What is the primary contemporary conservation threat linked to walrus reliance on sea ice?

Forcing massive numbers to haul out onto coastal beaches

The most significant threat facing walrus populations today is intrinsically linked to climate change and the subsequent rapid decline in the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice. Sea ice functions as an essential, mobile platform from which walruses rest between foraging dives into shallow feeding grounds. When this ice melts or retreats too far offshore, separating the resting platform from the necessary shallow continental shelves, walruses are compelled to haul out onto coastal beaches in extremely large aggregations. These crowded coastal haul-outs increase physiological stress, raise the danger of young calves being trampled, and drastically lengthen the necessary swimming distance to reach food, potentially resulting in starvation.