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Home , Amundsen Gulf, Beaufort Sea

14/18: LME FACTSHEET SERIES BEAUFORT LME

tic LMEs Arc LME MAP 18 of Map

Canada LME

Amundsen Gulf

Victoria Island

Iceland Central Baffin Island

14 1 ARCTIC LMEs

Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) are of ocean space PAME developed a working map delineang 17 Arcc Large of 200,000 km² or greater, that encompass coastal areas Marine Ecosystems (Arcc LME's) in the marine waters of the from river basins and estuaries to the outer margins of a Arcc and adjacent in 2006. In a consultave process connental shelf or the seaward extent of a predominant including agencies of Arcc Council member states and other coastal current. LMEs are defined by ecological criteria, Arcc Council working groups, the Arcc LME map was including bathymetry, , producvity, and revised during 2012. The revised boundaries of the 18 tropically linked populaons. The LME concept for current LMEs were mapped by the Ecosystem Approach ecosystem-based management has 5-module approach Expert Group (EA-EG) in a report of the consultave process. focused on producvity, fish and fisheries, polluon and This is the working map of Arcc LMEs and used for ecosystem health, socioeconomics, and governance. descripve purposes in the work of the Arcc Council.

This factsheet is one of 18 in a series of the Arcc LMEs.

OVERVIEW: BEAUFORT SEA LME The Beaufort Sea LME consists of two main parts: the shallow shelves around the margins in the south and east adjacent to a deep basin with depths greater than 3 km. The shelves are separated from the deep Beaufort Sea basin by steep slopes which constute a third main topographic feature. The deepest parts are around Cape Bathurst 3.500m deep. Prominent Polynya Amundsen features are the Mackenzie Gulf delta river and estuary and the Cape Bathurst Polynya in the . Map: The Beaufort Sea LME. Source: AMSAIIC Report Mouth The Mackenzie River is the most sediment-rich river in the Arcc and transports annually about 130 million tons of sediments into the Beaufort Sea.

The Mackenzie and Amundsen Gulf region provides important breeding, feeding and migraon habitats for birds, as Ice begins to form in early to mid-October, inially in do areas in the Coronaon and Queen Maud gulfs the nearshore zones and extends outward to expand south of Victoria Island. Three subpopulaons of and eventually establish the landfast ice zone, usually polar bears inhabit this LME: the southern and by November, generally extending out to 20m depth northern Beaufort and M’Clintock subpopulaons. growing to a 2m thick level. A mobile ice pack occupies the bulk of the Beaufort Sea region in The primary producon is relavely high due to winter. influence of nutrient-rich Pacific water, and residing in the deeper offshore areas. As elsewhere in the Arcc, lack of light and nutrients There is probably a large migratory populaon of are the two main factors liming polar cod in the eastern Beaufort Sea, which is a growth in the Beaufort Sea. Phytoplankton are, along major summer feeding area for large numbers of with zooplankton, the base of marine food webs in bowheads and belugas from migratory populaons the Beaufort LME, as most other marine ecosystems. wintering in the . 2

