like the central Canadian Arctic, the ice conditions may actually become transiently better for seals and polar bears compared to the past. One of the big challenges in communicating to people about the dangers of climate change is this variability across the range.

In particular, because the Arctic is so large, not all regions will change in the same way at the same time, but we can be sure that if we lose all the sea ice in the summer and the ice-free season continues to get longer and longer, polar bears will be in serious trouble. That won’t just be a problem for Arctic species — we will all be in trouble. This is one of the messages the zoo is trying to communicate: that we all need to be concerned and make changes to limit our greenhouse gas emissions.

FP: Is there cause for hope in confronting these enormous environmental issues and global warming?

SP: Yes, of course. People really care about wildlife and wild places and can come together and accomplish big things. I see visitors to the zoo really engaging with the animals and connecting with them, and it is that connection that pushes people to make little changes to conserve energy, and big changes like voting for governments and policies that protect the environment. Many of the ways we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions are also things that are healthy and enjoyable, like biking or walking to work, eating locally by joining farm shares or community gardens, or visiting your local farmer’s market.

People shouldn’t be disheartened when they hear about the challenges that wildlife across the globe are facing because there are lots of choices we can make to be part of the solution. If you are uncertain as to what you can do, that is great because it means you are already thinking about it. The next step is to do a bit of research and join with friends and neighbours to make a difference.