As ship traffic rises, 2 new studies look at how that could affect marine mammals in the Arctic

Bowheads surfacing near a tug boat. (Katie Stafford)
In the increasingly warming Arctic, less sea ice means more ship traffic. In two recent studies scientists are looking at how that affects marine mammals.
The studies, published in June, concluded that for bowhead whales and ringed seals, exposure to ships during the ice-covered season is relatively low for now. Still, scientists have concerns about the future effects of ships on wildlife.
Angela Szesciorka, a researcher with Oregon State Univ