Northern ecosystems are vulnerable to surface disturbances caused by warming climate and human activities. The Ogilvie Mountains in central Yukon are an important region that should be monitored, as it is a major transportation corridor connecting northern communities. This study aims to characterize 35 years of landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park and the surrounding region of the Ogilvie Mountains by detecting and interpreting landscape changes using a Landsat-derived trend analysis and multi-level image interpretation. Statistically significant spectral changes occurred in 24% of the study area between 1986 and 2021, and most of these changes are gradual and associated with vegetation succession and hydrological processes (i.e., erosion and deposition). Other landscape changes included wildfires, slumps, changes to riverbanks and lake shores, earlier melting of icings in the summer, degradation on the peripheries of some ice-wedge polygonal terrain, and potential insect damage to forests. Our investigation reveals that the extent and magnitude of landscape changes in the study area are influenced by climate, geomorphic setting, ecological succession, and glacial history of the region. Given a varied combination of ecotypes, spatial and temporal variations are to be expected in terms of the response of the landscape to climate and anthropogenic disturbances.
{"title":"Landscape Changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park region (central Yukon, Canada) from Multi-Level Remote Sensing Analysis","authors":"R. Frappier, D. Lacelle, R. Fraser","doi":"10.1139/as-2022-0037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0037","url":null,"abstract":"Northern ecosystems are vulnerable to surface disturbances caused by warming climate and human activities. The Ogilvie Mountains in central Yukon are an important region that should be monitored, as it is a major transportation corridor connecting northern communities. This study aims to characterize 35 years of landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park and the surrounding region of the Ogilvie Mountains by detecting and interpreting landscape changes using a Landsat-derived trend analysis and multi-level image interpretation. Statistically significant spectral changes occurred in 24% of the study area between 1986 and 2021, and most of these changes are gradual and associated with vegetation succession and hydrological processes (i.e., erosion and deposition). Other landscape changes included wildfires, slumps, changes to riverbanks and lake shores, earlier melting of icings in the summer, degradation on the peripheries of some ice-wedge polygonal terrain, and potential insect damage to forests. Our investigation reveals that the extent and magnitude of landscape changes in the study area are influenced by climate, geomorphic setting, ecological succession, and glacial history of the region. Given a varied combination of ecotypes, spatial and temporal variations are to be expected in terms of the response of the landscape to climate and anthropogenic disturbances.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47126683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Gruber, J. Hayley, K. Karunaratne, Janet King, T. MacLean, S. Marshall, David Moore
{"title":"Considerations toward a vision and strategy for permafrost knowledge in Canada","authors":"S. Gruber, J. Hayley, K. Karunaratne, Janet King, T. MacLean, S. Marshall, David Moore","doi":"10.1139/as-2023-0016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2023-0016","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48443413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juliano Malizia, M. Launay, Ingrid Bruvold, M. Quintela, T. Johansen, J. Reist, A. Majewski, D. Roy
The Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) represents the most widespread and abundant fish in the Arctic and is a critical trophic link in its ecosystems. Like many species endemic to the region, it has lost essential habitat as the extent and thickness of sea ice have declined substantially in recent decades. Extreme warming induced by climate change continues to deteriorate polar marine environments. Thus, understanding how Arctic cod use and partition their habitat/environment is central to their conservation. We assessed Arctic cod functional morphology using traditional (including gill rakers) and geometric morphometrics and explored whether these differed among primarily depth-based habitats and age classes using multivariate techniques. While distinct ecotypes have been proposed, these were not detected in our analyses. Rather, results show similar patterns in external morphology of Arctic cod across habitats and age classes in the Beaufort Sea. However, analysis of gill rakers revealed concurrent habitat- and age-specific changes likely associated with dietary preferences. Findings indicate that although Arctic cod do not specialise in external morphological features in any habitat, important aspects of their internal feeding morphology shift as they grow, likely underpinning important distributional shifts and its critical role in transferring energy in Arctic marine ecosystems.
