The arctic food chain above shows the phytoplankton and the zooplankton and the bottom of the chain, the next creature is a fairly medium sized fish, then seals, the polar bear, and right at the top of the chain is humans.
The effect of Global warming could distort the chain and therefore ruin it, which will not be practical at all for the wildlife in this chain. This is because, Global warming will affect the climate; The Global Heat Conveyer, which is the main source of what keeps high region of Europe’s climate fairly, consists of the North Atlantic Drift / The Gulf Stream. This Global heat conveyer not only provides heat for Europe but for Svalbard, but there is a risk that the conveyer may be cut off. This will affect Svalbard, as the temperature across Svalbard will fall, due to the less sunlight available across Svalbard. If the Global Heat Conveyer does cut off, Svalbard will be affected in all aspects in terms of the food chain, wildlife survival, tourism and living in Svalbard.
With less sunlight available across Svalbard, the Phytoplankton and Zooplankton will die off as the sun releases the main energy to keep these creatures alive. This will certainly have great effects on the food chain as a whole, as a large number of fish will die, and eventually they will emigrate to somewhere else where there is a lot of sunlight released. The next mammal in the food chain, the seal, will eventually die, due to lack of food and lack of other fish in the sea as many have died due to the temperature increase of the ocean/sea. The polar bears consequently will also suffer, as there will be a decline in the number of seals. They will have to hunt for different animals, which will be difficult for them as this may take a lot of time. At the top of the chain, this affects humans massively, as polar bears, who are large in mass, are a vital source of food, as they provide a lot meat. This will therefore force the humans to starve and they will eventually have to leave the Svalbard Islands, as there will be a large decrease in the number of food sources available.
But the inconvenience of the chain is not just done due to global warming, human activity also may play a great part in the deserting of the Svalbard islands; Because the permafrost will continue to melt, oil companies will continue ‘oil exploration’. Although this may benefit them, the wildlife, this will affect especially on the polar bears; it will disturb their habitat, and by introducing oil and other toxic substances to their environment, they can be harmed. Polar bears can also ingest oil through grooming and through scavenging and preying on contaminated seals, seabirds, and other prey.
In my view, if circumstances carry on as they are as present, the Svalbard Islands will become deserted. The main reason for this being the climate change and conditions of the region, which will not be suitable for the wildlife as they are not adapted to these conditions, and to humans due to the change of climate and the lack of food. But although this is my view of what the future may hold for Svalbard, there is no real answer or certainty of what will really happen.
