Do icebreaker ships breaking through ice contribute to ice melt, and changes in the ecology (i.e. make life harder for polar bears) given they are constantly smashing through ice that would otherwise remain intact?
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No, icebreaker ships break up ice to free up smaller vessels who get stuck when ice blocks their usual route. They don’t go far or fast, they’re only called upon as needed. Merchant ships, ferries, and cruise liners have regular routes, so the ice along their route will seasonally break apart and melt anyway.
This is different from the deep freeze areas that are at risk of melting due to global warming. Those areas stay cold due to albedo effect, but global warming causes a spiral where melt reduces albedo which accelerates melt.
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