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Home , Coburg Island, Gulf of Boothia, Jones Sound

15/18: LME FACTSHEET SERIES CANADIAN HIGH -NORTH GREENLAND LME

tic LMEs Arc CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC-NORTH GREENLAND LME MAP 18 of Central Map Arctic

LME

North Pole

Ellesmere Island

Iceland

Greenland

15 1 ARCTIC LMEs Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are defined as of work of the Arcc Council in developing and promong the ocean space of 200,000 km² or greater, that encompass Ecosystem Approach to management of the Arcc marine coastal areas from river basins and estuaries to the outer environment. margins of a connental shelf or the seaward extent of a predominant coastal current. LMEs are defined by ecological Joint EA Expert group criteria, including bathymetry, hydrography, producvity, and PAME established an Ecosystem Approach to Management tropically linked populaons. PAME developed a map expert group in 2011 with the parcipaon of other Arcc delineang 17 Arcc Large Marine Ecosystems (Arcc LME's) Council working groups (AMAP, CAFF and SDWG). This joint in the marine waters of the Arcc and adjacent in 2006. Ecosystem Approach Expert Group (EA-EG) has developed a In a consultave process including agencies of Arcc Council framework for EA implementaon where the first step is member states and other Arcc Council working groups, the idenficaon of the ecosystem to be managed. Idenfying Arcc LME map was revised in 2012 to include 18 Arcc the Arcc LMEs represents this first step. LMEs. This is the current map of Arcc LMEs used in the This factsheet is one of 18 in a series of the Arcc LMEs.

OVERVIEW: CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC-NORTH GREENLAND LME The Canadian High Arcc-North Greenland LME (CAA) consists of the northernmost and high arcc part of along with the adjacent part of North Greenland. The CAA is not a very clearly defined and coherent ecosystem but consists rather of three more Ellesmere or less separate parts, corresponding to three of Island

Canada’s Marine Biogeographic Regions: Western Sverdrup BasinQueen Elizabeth Arcc, Eastern Arcc, and Arcc Archipelago. The Islands CAA was established as a new LME in the revised M’Clure Strait 2013 LME Report when the boundaries to the Canadian Arcc Archipelago changed to reflect Canada’s Marine Biogeographic Regions. Parry Channel The CAA is a large shelf with more than 30.000 islands and passages as straits, sounds and channels between them. The area of the archipelago is about 1 million km2, with the land area constung about the same.

This area is strongly influenced by heavy mul-year pack ice that is transported into the ‘Sverdrup Basin’ Map: Canadian Arcc Archipelago LME, before the revised The Canadian High from the Arcc Ocean through the openings between Arcc-North Greenland LME (CAA) was established in 2013. Source: AMSAIIC Report the northern Queen Elisabeth Islands (east of ). The main east-west connecon The average ice thickness in the Sverdrup Basin area through the archipelago is Parry Channel, a series of has been found to be 3.4 m in late winter, reflecng a straits and sounds from M’Clure Strait in the west high proporon of mulyear ice (80-90 % in the through and Barrow Strait to northern poron). The outer coast of the archipelago Lancaster Sound in the east. faces the heaviest ice condions of the whole Arcc Ocean with an average dra of 4-7 m. Modes of thick Ice condions vary considerably within the LME and ice (6-9 m) exist in the Sverdrup Basin with ice on inter- and intra-annual me scales, with the thickness in pressure keels of up to 25 m or more heaviest ice condions, featuring the predominance (maximum observed keel dra 37 m). of mul-year ice, most prominent in more northern areas such as the Sverdrup Basin. Formidable The CAA LME is a transit zone for nutrient-rich Pacific concentraons of deformed ice with significant mul- waters. The Pacific water from the Arcc Ocean is year ice content are also common in more central richer in all nutrients compared to Atlanc water but and southern passages such as Viscount Melville is enriched especially in silicate and to some extent Sound, M’Clure Strait, and M’Clintock Channel. also phosphate. It has therefore a potenal to Summer clearing usually occurs in the south-western support higher producon (both new and and eastern porons of the archipelago. 2 regenerated) and in parcular of diatoms due to its higher nutrient content.