MARINE MAMMALS

Five species of marine mammals occur regularly in During summer, ringed seals are dispersed the Beaufort Sea: the , , throughout open-water areas. Seasonal , , and . concentraons of seals (related to food sources) are known in offshore waters of the Amundsen Gulf Bowhead and beluga whales region off the Peninsula and off Cape The recurrent polynya and ice-edge habitat make the Dalhousie in summer. In the Canadian Beaufort Sea, Cape Bathurst Polynya an important beluga, the bearded seal is most abundant over depths 25– bowhead whale, polar bear, and ringed seal feeding 50 m. During the summer open-water period, much ground. Beluga (around 40.000 individuals) and of the Canadian Beaufort is unsuitable for feeding bowhead whales (about 10.000 individuals) of the because the pack-ice habitat preferred by bearded large migratory Beaufort Sea and Bering-Chukchi- seals typically retreats north to waters deeper than Beaufort Sea populaons, respecvely, use the those used by bearded seals. In most areas, numbers polynya area in the eastern Beaufort Sea as their are low, but bearded seals are relavely common in main feeding ground in the early part of summer certain nearshore areas along southern , (May–June). Cape Parry, and . The abundance of bearded seals is relavely low (1200-3100 in the The Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Sea stock of bowhead eastern Beaufort Sea). whales winters in the Bering Sea, and most of the stock summers in the Canadian Beaufort Sea and Polar bear Amundsen Gulf. The spring migraon across the Two subpopulaons of polar bears occur in the BS western Beaufort Sea occurs through offshore ice LME: the Northern Beaufort Sea (1000 individuals) leads, generally from mid April to mid June, and Southern Beaufort Sea (1500) subpopulaons. depending on ice condions. Most remain in During winter and spring, most polar bears are found offshore waters (>200 m deep) among the offshore on the , tending to concentrate along pressure pack ice in the central and eastern Beaufort Sea unl ice that parallels the coasts, and in the vicinity of floe late July to mid August, when they begin to move edges. gradually toward coastal and nearshore areas. In summer, when the pack ice retreats offshore, polar Generally, adults move into Amundsen Gulf into bears are found along the edge of the pack ice. water depths 50–200 m off Bathurst Peninsula, small During years with lile or no pack ice near the coast, (<10 m) sub adults move into coastal and nearshore polar bears are oen found along the coastline and waters at water depths 10–50 m along the on barrier islands. In late March and early April, coast, and large sub adults move into nearshore and females that have denned on land return with their shelf waters at water depths 20–200 m off the Yukon cubs to the sea ice to hunt seals. In early summer, coast, Mackenzie Delta, and Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula. they are relavely concentrated in areas with irregular coastlines such as bays, parcularly those Ringed and bearded seals within which ice remains longer than in other areas. During the spring breeding and molng seasons, ringed seals are dispersed at low densies in the ice Polar bears of the Southern Beaufort populaon throughout the southeastern Beaufort Sea. Prime move north with the retreang pack ice in summer breeding habitat are in areas with a high proporon and move south in the autumn as ice develops to of ice cover and moderate water depths of 50–75 m. areas where they can hunt ringed and also bearded Ringed seal pups are born in April, mostly on landfast seals. Bears of the northern populaon move north ice. with the retreang ice off western Banks Island and M’Clure Strait in summer and south and east into Amundsen Gulf when ice develops in fall.

3 BIRDS

Sea-associated birds are widespread in substanal in the estuaries of the Mackenzie, Anderson, numbers in coastal, nearshore, and offshore waters Colville, Sagavanirktok, and Canning rivers, and of the Beaufort Sea LME. The greatest numbers of numerous other smaller rivers and streams, support marine birds, at least several million, occur in large numbers of nesng, brood-rearing, molng, coastal and nearshore zones. The most numerous and feeding waterfowl and shorebirds during the among the marine birds are ducks and geese summer season. including eiders and other sea ducks, and various species of shorebirds. Important nesng and molng habitats for geese (greater white-fronted goose, Richardson’s cackling Seabirds, waterfowl (ducks, geese and swans), and goose, lesser goose, snow goose) are found shorebirds (plovers, snipes, sandpipers, phalaropes on Kendall and Richards islands in the outer and others) use coastal and marine habitats to Mackenzie Delta, on bays along the Tuktoyaktuk larger or lesser degree during the annual cycle and Peninsula (Kukjutkuk Bay, Hutchinson Bay, McKinley are collecvely called marine birds. Marine birds are Bay-Phillips Island), and on bays and river deltas in widespread in substanal numbers in coastal, the Liverpool Bay area. The outer Mackenzie Delta nearshore, and offshore waters of the Beaufort Sea provides crical habitat during the autumn LME. The greatest numbers, at least several million, migraon for black brant. River deltas and adjacent occur in coastal and nearshore zones, with the most coastal wetlands along the North Slope of , numerous being ducks and geese including eiders notably the Colville and Sagavanirktok estuaries, are and other sea ducks, and various species of also used as nesng and molng habitats for geese. shorebirds. Long-tailed ducks are the most abundant and The Cape Bathurst Polynya and the associated leads widespread sea duck throughout the Beaufort Sea along the Toktoyaktuk Peninsula and Banks Island region. During summer, males and non-breeding are used as spring staging and feeding areas for females aggregate in coastal lagoons and bays several species of sea ducks, divers and seabirds where they undergo an extensive feather molt. including common (Pacific) and king eiders, long- Together with lesser numbers of scoters, scaup, red- tailed duck, red-throated diver, Pacific loon, breasted mergansers, and some common eiders, glaucous gull and Arcc tern. these molng birds are flightless and vulnerable during this period. Important molng areas for sea Cliffs are a rare habitat along the southern Beaufort ducks in the eastern Beaufort Sea are the McKinley Sea, and cliffs at Cape Perry in the Amundsen Gulf Bay-Phillips Island and Kukjuktuk and Hutchinson area hold the only breeding colony of thick-billed Bay areas along the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, several murre in the Beaufort Sea. A few black guillemots bays and estuaries in the Liverpool Bay area, and also nest at Cape Parry and there is a small breeding Workboat Passage between Herschel Island and the colony at Herschel Island of this species which is mainland. otherwise rare in the Beaufort Sea. There are also post-breeding molng and feeding The low-lying coasts along the southern Beaufort areas for sea ducks in coastal lagoons in Alaska. Sea with barrier islands, spits, beaches and other Coastal waters off western Banks Island and the coastal features offer breeding habitats for glaucous Mackenzie Delta area are major feeding areas for gull, Arcc tern, and Pacific eider. The low-lying breeding and post-breeding Pacific and king eiders and wetland areas of the North Slope of and long-tailed ducks. King eiders on molt migraon Alaska and Yukon, the Mackenzie Delta area, and from the Beaufort Sea to the main molng areas in tundra areas on Victoria and Banks islands provide the Chukchi and Bering seas have been observed to breeding habitats for large numbers of ducks, geese pass through the western Beaufort Sea along a and divers. Aer breeding many of these birds and migraon corridor close to the coast, where they their youngs move to coastal areas for brood may stage to feed in the western Beaufort shelf rearing, feeding and molng. The coastal islands waters for two weeks or more. and wetlands with marshes and mud- and sand-flats

