scholarly journals Analysis of Impact Assessment Practice and Mitigation for Shipping Activity in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

ARCTIC ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-239
Author(s):  
Bethany Thiessen ◽  
Bram Noble ◽  
Kevin Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Assessment Practice ◽  
Marine Traffic ◽  
Mining Projects ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

Marine traffic is increasing in the Canadian Arctic, largely because of changing ice conditions, a growing tourism industry, and natural resource extraction. Impact assessment (IA) is a primary instrument for managing the impacts of project development in the Arctic, but there has been limited analysis of the scope and application of IA for identifying and managing the impacts of shipping. This paper examines the impacts of shipping activity associated with mining projects in the eastern Canadian Arctic, including barge traffic and resupply vessels; the mitigation actions commonly prescribed in IA; and the key IA challenges facing decision-makers. Results show 71 impacts that may be considered common to IA applications for shipping, for which the mitigation strategies rely heavily on compliance-based measures and “best” practices to either minimize or avoid impacts, supported by follow-up programs that provide for adaptation of mitigation based on monitoring results. However, results also illustrate concerns over the ability of IA to effectively manage the cumulative effects of increasing Arctic marine traffic. Only a minority of projects involving marine transport trigger IA, even though other types of marine traffic, such as tourism, may generate similar types of impacts. The common impacts and mitigation solutions identified in this research and the lessons from monitoring can inform future IAs for shipping, improve permitting processes for shipping activities that do not require IA, and provide a foundation for a more regional or sector-wide approach to identifying and mitigating the cumulative effects of increasing vessel traffic.

An early nineteenth century meteorological register from the eastern Canadian Arctic

Polar Record ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (178) ◽  
pp. 335-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Kay
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Historical Reconstruction ◽  
Early Nineteenth Century ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Modern Experience ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

AbstractSignificant warming in the Arctic is anticipated for doubled-CO2 scenarios, but temperatures in the eastern Canadian Arctic have not yet exhibited that trend in the last few decades. The spatial juxtaposition of the winter station in 1822–1823 of William Edward Parry's Northwest Passage expedition with the modern Igloolik Research Centre of the Science Institute of the Northwest Territories affords an opportunity for historical reconstruction and comparison. Parry's data are internally consistent. The association of colder temperatures with westerly and northerly winds, and wanner temperatures with easterly and southerly winds, is statistically significant. Temperatures are not exactly comparable between the two time periods because of differences in instrumentation, exposure, and frequency of readings. Nevertheless, in 1822–1823, November and December appear to have been cold and January to March mild compared to modern experience. Anomalously, winds were more frequently northerly (and less frequently westerly) in the latter months than in recent observations. Parry recorded two warm episodes in mid-winter, but, overall, it appears that the winter of 1822–1823 was not outside the range of modern experience.

scholarly journals A first assessment of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Hudson Bay and the surrounding eastern Canadian Arctic waters of Nunavut

FACETS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 432-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee Huntington ◽  
Patricia L. Corcoran ◽  
Liisa Jantunen ◽  
Clara Thaysen ◽  
Sarah Bernstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Long Range ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Hudson Bay ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Range Transport ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

Microplastics are a globally ubiquitous contaminant, invading the most remote regions, including the Arctic. To date, our understanding of the distribution and sources of microplastics in the Arctic is limited but growing. This study aims to advance our understanding of microplastics in the Arctic. Surface water, zooplankton, sediment, and snow samples were collected from Hudson Bay to north Baffin Bay onboard the CCGS Amundsen from July to August 2017. Samples were examined for microplastics, which were chemically identified via Raman spectroscopy for surface water and zooplankton and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for sediment. We found that 90% of surface water and zooplankton samples, and 85% of sediment samples, contained microplastics or other anthropogenic particles. Mean anthropogenic particle concentrations, which includes microplastics, were 0.22 ± 0.23 (per litre) for surface water, 3.51 ± 4.00 (per gram) for zooplankton, and 1.94 ± 4.12 (per gram) for sediment. These concentrations were not related to the human populations upstream, suggesting that microplastic contamination in the Arctic is from long-range transport. Overall, this study highlights the presence of microplastics across the eastern Canadian Arctic, in multiple media, and offers evidence of long-range transport via ocean and atmospheric currents. Further research is needed to better understand sources, distribution, and effects to Arctic ecosystems.

scholarly journals Rare earth elements (REE) in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwyneth Anne MacMillan ◽  
John Chételat ◽  
Joel Heath ◽  
Raymond Mickpegak ◽  
Marc Amyot
Keyword(s):  
Rare Earth ◽  
Rare Earth Elements ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Northern Regions ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Mining Projects ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

