National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Vanishing Arctic Ice May Hurt Japan's Wildlife, Tourism


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Visitors to Japan's northern island of Hokkaido venture onto Artic drift ice near the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The ice, which can linger near the coast for up to four months, is key to the region's rich biodiversity.

But in recent years the peninsula has seen noticeably less drift ice, raising fears of global warming's impact on the ecosystem—and endangering winter tourism.

Photograph by Tony McNicol