claim: many scientists were surprised when other researchers subsequently found that ringed and bearded seals ( the primary prey of polar bears ) north of the Bering Strait especially thrived with a longer open-water season, which is particularly conducive to fishing
evidence: The polar bear tends to frequent areas where sea ice meets water, such as polynyas and leads ( temporary stretches of open water in Arctic ice ), to hunt the seals that make up most of its diet.