4

SHOREBIRDS Around 22 species of shorebirds breed in the Beaufort Sea area, with about half of them being calidrine sandpipers. The most widespread and common shorebirds in the Beaufort Sea area are Arcc species which breed on tundra, including Baird’s, pectoral and semipalmated sandpipers, dunlin, red and red-necked phalaropes, ruddy turnstone, American golden and grey plovers, and long-billed dowitcher. Some species also breed in coastal lioral habitats, including western, semipalmated and Baird’s sandpipers. Aer breeding many species move from tundra to lioral habitats for part or most of the populaon. This is the case for red and red-necked phalaropes, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, dunlin, western, semipalmated and Baird’s sandpipers, and long- billed dowitcher.

The Beaufort Sea coasts offer several types of costal and lioral habitats used by shorebirds, which differ in their habitat associaon. Staging and migrang dunlins and sanderlings are found largely on silt barrens, beaches and dal flats, while many other species are found on sparsely vegetated SEABIRDS saltmarshes and mud flats. The Mackenzie Delta is a Seabirds occur with relavely small populaons in large area that constutes important breeding, the Beaufort Sea. Ten species of seabirds are regular post-breeding and staging habitats for many breeders in the Beaufort Sea area. These include shorebirds. The Delta in Alaska and two species of auks (thick-billed murre, black the Anderson River Delta east of the Tuktoyaktuk guillemot), four gulls (glaucous, Sabine’s and Peninsula are other prominent areas for shorebirds Thayer’s gulls, and black- legged kiwake), Arcc in the Beaufort region. tern, and three species of skuas or jaegers (Arcc, long-tailed and pomarine skuas). In addion, about 11 species are more or less regular summer visitors to the Beaufort Sea.

FISH A total of 101 fish species has been documented to occur in the Beaufort Sea LME, many of them being WATERFOWL rare or scarce.. Fish species of the Beaufort Sea are Around 30 species of waterfowl and 4 species of characterized by four basic life-history paerns: divers (or loons) are found in the Beaufort Sea area, freshwater (rivers, streams and lakes), marine, eighteen of them being more or less common and anadromous (hatched and inially reared in regular breeders. The most common and freshwater river systems before migrang to sea) widespread species are long-tailed duck , king eider, and amphidromous (spawn in freshwater but spend and common eider among the seaducks, northern most of the me growing in marine waters before pintail and green-winged teal among the dabbling they return to freshwater to reproduce). Polar cod ducks, brent goose, cackling goose, snow goose, is probably the most abundant and important fish in and greater white-fronted goose among the geese, the Beaufort Sea ecosystem. tundra swan, red-throated diver, Pacific (or black- 5 throated) diver and white-billed diver. ARCTIC LMEs 1. Faroe Plateu LME 2. Iceland Shelf and Sea LME 3. -East Greenland LME 4. LME 5. LME 6. LME 7. LME 8. LME 9. East Bering Sea 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. Complex LME 18. Labrador-Newfoundland LME

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

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