{"title":"Morphology of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) assessed according to habitat preference and age in the Beaufort Sea","authors":"Juliano Malizia, M. Launay, Ingrid Bruvold, M. Quintela, T. Johansen, J. Reist, A. Majewski, D. Roy","doi":"10.1139/as-2022-0043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0043","url":null,"abstract":"The Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) represents the most widespread and abundant fish in the Arctic and is a critical trophic link in its ecosystems. Like many species endemic to the region, it has lost essential habitat as the extent and thickness of sea ice have declined substantially in recent decades. Extreme warming induced by climate change continues to deteriorate polar marine environments. Thus, understanding how Arctic cod use and partition their habitat/environment is central to their conservation. We assessed Arctic cod functional morphology using traditional (including gill rakers) and geometric morphometrics and explored whether these differed among primarily depth-based habitats and age classes using multivariate techniques. While distinct ecotypes have been proposed, these were not detected in our analyses. Rather, results show similar patterns in external morphology of Arctic cod across habitats and age classes in the Beaufort Sea. However, analysis of gill rakers revealed concurrent habitat- and age-specific changes likely associated with dietary preferences. Findings indicate that although Arctic cod do not specialise in external morphological features in any habitat, important aspects of their internal feeding morphology shift as they grow, likely underpinning important distributional shifts and its critical role in transferring energy in Arctic marine ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45397045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Miller, Vicki Trim, N. Lunn, David McGeachy, A. Derocher
Human-carnivore conflicts have increased as habitat has been affected by development and climate change. Understanding how management-decisions affect the behaviour of animals may reduce conflicts. We examined how biological factors, sea ice conditions, and management decisions affected the autumn migratory movement of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from 2016 to 2021 following their capture near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, and release after a mean of 20 days (SE 2) in a holding facility. We deployed eartag satellite transmitters on 63 bears (26 males, 37 females), with 49% adults (> 5 years old), 48% subadults (3-5 years old), and 3% < 2-years-old. We compared variation in on-ice departure of bears released post-conflict (conflict) to adult females without a conflict history (non-conflict). Conflict bears departed 89 km further north (mean = 59.7°N, SE 0.2) of non-conflict bears (mean = 58.9°N, SE 0.1). Bears released later during the migratory period were less likely to re-enter a community at a rate of 5.9-6.4% per day. Of 69 releases (6 individuals requiring multiple releases), 12 bears re-entered Churchill and 13 entered Arviat, Nunavut. We suggest that the holding facility was effective at preventing additional conflicts and individuals with a high likelihood of recidivism should be held longer.
{"title":"Post-conflict movements of polar bears in western Hudson Bay, Canada","authors":"E. Miller, Vicki Trim, N. Lunn, David McGeachy, A. Derocher","doi":"10.1139/as-2023-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2023-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Human-carnivore conflicts have increased as habitat has been affected by development and climate change. Understanding how management-decisions affect the behaviour of animals may reduce conflicts. We examined how biological factors, sea ice conditions, and management decisions affected the autumn migratory movement of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from 2016 to 2021 following their capture near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, and release after a mean of 20 days (SE 2) in a holding facility. We deployed eartag satellite transmitters on 63 bears (26 males, 37 females), with 49% adults (> 5 years old), 48% subadults (3-5 years old), and 3% < 2-years-old. We compared variation in on-ice departure of bears released post-conflict (conflict) to adult females without a conflict history (non-conflict). Conflict bears departed 89 km further north (mean = 59.7°N, SE 0.2) of non-conflict bears (mean = 58.9°N, SE 0.1). Bears released later during the migratory period were less likely to re-enter a community at a rate of 5.9-6.4% per day. Of 69 releases (6 individuals requiring multiple releases), 12 bears re-entered Churchill and 13 entered Arviat, Nunavut. We suggest that the holding facility was effective at preventing additional conflicts and individuals with a high likelihood of recidivism should be held longer.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46253748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madeleine Starks, C. M. Schaefer, K. Jeffries, D. Deslauriers, K. Luong, Charles S. Wong, M. Hanson, C. Knapp
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a growing health concern worldwide, and the Arctic represents an understudied region in terms of AR. This study aimed to quantify AR genes from effluent released from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, thus creating a baseline reference for future evaluations. Water, sediment, and truncate softshell clam (Mya truncata) tissue samples were compared from the wastewater, the receiving environment of Frobisher Bay, and nearby undisturbed freshwaters. The pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) atenolol, carbamazepine, metoprolol, naproxen, sulfapyridine, and trimethoprim were found in the wastewater, but the PPCPs were undetectable in the receiving environment. However, the relative abundances of ARGs were significantly higher in wastewater than in the receiving environment or reference sites. Abundances did not significantly differ in Frobisher Bay compared to undisturbed reference sites. ARGs in clams near the WWTP had similar relative abundances as those from pristine areas. The lack of ARG detection is likely due to Frobisher Bay tides flushing inputs to levels below detection. These data suggest that the WWTP infrastructure does not influence the receiving environment based on the measured parameters; more importantly, further research must elucidate the impact and fate of AR in Arctic communities.
