THE HUDSON BAY, JAMES BAY AND FOXE BASIN MARINE ECOSYSTEM: A Review Agata Durkalec and Kaitlin Breton Honeyman, Eds. Polynya Consulting Group Prepared for Oceans North June, 2021 The Hudson Bay, James Bay and Foxe Basin Marine Ecosystem: A Review Prepared for Oceans North by Polynya Consulting Group Editors: Agata Durkalec, Kaitlin Breton Honeyman, Jennie Knopp and Maude Durand Chapter authors: Chapter 1: Editorial team Chapter 2: Agata Durkalec, Hilary Warne Chapter 3: Kaitlin Wilson, Agata Durkalec Chapter 4: Charity Justrabo, Agata Durkalec, Hilary Warne Chapter 5: Agata Durkalec, Hilary Warne Chapter 6: Agata Durkalec, Kaitlin Wilson, Kaitlin Breton-Honeyman, Hilary Warne Cover photo: Umiujaq, Nunavik (photo credit Agata Durkalec) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Approach ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 References ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 2 GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES ............................................................................................................................ 7 2.1 Ecological boundaries ..................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Biogeochemical Provinces of the Ocean: Boreal Polar Province .......................................... 7 2.1.2 Large Marine Ecosystem: Hudson Bay Complex ........................................................................ 8 2.1.3 Marine Ecoregions of North America: Hudson Bay/Boothian Arctic .................................. 9 2.1.4 Coastal Ecozones: Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic, Taiga Shield, Hudson Plains .... 11 2.2 Management authorities and boundaries ........................................................................................... 12 2.3 Collaboration and coordination ............................................................................................................... 20 2.4 References ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 3 THE HUMAN CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................ 22 3.1 Indigenous communities’ use of the Hudson Bay Marine Ecosystem ...................................... 22 3.1.1 Nunavut Inuit ........................................................................................................................................ 22 3.1.2 Nunavik Inuit ......................................................................................................................................... 27 3.1.3 Eeyou Istchee Cree ............................................................................................................................. 29 3.1.4 Swampy and Moose Cree (Ontario and Manitoba) ............................................................... 31 3.2 Subsistence harvesting in the region and Its cultural and social significance ....................... 33 3.3 Keystone species in the Indigenous food web .................................................................................. 36 3.3.1 Nunavut Inuit ........................................................................................................................................ 37 3.3.2 Nunavik Inuit ......................................................................................................................................... 44 3.3.3 Eeyou Istchee Cree ............................................................................................................................. 46 3.3.4 Swampy and Moose Cree ................................................................................................................ 47 3.4 Regional effects on Indigenous food supply webs .......................................................................... 49 3.5 Species of commercial interest ................................................................................................................ 50 3.6 References ........................................................................................................................................................ 56 i 4 MARINE HABITAT: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION ...................................................................................... 66 4.1 Marine habitat ................................................................................................................................................ 66 4.1.1 Bathymetry and geology .................................................................................................................. 66 4.1.2 Inflow, outflow and circulation ...................................................................................................... 68 4.1.3 Marine and freshwater stratification ............................................................................................ 70 4.1.4 Marine food web ................................................................................................................................. 71 4.1.5 Ice dynamics .......................................................................................................................................... 77 4.1.6 Ice features and polynyas ................................................................................................................ 81 4.1.7 Ecologically significant areas .......................................................................................................... 83 4.1.8 Primary productivity ........................................................................................................................... 90 4.1.9 Benthos ................................................................................................................................................... 93 4.1.10 Keystone species ................................................................................................................................. 94 4.2 ESTUARINE HABITAT (RIVERINE-COASTAL DOMAIN) .................................................................... 96 4.2.1 Chesterfield Inlet: Thelon River and Kazan River ................................................................... 101 4.2.2 Nelson River ........................................................................................................................................ 102 4.2.3 Hudson Bay Lowlands: Albany and Moose Rivers ................................................................ 103 4.2.4 Rivière Nottaway ............................................................................................................................... 104 4.2.5 La Grande Rivière .............................................................................................................................. 104 4.2.6 Inputs of smaller rivers .................................................................................................................... 105 4.2.7 Estuarine food webs ......................................................................................................................... 106 4.3 References ...................................................................................................................................................... 107 5 IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE FORCING ........................................................................................................ 121 5.1 Ice loss ............................................................................................................................................................. 121 5.2 Storminess ...................................................................................................................................................... 128 5.3 River inputs .................................................................................................................................................... 130 5.4 Acidity .............................................................................................................................................................. 132 5.5 Primary productivity ................................................................................................................................... 133 5.6 Food webs ...................................................................................................................................................... 136 5.7 Effects on subsistence harvesting and ecosystem services ......................................................... 142 5.8 Effects on commercial harvests .............................................................................................................. 146 5.9 Climate change uncertainties ................................................................................................................. 149 5.10 References .....................................................................................................................................................