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Polar bear stress hormone cortisol fluctuates with the North Atlantic Oscillation climate index

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Abstract

Polar bears are heavily dependent on sea ice for hunting sufficient prey to meet their energetic needs. When the bears are left fasting, it may cause a rise in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the major corticosteroid hormone in most mammals, including polar bears. Production and regulation of this stress hormone are vital for the body as it is part of a myriad of processes, including in relation to metabolism, growth, development, reproduction, and immune function. In the present study, we examined the correlation between East Greenland polar bear hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a matrix that reflects longer-term hormone levels, and the fluctuations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, a large-scale climate phenomenon applied as a proxy for sea ice extent in the Greenland Sea along the coast of East Greenland. In doing so, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.88; p = 0.0004) was found between polar bear hair cortisol and the NAO, explaining 77 % of the variation in HCC observed between years over the period 1989–2009. This result indicates that interannual fluctuations in climate and ice cover have a substantial influence on longer-term cortisol levels in East Greenland polar bears. Further research into the implications and consequences inherent in this correlation are recommended, preferably across multiple polar bear populations.

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Acknowledgments

Erik W. Born and Aqqalu Rosing-Asvid are acknowledged for collecting the East Greenland polar bear hair samples during the period 1988–1991. Jonas Brønlund and local hunters are acknowledged for organizing the later sampling in East Greenland. Financial support was provided by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic, the Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland, the Funds for Scientific Research Flanders, and the University of Antwerp. The hair cortisol assays were supported by US National Institutes of Health Grants RR11122 to MAN and RR00168 to the New England Primate Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Box 358, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Thea Ø. Bechshøft, Christian Sonne, Frank F. Rigét & Rune Dietz

  2. Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada

    Robert J. Letcher

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Tobin Hall, 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA, 01003-9298, USA

    Melinda A. Novak, Elizabeth Henchey & Jerrold S. Meyer

  4. Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Igor Eulaers & Veerle L. B. Jaspers

  5. Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Adrian Covaci

Authors
  1. Thea Ø. Bechshøft
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  2. Christian Sonne
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  3. Frank F. Rigét
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  4. Robert J. Letcher
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  5. Melinda A. Novak
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  6. Elizabeth Henchey
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  7. Jerrold S. Meyer
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  8. Igor Eulaers
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  9. Veerle L. B. Jaspers
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  10. Adrian Covaci
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  11. Rune Dietz
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Correspondence to Thea Ø. Bechshøft.

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Bechshøft, T.Ø., Sonne, C., Rigét, F.F. et al. Polar bear stress hormone cortisol fluctuates with the North Atlantic Oscillation climate index. Polar Biol 36, 1525–1529 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1364-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1364-y

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