Scientific evidence directly refutes the claim that polar bear populations are thriving despite sea ice reductions, showing instead that multiple subpopulations are experiencing declines in body condition, survival, and abundance due to habitat loss.
The claim states that polar bear populations are thriving despite reductions in sea ice. The retrieved literature clearly contradicts this: multiple papers document population drops, declines in body condition, and reduced survival tied directly to diminishing sea ice (e.g., in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Hudson Bay, and Baffin Bay). While one high-Arctic subpopulation showed transient, short-term benefits, the overall scientific consensus across the papers indicates that sea ice loss negatively impacts polar bear demographics, health, and population stability.