Sea-ice distribution and duration are declining across the circumpolar range of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), resulting in a reduced access to ice-obligate seals, its primary prey. Consequently, polar bears may have increased reliance on alternative food sources in the future. Foraging on land is well documented but foraging in open water is less understood. We report the successful depredation of a thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) in open water near Prince Leopold Island, Nunavut, and discuss implications for understanding the behavioural plasticity of polar bears and their opportunistic foraging patterns.

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北极熊（ Ursus maritimus ）的整个极地范围内的海冰分布和持续时间正在下降，导致其主要猎物冰专性海豹的获取减少。因此，北极熊未来可能会增加对替代食物来源的依赖。在陆地上觅食有据可查，但在开阔水域觅食却鲜为人知。我们报告了在努纳武特省利奥波德王子岛附近的开阔水域成功捕食厚嘴海鸥 ( Uria lomvia )，并讨论了对理解北极熊行为可塑性及其机会主义觅食模式的意义。

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