Move over, polar bear. The Pacific walrus may be the new icon of global warming.

Like polar bears, walruses are dependent on floating sea ice to rest, forage for food and nurture their young.

Like polar bears, walruses are suffering because of a scarcity of summer and fall sea ice in Arctic waters that scientists attribute to climate change.

And like polar bears, which were listed as threatened in 2008, protections under the Endangered Species Act may be granted to walruses, even though it is hard to get an accurate count of their population.