MARINE MAMMALS Eight species of marine mammals occur regularly as has a northern circumpolar year-round inhabitants of, or summer visitors to, the distribuon, ranging south into the subarcc. It exists CAA. The Lancaster Sound area with adjacent inlets with around 25 recognized stocks; most of them are constutes the major summer grounds for large small and with restricted distribuons, but a few are migratory stocks of bowhead or Greenland whale, large and migratory to summering areas in the High beluga whale, and . Ringed seal and bearded Arcc Belugas from two large migratory stocks occur seal are year-round residents distributed widely over in the CAA. Belugas typically do not occur in the the archipelago. Atlanc walrus of the Baffin Bay central CAA, probably because belugas (and some (High Arcc) stock winter in northern Baffin Bay and other marine mammals) cannot penetrate the migrate to summer feeding areas in Lancaster Sound, extensive areas of permanent pack ice that occur Barrow Strait, Jones Sound and adjacent passages to year-round in many of the central arcc channels. the Sverdrup Basin to the North. Some walrus may Thus belugas are not found in the Sverdrup Basin also spend the winter in polynyas north of Barrow region in north or in the M’Clintock Channel east of Strait and Jones Sound. Harp seal of the large . Events characterized as ‘feeding Northwest Atlanc stock migrate north in Baffin Bay frenzies’ have been observed where belugas fed on and into Lancaster Sound as part of the summer schools of polar cod accompanied by large numbers feeding areas. occurs over the whole of northern fulmars and black-legged kiwakes and archipelago with bears from 5 recognized also by other mammals such as , harp seals, subpopulaons in specific geographic areas and ringed seals. (, Lancaster Sound, M’Clintock Channel, , and Kane Basin Narwhal inhabits deep marine waters of the eastern subpopulaons). Addional to the 8 species CAA. Tradionally, it does not occur in the western menoned above, killer whale may be a more or less Canadian Arcc. These narwhals belong to the Baffin regular visitor to the Lancaster Sound region in the Bay populaon and use areas of the CAA as their summer period. Hooded seal can also occasionally summering grounds. The total numbers of narwhals occur in Lancaster Sound during the late summer of the Baffin Bay populaon is esmated to be season. (probably) more than 70.000 animals.

Bowhead whale (or Greenland whale) is a large, Killer whale is known to occur in the Lancaster Sound slow-moving arcc baleen whale that is well adapted region in the open water summer season. Killer for living in ice-covered waters. All stocks of this whales may occur in waters with sea ice but species were severely reduced in numbers by apparently avoid areas with heavy ice. Groups of intensive commercial whaling during the 1800s and killer whales have been observed (or inferred) to early 1900s. There are virtually no specific studies of aack and eat narwhals in Eclipse Sound and the feeding of bowheads in the CAA, but it is Admiralty Inlet. The groups of killer whales in these assumed that calanoid copepods are the main prey cases have consisted of 10-15 animals. Interviews sought by the bowheads. The -West with Inuit hunters and elders have provided Greenland bowhead stock was unl quite recently addional informaon on cases of killer whales considered to number in the low hundreds for each aacking and killing narwhals and also bowheads and of the two stock components in Baffin Bay and belugas in the Lancaster Sound region. There are also . However, the situaon has turned out to reports of killer whales taking seals, principally ringed be much more posive for this bowhead stock. seals but also bearded and harp seals, including Large-scale aerial surveys in the eastern Arcc observaons by Inuits of killer whales hunng seals Canada in 2002-2004 resulted in best esmates on ice floes. Narwhals are known to seek shallow ranging from 5,000 to 14,000 individuals. The waters where they remain quiet in order not to be Scienfic Commiee of the IWC considered several detected and aacked by killer whales. This variants of methods and reanalysis of the survey data behaviour is well-known among Inuits, who has a and arrived at an esmate of 6,340 animals to be special name for it (‘aarlirijuk’, meaning ‘fear of killer used as the basis for IWC management advice. whales’) and exploit such situaons to harvest narwhals.