ABSTRACTFew ecotoxicological studies exist for rare earth elements (REEs), particularly field-based studies on their bioaccumulation and food web dynamics. REE mining has led to significant environment impacts in several countries (China, Brazil, U.S.), yet little is known about the fate and transport of these contaminants of emerging concern. To understand how REEs behave in pristine northern food webs, we measured REE concentrations and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (∂15N, ∂13C) in biota from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Canadian Arctic (N=339). Northern ecosystems are potentially vulnerable to REE enrichment from prospective mining projects at high latitudes. Wildlife harvesting and tissue sampling was partly conducted by local hunters through a community-based monitoring project. Results show that REE generally follow a coherent bioaccumulation pattern for sample tissues, with some anomalies for redox-sensitive elements (Ce, Eu). Highest REE concentrations were found at low trophic levels, especially in vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. Terrestrial herbivores, ringed seal, and fish had low REE levels in muscle tissue (<0.1 nmolg-1), yet accumulation was an order of magnitude higher in all liver tissues. Age- and length-dependent REE accumulation also suggest that REE uptake is faster than elimination for some species. Overall, REE bioaccumulation patterns appear to be species- and tissue-species, with limited potential for biomagnification. This study provides novel ecotoxicological data on the behaviour of REE in ecosystems and will be useful for environmental impact assessment of REE enrichment in northern regions.

Fast ice characteristics, with special reference to the eastern Canadian Arctic

Polar Record ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 17 (110) ◽  
pp. 521-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Jacobs ◽  
Roger G. Barry ◽  
Ronald L. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
The United States ◽  
Arctic Sea Ice ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
National Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Ice Dynamics ◽  
Pack Ice ◽  
Fast Ice ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

Arctic sea ice is currently receiving increasing attention, both in relation to technological problems associated with resources development and shipping (Walker and Penney, 1973), and to basic research questions. The polar pack ice in the Beaufort Sea, for example, is the focus of the Arctic Ice Dynamics Joint Experiment (AIDJEX) (Untersteiner, 1974), while an analysis of physical links between the characteristics of polar surfaces and climate is to be the crux of the United States contribution to the Polar Experiment (POLEX) (Weller and Bierly, 1973; National Academy of Sciences, 1974). A general discussion of sea ice, with emphasis on pack ice, has been presented recently by Wittman and Burkhart (1973), but another aspect of the sea ice regime deserving separate attention, particularly in the light of Arctic offshore oil developments, is the landfast or fast ice, ie that part of the sea ice which remains attached to the shore (see “Sea ice terminology”). This paper attempts to provide a broad picture of fast ice characteristics in the context of our field experience in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

scholarly journals The Eastern Canadian Arctic at ca. 6 ka BP: A Time of Transition

2007 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin M. Williams ◽  
Susan K. Short ◽  
John T. Andrews ◽  
Anne E. Jennings ◽  
William N. Mode ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Thermal Inertia ◽  
Water Structure ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
East Greenland ◽  
Middle Holocene ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

ABSTRACT The middle Holocene was a time of definite environmental transition in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. Based on several proxy indicators (pollen, diatoms, foraminifera, molluscs and nearshore sedimentation rates), it appears that a thermal maximum occurred around middle Holocene (6-4 ka), several thousand years after the insolation maximum — a lag caused by the thermal inertia of the earlier massive ice sheet. Terrestrial records indicate that a warming began around 6 ka, both in the subarctic (Labrador - Ungava) and on Baffin Island. Marine records, on the other hand, suggested major water structure changes around 6 ka both in the Northeastern Canadian Arctic and also along the East Greenland coast with evidence of a marine surface water temperature maximum at 8 ka. We hypothesize that the marine circulation changes, both along the Baffin Island and along the East Greenland coasts, were primarily driven by glacio-isostatic uplift of the Arctic Channels. With the cessation of water flow of Atlantic (warmer) origin, and decrease in water volume from the deeper parts of the Arctic Ocean through the Arctic Channels, the export through the Fram and Denmark straits increased and the water column changed. Changes in the concentration and duration of sea ice along the eastern Canadian coast would have had important repercussions on the biota of the coastal marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

The cruise tourism industry in the Canadian Arctic: analysis of activities and perceptions of cruise ship operators

Polar Record ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Lasserre ◽  
Pierre-Louis Têtu
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Cruise Ship ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Cruise Tourism ◽  
Response To Change ◽  
Maritime Infrastructure

