ARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS 2019 Cover photo: Lancaster Sound, Baffin Island, Nunavut. Credit: Shutterstock, wildestanimal. © HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN RIGHT OF CANADA, AS REPRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, 2019 CAT. NO. Fs23-549/1-2019E-PDF ISBN 978-0-660-33044-0 Table of Contents Foreword .......................................................................................... 2 Sidebar: Inuit Knowledge ...............................................................................................2 1 State of the Canadian Arctic Ocean ............................................. 4 Sidebar: Information Needed! ........................................................................................6 Sidebar: Ecosystem Stress ............................................................................................7 2 Sea Ice ............................................................................................. 8 Key Findings: Sea Ice ...................................................................................................10 3 Habitats and Food Webs .............................................................. 11 Sidebar: Worm Discovery .............................................................................................13 Box: Polar Bears and the Decline of Sea Ice ...............................................................13 Key Findings: Habitats and Food Webs .......................................................................14 4 Seasonality .................................................................................... 15 Sidebar: Knowledge Inventory ....................................................................................15 Box: The Ocean in Bloom ............................................................................................16 Box: Ringed Seals and the Decline of Sea Ice .............................................................17 Key Findings: Seasonality ............................................................................................18 5 Ecosystem Variability ................................................................... 19 Box: A Different Year ....................................................................................................22 Box: Arctic Sanctuary ..................................................................................................22 Key Findings: Ecosystem Variability .............................................................................23 6 Neighbourhood Connections ...................................................... 24 Sidebar: Lost Connection ............................................................................................26 Box: Range Expansions ...............................................................................................26 Box: Arctic Hotspots ....................................................................................................27 Key Findings: Neighbourhood Connections ................................................................28 7 Co-management ........................................................................... 29 Box: Community Monitoring .......................................................................................30 Box: Knowledge Integration ........................................................................................30 Key Findings: Co-Management ...................................................................................31 8 Conclusion ..................................................................................... 32 Foreword Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems Canada’s Oceans Now reports are summaries of the current status and trends in Canada’s oceans. These reports are produced every four years, as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to inform its citizens on the current state of Canada’s oceans. Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems provides new knowledge and known trends for marine areas of the Canadian Arctic. The report was generated from scientific and Inuit knowledge (Sidebar: Inuit Knowledge) and findings provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, as well as academic, co-management, and Territorial contributors. This report is based on key findings detailed in theCanadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 3344, State of Canada’s Arctic Seas1. The scientific report presents findings related to advancements in baseline understanding of marine ecosystems in the Canadian Arctic and observed ecosystem responses to changes in sea ice. Scientific and Inuit knowledge describe current status and trends about marine habitats, species and food webs, the seasonal cycle of events (seasonality), variability over time and location, and connections between ocean areas, including coastal areas. There are major gaps in understanding of marine environments and species in the Canadian Arctic. These gaps are highlighted in the report and will need to be filled for effective ecosystem management. Information will be updated in future reports, providing an ongoing picture of the status and trends of Canada’s Arctic marine ecosystems. 1. Citation: Niemi, A., Ferguson, S., Hedges, K., Melling, H., Michel, C., et al. 2019. State of Canada’s Arctic Seas. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3344: xv + 189 p. Inuit Knowledge The term Inuit knowledge is one of several terms used to describe the knowledge held by Inuit of the Arctic, and may also be referred to as traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), Indigenous knowledge (IK), and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). This report uses the term Inuit knowledge, as it is used by territorial governments and is a familiar term in all Inuit communities in Inuit Nunangat. A panoramic view from Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut. Credit: Shutterstock. Sophia Granchinho. Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems • 2019 2 1 | State of the Canadian Arctic Ocean GREENLAND WHERE IS THAT? Refer to this map to nd locations North Water Polynya mentioned in this report. Pikialasorsuaq Bafn Bay Davis Strait ATLANTIC BEAUFORT GYRE Polar Shelf OCEAN Bafn Island Cumberland Sound Eclipse Sound Canada Basin Hudson Strait Beaufort Sea QUEBEC Mackenzie Shelf NUNAVUT Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Hudson Bay Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area Marine Protected James Bay Bering Strait Area ALASKA Mackenzie PACIFIC NORTHWEST River TERRITORIES OCEAN YUKON Figure 1: Key findings are described for the Canadian Arctic area outlined in yellow. Inuvialuit Nunavut Nunavik Clyde River Grise Fiord Qikiqtarjuaq Pond Inlet Nunatsiavut Pangnirtung Arctic Bay Resolute Bay Iqaluit Igloolik Makkovik Kimmirut Hopedale Hall Beach Cape Dorset Quaqtaq Nain Rigolet Taloyoak Postville Kangiqsujuaq Kangiqsualujjuaq Kugaaruk Salluit Kangirsuk Kuujjuaq Naujaat Aupaluk Gjoa Haven Ivujivik Tasiujaq Cambridge Bay Coral Harbour Akulivik Sachs Harbour Puvirnituq Ulukhaktok Inukjuak Tuktoyaktuk Chesterfield Inlet Paulatuk Umiujaq Kugluktuk Baker Lake Rankin Inlet Inuvik Aklavik Whale Cove Sanikiluaq Kuujjuaraapik Arviat Chisasibi Figure 2: Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, comprised of four Inuit regions, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. The land, water and ice of Inuit Nunangat is integral to Inuit culture and way of life. Approximately 65,000 Inuit live in communities spread across the regions. Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems • 2019 3 1 State of the Canadian Arctic Ocean STATE OF THE CANADIAN ARCTIC OCEAN The Canadian Arctic has the largest ocean area in the country. It spans 30 degrees of latitude from James Bay to the Polar Shelf, covering a wide range of ocean and coastal environments and their interconnected ecosystems (Figure 1). Canada’s Arctic Ocean area would cover 41% of Canada’s land area, making it a huge area to understand and manage. The many islands and long coastlines are areas where sea ice can freeze securely to the land, an environment integral to Inuit survival and culture. No other polar region has as much of this type of land- attached ice. See Figure 3 for more information about the immense scale and habitat types of the Canadian Arctic. The Canadian Arctic: Canada’s Largest Ocean Area Extreme seasons with periods of 24h daylight 24h darkness in summer in winter In summer 94 ~30% Total ocean area of 4 million km2 large islands of all old ice in the Equal to 41% of Canada’s land area ~36,470 Arctic Ocean is in small islands Canadian waters Ocean area >70% on continental shelf of Canada’s >176,000 km of mainland coastline 3.2 million km2 coastline is in the Arctic Yukon to (excluding islands) Labrador Sea ice affects all life AND IT IS CHANGING 51 Communities >70,000 people Majority are Inuit Figure 3: Canadian Arctic waters — a homeland of ice and water. Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems • 2019 4 1 | State of the Canadian Arctic Ocean The Canadian Arctic: Climate Change is Affecting Marine Ecosystems in Many Ways Climate change directly and indirectly affects: Environmental Conditions for Life Multiple changes in STATE OF THE CANADIAN ARCTIC OCEAN ice and water habitats Environmental Stressors acidied coastal slumping marine waters & erosion trafc U P W E How Ecosystems Function LL ING The drivers of these changes originate Multiple changes in species interactions inside and outside the Canadian Arctic Figure 4: The effects of climate change do not occur alone, they interact to create complex outcomes