3 Walrus is widespread in the eastern Canadian that is most abundant in areas where it can reach Arcc, but largely absent in Canadian waters west of the boom to feed, usually in waters <200 m deep. there. The Atlanc subspecies, the only populaon Its preferred habitat is areas with thin, broken or that occurs regularly in the Canadian Arcc, is widely roen ice, or the floe edge, and it also prefers less distributed in the eastern part of the CAA LME, from stable ice during break-up and tends to avoid areas approximately Barrow Strait, Bathurst Island, and heavily used by walruses. Shrimps, crabs, whelks, east to Baffin Bay. The walrus in the and bivalves are oen common benthic food but CAA have been considered to be of the North Water bearded seals also take various demersal and pelagic stock (or Baffin Bay (High Arcc) stock). Walrus feed fish such as polar cod, sculpins, eelpouts and mainly on benthic bivalves. They suck out the so pricklebacks. There are no good esmates of the parts of the bivalves leaving the empty shells on the number of bearded seals in the CAA. It has been seafloor, and siphons and feet are commonly the suggested that a minimum of 190 thousand animals only parts found in walrus stomachs. Although inhabited the Canadian Arcc waters. The majority widely distributed in the eastern Arcc, walruses of these would occur in the Hudson Bay Complex, tend to be abundant only in a few areas that provide with a smaller fracon inhabing the CAA. suitable habitat. They prefer shallow waters (usually <100 m), where they can most easily reach their Ringed seal has a connuous northern circumpolar preferred benthic food sources, and where they distribuon with the Arcc ringed seal subspecies have access to ice pans on which to haul out. If sea (hispida; two more marine subspecies occur in the ice is unavailable during summer, walruses use Balc Sea (botnica) and (ochotensis), tradional terrestrial haul-out sites. They are while two subspecies occur in freshwater lakes in gregarious, foraging and migrang in herds and Russia (ladogensis) and Finland (saimensis). In hauling out in densely-packed groups on the ice or Canada, their distribuon is centered in the Arcc shore. Archipelago, but they range from Newfoundland to the . Ringed seals are the most Bearded seal has a northern circumpolar abundant marine mammals in the Canadian Arcc, distribuon, and are distributed throughout the CAA but accurate populaon esmates are difficult to in relavely low densies, primarily in coastal areas. obtain. Their preferred breeding habitat is land-fast During winter, bearded seals are primarily restricted seasonal ice which they occupy as ice starts to form to areas of moving, broken pack ice. Because they in autumn. Ringed seals apparently establish and have only a limited capability to maintain breathing defend territories leading to exclusion of subadults holes in ice, most bearded seals are excluded from which are found mainly in unstable ice and leads in areas of fast ice during winter (e.g., many of the the shear zone outside the fast ice. The quality of channels in the Arcc Archipelago). Bearded seals, the breeding habitat depends on sufficient snow therefore, undertake seasonal migraons in cover to construct birth lairs, and ice with some response to the advance and retreat of fast ice. The deformaon with ridges and cracks that favour pupping and breeding period of bearded seals is in snow-dris are prime habitat sought by female April and May. The bearded seal is a benthic feeder ringed seals.

4 Harp seal occurs with three disnct populaons or stocks: Northwest Atlanc, /West Ice, and /East Ice. Studies of genecs, morphology and vocalizaons have shown significant differences between the Northwest Atlanc and the two stocks in the Northeast Atlanc. Polar cod appears to be the main prey sought by harp seals in the Lancaster Sound and Jones Sound regions. Harp seals have been observed to move into coastal waters in bays and inlets to feed intensively on schools of polar cod, oen together with beluga, narwhal and seabirds in what has been described as ‘feeding frenzies’. The total Northwest Atlanc stock of harp seals that was esmated to be around 1.8 million individuals in the 1970s, increasing to about 5-6 million in the 1990s and 2000s.