ABSTRACTWith the melting of sea ice in the Arctic, the potential for higher shipping access has markedly changed. Shipping activity in the Arctic is increasing, including tourism and exploration activities, underlining the need for reliable communication and monitoring. This article examines the interactions between climate and sea ice change, the patterns of cruise ship tourism through Arctic Canada and the interest of operators to increase their activities in the cruise tourism market in the region. Since 1995, the melting of the summer pack ice in the offers the possibilities of increased shipping in this region while encouraging speculation regarding the potential of the northwest passage (NWP) and the Canadian Arctic to become a major cruise maritime highway. Integrating research from both human and transport geography, this article presents an analysis of vessel movements. It also analyses perceptions of charters and cruise ship operators and of their interests in the cruise tourism market. Discussion is focused on issues associated with the lack of available vessels and maritime infrastructure, regulations in the Canadian arctic waters, security and search and rescue. This research could prove useful for communities, and policy makers, as well as the cruise sector itself, with regard to response to change in these remote locations.

scholarly journals Anophryocephalus inuitorum sp.nov. and A. arcticensis sp.nov. (Eucestoda: Tetrabothriidae) in ringed seals (Phoca hispida hispida) and harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) from high-latitude seas of eastern Canada and the Arctic basin

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric P. Hoberg ◽  
Lena N. Measures
Keyword(s):  
High Latitude ◽  
Genital Atrium ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Arctic Basin ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Phoca Hispida ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Ringed Seals ◽  
Phoca Groenlandica ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

Anophryocephalus inuitorum sp.nov. and A. arcticensis sp.nov. are described from ringed seals (Phoca hispida hispida) in the eastern Canadian Arctic; the latter species is also reported from harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Anophryocephalus inuitorum is most similar to A. skrjabini, but can be distinguished by fewer testes (14–27) and smaller dimensions of the strobila, neck (3.0–5.9 mm long), and cirrus sac (31–70 μm long), diameter of the genital atrium (44–68 μm), and length of the male canal (23–42 μm long). Anophryocephalus arcticensis resembles A. nunivakensis in the structure of the scolex, but is readily distinguished by a longer neck (8.9–14.7 mm), an elongate cirrus sac (60–98 × 44–73 μm) with a substantially thicker muscular wall, a more globular vitelline gland, and larger embryophores (29–41 μm long) and oncospheres (24–34 μm long). These are the first species of Anophryocephalus to be described from phocines in the eastern Canadian Arctic, and are included in a revised key for the genus.

The Preparation of Skins and Clothing in the Eastern Canadian Arctic

Polar Record ◽  
1944 ◽  
Vol 4 (28) ◽  
pp. 156-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. H. ◽  
E. W. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Baffin Island ◽  
Women's Clothing ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
Practical Information ◽  
Eastern Canadian Arctic

During the eight years I spent in the Arctic, I have experimented with a variety of clothing, but in neither winter nor summer have I found any more suitable than that worn by the present-day Eskimos in districts where caribou are still plentiful. From 1938 to 1941 we prepared all our own skins, and my wife made all the skin clothing excepting the seal-skin boots. The descriptions are primarily intended to give practical information on clothing to travellers in Arctic regions. For this reason we have made no attempt to discuss women's clothing. My wife adopted men's clothing because of its superior convenience, and because it requires less material. Women's clothing is made with a view both of being different from the men's and of accommodating the baby, always carried on the back. Except as otherwise indicated, both the clothing and the methods of preparation here described are those of the Eskimos of Baffin Island, Melville Peninsula, Southampton Island, and the coastal region from Repulse Bay to Chesterfield Inlet; and where mention is made of “the Eskimos”, the reference is to those of these regions only.

A MODELING SYSTEM FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RISK ASSESSMENT, MANAGEMENT AND HEDGING IN COASTAL AREAS

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergei Soldatenko ◽  
Sergei Soldatenko ◽  
Genrikh Alekseev ◽  
Genrikh Alekseev ◽  
Alexander Danilov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
System Structure ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Risk Modeling ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
The Impact

Every aspect of human operations faces a wide range of risks, some of which can cause serious consequences. By the start of 21st century, mankind has recognized a new class of risks posed by climate change. It is obvious, that the global climate is changing, and will continue to change, in ways that affect the planning and day to day operations of businesses, government agencies and other organizations and institutions. The manifestations of climate change include but not limited to rising sea levels, increasing temperature, flooding, melting polar sea ice, adverse weather events (e.g. heatwaves, drought, and storms) and a rise in related problems (e.g. health and environmental). Assessing and managing climate risks represent one of the most challenging issues of today and for the future. The purpose of the risk modeling system discussed in this paper is to provide a framework and methodology to quantify risks caused by climate change, to facilitate estimates of the impact of climate change on various spheres of human activities and to compare eventual adaptation and risk mitigation strategies. The system integrates both physical climate system and economic models together with knowledge-based subsystem, which can help support proactive risk management. System structure and its main components are considered. Special attention is paid to climate risk assessment, management and hedging in the Arctic coastal areas.

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