Dr. Evan Richardson

Research Scientist

Generate original scientific knowledge on polar bears and Arctic marine ecosystems in support of Environment and Climate Change Canada policies and programs.

Environment and Climate Change Canada

Unit 510 - 234 Donald Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1M8

Current research and/or projects

Polar bear population genetics in relation to selection and adaptation to climate change.
Effects of climatic change on the ecology of polar bears and Arctic marine ecosystems.
Assessing polar bear population health (disease, stress, contamninants etc.) in response to environmental stressors.
Community based monitoring of Arctic marine ecosystems at Environment and Climate Change Canada's Pond Inlet Research Station.

Professional activities / interests

Member IUCN/SCC Polar Bear Specialist Group

Scientific Advisor for the Inuvialuit/Inupiat Polar Bear Management Agreemen

Member of the United States Department of Interior Science and Monitoring Working Group for the Polar Bear Conservation Management Plan

Education and awards

National Science and Engineering Research Council Alexander Graham Bell Scholarship (CGS-D) 2009

Ph.D., Ecology, University of Alberta 2014

M.Sc., Ecology, University of Alberta 2004

B.Sc., Zoology, University of Manitoba 2000

Additional links

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=qKKVEpoAAAAJ&hl=en

Key publications

Barnas, A.F., Geldart, E.A., Love, O.P., Jagielski, P.M., Harris, C.M., Gilchrist, G., Hennin, H.L., Richardson, E.S., Dey, C.J., and Semeniuk, C.A.D. 2022. Predatory cue use in flush responses of a colonial nesting seabird during polar bear foraging. Animal Behaviour 193:75-90. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.009).

Laidre, K.L., Durner, G.M., Lunn, N.J., Regehr, E.V., Atwood, T.C., Rode, K.D., Aars, J., Routti, H., Wiig Ø., Dyck, M., Richardson, E.S., Atkinson, S., Belikov, S., and Stirling, I. 2022. The Role of Satellite Telemetry Data in 21st Century Conservation of Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus). Frontiers in Marine Science. DOI:10.3389/fmars.2022.816666

Rode, K.D., Taras, B.D., Stricker, C.A., Atwood, T.C., Boucher, N.P., Durner, G.M., Derocher, A.E., Richardson, E.S., Cherry, S.G., Quakenbush, L., Horstmann, and L., Bromaghin, J.F. 2022. Diet Energy Density Estimated from Isotopes in Predator Hair Associated with Survival, Habitat, and Population Dynamics. Ecological Applications e2751. DOI:10.1002/eap.2751

Smith, T., Derocher, A., Mazur, R., York, G., Owen, M., Obbard, M., Richardson, E.S., and Amstrup, S. 2022. Anthropogenic food: An emerging threat to polar bears. Oryx:1-10. DOI:10.1017/S0030605322000278

Jagielski, P.M., Barnas, A., Gilchrist, H.G., Richardson , E.S., Love, O., and Semeniuk, C.A.D. 2021. The utility of drones for studying polar bear behaviour in the Canadian Arctic: opportunities and recommendations. Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems. 10:97-110 (DOI:10.1139/dsa-2021-0018.)

Florko, K.R.N., Gregory W. Thiemann, G.W., Bromaghin, J.F., and Richardson, E.S. 2021. Diet composition and body condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to sea ice habitat in the Canadian High Arctic. Polar Biology 44:1445-1456. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-021-02891-8)

Nathan J. Hostetter, N.J., Lunn, N.J., Richardson, E.S., Regehr, E.V., and Converse, S.J. 2021. Age-structured Jolly-Seber model expands inference and improves parameter estimation from capture-recapture data. PLoS ONE 16(6): e0252748. (https://doi.org/ 10.1371/journal.pone.0252748)

Pilfold, N.W., Richardson, E.S., Ellis, J., Jenkins, E., Scandrett, W.B., Hernández-Ortiz, A., Buhler, K., McGeachy, D., Al-Adhami, B., Konecsni,K., Lobanov, V.A., Owen, M.A., Rideout, B., Lunn, N.J. 2021. Long-term increases in pathogen seroprevalence in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) influenced by climate change. Global Change Biology. 27:4481-4497 (DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15537).

Ellis, J., Gow, S., Pilfold, N., Lacoste, S., Lunn, N.J., Richardson, E.S., McGeachy, D., Owen, M. and Rideout, B., 2021. Bordetella bronchiseptica-reactive antibodies in Canadian polar bears. The Canadian Veterinary Journal 62(7): 725-728.

Jagielski, P.M., Dey, C.J., Gilchrist, H.G., Richardson , E.S., Semeniuk, C.A.D. 2021. Polar bears are inefficient predators of seabird eggs. (https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.210391)

Henderson, E.M., Derocher, A.E., Lunn, N.J., Montpetit, B., Merrill, E.H., Richardson, E.S. 2020. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) use of the western Hudson Bay flaw lead. Marine Ecology Progress Series 664:227-242. (https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13642).

Jagielski, P.M., Dey, C.J., Gilchrist, H.G., Richardson , E.S., Semeniuk, C.A.D. 2020. Polar bear foraging on common eider eggs: Estimating the energetic consequences of a climate-mediated behavioural shift. Animal Behaviour 171:63-75. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.11.009)

Bechshoft, T., Luo, Y., Bohart, A.M., Derocher, A.E., Richardson, E.S., Lunn, N.J., and Pearson, G. 2020. Monitoring spatially resolved trace elements in polar bear hair using single spot laser ablation ICP-MS. Ecological Indicators 119:106822 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106822).

Richardson, E.S., Davis, C., Stirling, I., Derocher, A.E., Lunn, N.J., Malenfant, R. M. 2020. Variance in lifetime reproductive success of male polar bears. Behavioural Ecology 31:1224-1232 (https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/araa074).

Boonstra, E., Bodner, K., Bosson, C., Delehanty, B., Richardson, E.S., Lunn, N.J., Derocher, A.E. and Molnár, P.K. 2020. The stress of Arctic warming on polar bears. Global Change Biology 26:4197-4214. (https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15142)

Florko, K.R.N., Derocher, A.E., Breiter, C.J.C., Ghazal, M., Hedman, D., Higdon, J.W., Richardson, E.S., Sahanatien, V., Trim, V., Petersen, S.D. 2020. Polar bear denning, distribution in the Canadian Arctic. Polar Biology 43:617-621 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02657-8).

Boucher, N.P., Derocher, A.E., and Richardson, E.S. 2020. Spatial and temporal variability in ringed seal (Pusa hispida) stable isotopes in the Beaufort Sea. Ecology and Evolution 10:4178-4192 DOI:10.1002/ece3.6186

Yurkowski, E.J., Richardson, E.S., Lunn, N.J., Muir, D.C.G., Johnson, A.C., Derocher, A.E., Ehrman, A.D., Houde, M., Young, B.G., Debets, C.D., Sciullo, L., Thiemann, G.W., Ferguson, S.H. 2020. Contrasting Temporal Patterns of Mercury, Niche Dynamics, and Body Fat Indices of Polar Bears and Ringed Seals in a Melting Icescape. Environmental Science & Technology 54: 2780-2789.