Hooded seal is a North Atlanc species with two recognized populaons, one in the northwestern Atlanc and the other in the Greenland Sea. Seals of the Northwest Atlanc populaon may occur in low numbers in the eastern part of the CAA. Hooded seal is a deep diver and its food includes deepwater fish like Greenland halibut.

Polar bear is distributed throughout the SHOREBIRDS circumpolar Arcc in a total of 19 relavely discrete There are 19 (or 20 species) of shorebirds that subpopulaons. Fourteen of the subpopulaons are regularly breed within the Canadian Arcc found fully or shared in Canada, nine of them in the Archipelago area. These are 4 species of plovers CAA. The local distribuon and abundance of polar (American golden, grey, common ringed, and bears vary through the year, and are strongly semipalmated), 11 sandpipers of subfamily influenced by those of their principal prey, the Calidrinae (red knot, sanderling, semipalmated, ringed seal, and by the presence or absence, least, white-rumped, Baird’s, pectoral, purple, distribuon, and quality of sea ice. During winter dunlin, slt, buff-breasted), 2 phalaropes (red and and spring, most polar bears are found on the sea red-necked), ruddy turnstone, and spoed ice, where they tend to concentrate along pressure sandpiper. In addion is Eskimo curlew that used to ice that parallels the coasts and in the vicinity of breed adjacent to the southwestern most part of floe edges. In those areas of thinner ice, they are the area but which is now possibly exnct. able to hunt seals most effecvely. In summer, when the pack ice retreats offshore, polar bears are About half of the species (10) have wide found along the edge of the pack ice. During years circumpolar or near circumpolar distribuons. Many with lile or no pack ice near the coast, polar bears of the shorebirds that breed in the northeastern are oen found along the coastline and on barrier part of the CAA (Ellesmere and adjacent parts of the islands. Queen Elisabeth Islands) belong to migratory populaons that fly east to winter in western The populaons of polar bears within the CAA range or . The rest of the species (or in numbers by about an order of magnitude, from subspecies) migrate south to winter in the about 200 individuals or less for the Norwegian Bay . Some are long-range migrants to and Kane Basin subpopulaons to about 2.500 wintering areas in southern , others individuals for the Lancaster Sound subpopulaon. winter mainly at lower latudes or have wide Roughly 20-25% of the global populaon of polar latudinal distribuon along coasts. Many of the bears occur in subpopulaons in the CAA, about long-range migrants show an ellipcal paern, half of them in the Lancaster Sound area. The Gulf migrang south over the western Atlanc to South of Boothia is the second largest polar bear America while returning north via the subpopulaon in the CAA, the subpopulaon was and interior across . recently esmated to be about 1.600 bears. 5 legged kiwakes, and northern fulmars nesng together. Their reproducve success is oen linked to sea ice condions near the colony in spring and

early summer, which in large part govern access to open-water feeding areas. The major colonies are located in the Lancaster Sound area (Prince , , and southern Devon Island) and SEABIRDS at the mouth of Jones Sound ().

