POS JH 259 21

A mother harp seal relaxes after nursing her pup. Pups are born on the ice in late February and nursed 12-15 days before the mother abandons them to mate and migrate Northward. The pups rely on stored fat and stable sea ice to sustain them until they mature enough to fend for themselves. A trend in rising temperatures and decreasing sea ice has resulted in unstable nurseries and mass pup mortality.