Bear Research and Management

Bear research and management is a priority for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve because visitors greatly value bear-viewing opportunities, bears are long-lived animals with low reproductive rates, and bear-human conflicts are a rare but significant safety concern.

Glacier Bay National Park Bear Goals

Keep bears and human attractants (food and trash) separate to reduce conflicts and ensure bears retain their natural habits.
Ensure opportunities for present and future generations of visitors to view and encounter bears safely.
Obtain information on black and brown bears in the Park and Preserve necessary to manage bears and inform policies to minimize conflicts.
Preserve and perpetuate natural bear populations.

Research Projects
The following projects help to better understand bears in the park:

Disturbance of Brown Bears by Vessels

Bear Distribution and Landscape Genetics

Blubber Bonanza: An Opportunistic Scavenger Study

Black and Brown Bear Activity at Selected Coastal Sites in Glacier Bay National Park

Gustavus Forelands Bear Population Study

International Management of Bear-Human Conflicts on the Tatsenshini-Alsek River. Poster