The CAA LME supports a large fracon of the total Polynyas, or areas of recurring open water during circumpolar seabird populaon during the summer winter and oen with high producvity, are breeding season. Small areas of recurring open especially important feeding and resng areas for water (polynyas) in this LME also support large early spring migrant seabirds before they disperse to numbers of pre-breeding seabirds during late winter breeding habitats. Almost all major seabird colonies and early spring. In winter, much of this LME is ice- in Arcc Canada are located near recurring polynyas. covered, and few birds over-winter, with the possible excepon of the black guillemot at some polynyas. Marine birds breeding in the CAA LME migrate northward in spring primarily through the Baffin Bay- The most abundant seabird species nesng in this LME. In contrast, many sea ducks and region are thick-billed murre (~600,000 pairs), some marine-associated waterfowl (e.g., black brant) northern fulmar (~250,000 pairs), black-legged migrate eastward through the Beaufort Sea LME via kiwake (~200,000 pairs), common eider (~150,000 Russia and Alaska. Timing and routes of migraon pairs), and black guillemot (>100,000 pairs). vary by species. A few migraons are notable—all Populaon size in this LME for some other species, individuals of a discrete populaon of the light- e.g., long-tailed duck are unknown, but are bellied brant goose (~20,000) migrate from wintering considered very large (~104–106). Other less grounds in Ireland via Iceland, over the Greenland abundant nesng species, but of global importance, ice cap, to reach their high arcc breeding grounds in include the Iceland gull (>50,000 pairs), glaucous gull the CAA LME. (~15,000 pairs), Thayer’s gull (<5000 pairs), Sabine’s gull, arcc tern and several species of shorebirds Similarly, some shorebirds of the families (ruddy turnstone, red knot, and purple sandpiper) Charadriidae and Scolopacidae reach their high arcc and geese (brant, lesser snow goose, and greater breeding grounds in this LME via migraons through snow goose). Iceland and Greenland and through eastern North America and the Baffin Bay-Davis Strait LME. The As with several of the other circumpolar LMEs, the Arcc tern, an archetypical long-distance migrant, majority of seabird species within the CAA are travels over 10.000 km during its one-way migraon colonial breeders, oen nesng in large colonies on from Antarcc wintering grounds to High Arcc steep cliffs along coasts, and somemes in mixed- nesng grounds in this LME. species assemblages, e.g. thick-billed murres, black-

6 6 geese breed to some extent in river deltas and on coastal islands and some cackling geese and tundra swans feed in coastal areas in shallow marine and brackish waters.

The tundra and wetlands on the mainland side, WATERFOWL parcularly south from where there is a large migratory bird sanctuary, are The CAA is home to a large number of waterfowl, important breeding grounds for geese and ducks. parcularly in the southern part and on the mainland This is also the case for tundra on Victoria, Banks and south of the archipelago. Fieen species are Bylot Islands. common or regular breeders in the archipelago or on the mainland adjacent to the CAA LME. These are 6 All waterfowl species in the CAA are migratory except species of geese (brent, cackling, Canada, snow, that some king and common eiders and long-tailed Ross’s and greater white-fronted), one swan (tundra), ducks may remain to winter in polynyas (1981 four sea ducks (common eider, king eider, long-tailed paper). Most of the geese species including snow, duck and red-breasted merganser), one dabbling Ross’s, greater white-fronted, Richardson’s cackling, duck (northern pintail), and three species of divers and lesser Canada geese migrate south to winter (red-throated, black-throated and white-billed) inland and on coasts in southern USA and northern (Table Waterfowl Canadian LMEs). Mexico. Most of the other species of waterfowl in the CAA migrate to winter along coasts on both sides Of these the most widespread and high-Arcc are of North America. brent goose, snow goose, king eider, long-tailed duck, and red-throated diver. Other species such as Generally, breeders from the western part of the CAA tundra swan, greater white-fronted goose, migrate west to the Pacific coast, while breeders Richardson’s cackling goose, and black-throated diver from the eastern part migrate to the Atlanc coast. are found in the southern half of the archipelago, on This is the case for common eider, king eider, long- Victoria and other islands, as well as on the mainland tailed duck, red-breasted merganser, brent goose side. Other species again, including Ross’s goose, and red-throated diver. Common eider and brent lesser Canada goose, red-breasted merganser and goose occur with separate subspecies (Pacific eider v- northern pintail, occur primarily on the mainland nigra and northern eider borealis; light-bellied brent side but extend the breeding range onto the hrota and black brant nigra) that form disnct southernmost islands. populaons, while king eider is also recognized with western and eastern populaons. Common eider is the most marine of the waterfowl species, followed by brent goose among the geese, All tundra swans from the CAA (as well as from and red-throated diver among the divers. Most northern Alaska) migrate east to the Atlanc coast, species of ducks and divers use leads and polynyas to while black-throated divers (Pacific loon, subspecies feed and stage during spring migraon and prior to (or species) pacifica) and white-billed divers migrate breeding. Polynyas at the eastern entrances to Jones west to the Pacific coast. The coast of southwestern and Lancaster Sounds and in the western Lancaster Greenland is part of the wintering area for common Sound and adjacent areas in the central archipelago, and king eiders, while one populaon of light-bellied as well as Lambert Channel polynya at the western brent goose from the northeastern part of the CAA entrance to Coronaon Gulf, are important open migrates east to winter in . water areas used by eiders, divers and other waterfowl in spring (refs.). Sea ducks and divers also use coastal marine waters for molng (sea ducks) and feeding by non-breeders in summer and post- breeders with their young later in summer and early autumn prior to fall migraon. Snow and Ross’s

