August 2012: The polar bear facts : 6-minute video

At the 4:44 mark, we're told that polar bear expert Susan Crockford says that thinner, first-year sea ice is actually better for polar bears. It's better because seals don't hang around in areas where the ice is too thick to make breathing holes.

National Marine Mammal Laboratory

Ringed seals can live in areas that are completely covered with ice! They use their sharp claws to make and maintain their own breathing holes through the ice, which can be up to 7 feet thick!