7 Capelin has a circumpolar distribuon, occurring more commonly west of Barrow, Alaska, and of Hudson Bay in cold deep waters. In the CAA, it has FISH been recorded in Coronaon Gulf and in Bathurst Large schools of arcc cod occur in the CAA; they and Chantrey inlets and also occurs in Queen Maud have a circumpolar distribuon and are ubiquitous. Gulf and the Lancaster Sound region Capelin is a Arcc cod are important prey for seabirds (e.g., major food item throughout its range for other fish, Northern fulmars, black-legged kiwakes) and birds, and marine mammals. marine mammals (e.g., ringed seals, beluga whales); and affect the distribuons of these Pacific herring are distributed throughout the North animals during the summer months. Pacific, in the Beaufort Sea, and in the CAA only in Coronaon Gulf as as the Kent Peninsula. It The arcc char is circumpolar and is the most has been recorded in Coronaon Gulf, Bathurst northerly distributed freshwater fish. Arcc char Inlet, and Melville Sound. are either anadromous, migrang to the sea in spring and returning to freshwater in the fall, or The fourhorn sculpin is one of the most common resident, remaining permanently in fresh water. marine species found in coastal waters. It is a The arcc char has great subsistence, sport, and demersal species that has a circumpolar nearshore commercial value. distribuon and is most abundant in shallow (15–20 m) water. This species migrates onshore into In the CAA, they spawn in September and October, brackish coastal habitats during summer to feed, usually over gravel areas in lakes, generally not and may travel considerable distances up rivers. more frequently than every other year. Eggs Sculpin have no commercial or subsistence use, but incubate over winter and hatch in the early spring, they serve as forage for fish and birds. and young-of-the-year spend the first few years in fresh water. Arcc char occur in the CAA near any The distribuons of a number of species that are suitable freshwater habitat. When at sea, most common in the Beaufort Sea extend to varying char apparently remain within 30 or 40 km of their degrees into the CAA. Other species that occur in natal rivers, although long-distance movements the CAA include polar cod, three species of the (e.g., 400 km) have been documented. snailfish, leatherfin lumpsucker, smooth lumpfish and Atlanc spiny lumpsucker, saddled eelpout, and polar eelpout, and Bering wolffish.

8 ARCTIC LMEs 1. Faroe Plateu LME 2. Iceland Shelf and Sea LME 3. Greenland Sea-East Greenland LME 4. LME 5. Barents Sea LME 6. LME 7. LME 8. LME 9. East LME 10. Aleuan Islands LME 11. West Bering Sea LME 12. Northern Bering- LME 13. Central Arcc Ocean LME 14. Beaufort Sea LME 15. Canadian High Arcc - North Greenland LME 16. Canadian Eastern Arcc - West Greenland LME 17. Hudson Bay Complex LME 18. Labrador-Newfoundland LME

LITERATURE REFERENCES Acknowledgements • The 2007 assessment of Oil and Gas in the Arcc (OGA) - PAME gratefully acknowledges the financial AMAP (2007) support provided to this project by the Nordic • Arcc Marine Areas of Heightened Ecological and Cultural Council of Ministers and the OAK Foundaon. Significance: Arcc Marine Shipping Assessment (AMSA) IIC - AMAP/CAFF/SDWG (2013) • Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) of the Arcc area Revision of the Arcc LME map - PAME (2013)

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