{"title":"Presence of antibiotic resistance genes in the receiving environment of Iqaluit’s wastewater treatment plant in water, sediment, and clams sampled from Frobisher Bay, Nunavut: a preliminary study in the Canadian Arctic","authors":"Madeleine Starks, C. M. Schaefer, K. Jeffries, D. Deslauriers, K. Luong, Charles S. Wong, M. Hanson, C. Knapp","doi":"10.1139/as-2023-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2023-0011","url":null,"abstract":"Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a growing health concern worldwide, and the Arctic represents an understudied region in terms of AR. This study aimed to quantify AR genes from effluent released from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada, thus creating a baseline reference for future evaluations. Water, sediment, and truncate softshell clam (Mya truncata) tissue samples were compared from the wastewater, the receiving environment of Frobisher Bay, and nearby undisturbed freshwaters. The pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) atenolol, carbamazepine, metoprolol, naproxen, sulfapyridine, and trimethoprim were found in the wastewater, but the PPCPs were undetectable in the receiving environment. However, the relative abundances of ARGs were significantly higher in wastewater than in the receiving environment or reference sites. Abundances did not significantly differ in Frobisher Bay compared to undisturbed reference sites. ARGs in clams near the WWTP had similar relative abundances as those from pristine areas. The lack of ARG detection is likely due to Frobisher Bay tides flushing inputs to levels below detection. These data suggest that the WWTP infrastructure does not influence the receiving environment based on the measured parameters; more importantly, further research must elucidate the impact and fate of AR in Arctic communities.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41368401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. Pollet, J. Baak, L. Feld, B. E. Grøsvik, M. Liboiron, M. Mallory, J. Provencher, J. Strand
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous, and the Arctic is no exception. One important step to understand the extent of the problem, and to monitor its impact is to have repeatable, comparable, and relevant measures across time and space that allow for the detection of marine litter trends. Arctic shorelines are a critical part of monitoring efforts. Pan-Arctic monitoring of litter on shorelines is also an essential component to examining global trends. Based on previous work examining litter in some regions of the Arctic, we suggest steps towards more harmonized protocols that include community-based monitoring, crowdsourced science programs, and science team-based surveys that are specific for the Arctic. Specifically, we recommend that shoreline survey sites for long-term monitoring be established where possible and be at least 50 m and surveys carried out with regular intervals of at least twice a year by any type of research team. Criteria for the selection of sites should be grounded in Indigenous and other local community and regional priorities and should result in representation of both remote shorelines impacted by distant-source marine litter and shorelines impacted by more local sources. Results of any Arctic shoreline litter surveys should be made regularly available either through publications which include datasets, and/or accessible databases to promote regional comparisons and trend analysis across the Pan-Arctic.
{"title":"Monitoring litter on Arctic and sub-Arctic shorelines: Current status, and next steps for monitoring programs","authors":"I. Pollet, J. Baak, L. Feld, B. E. Grøsvik, M. Liboiron, M. Mallory, J. Provencher, J. Strand","doi":"10.1139/as-2022-0047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0047","url":null,"abstract":"Plastic pollution is ubiquitous, and the Arctic is no exception. One important step to understand the extent of the problem, and to monitor its impact is to have repeatable, comparable, and relevant measures across time and space that allow for the detection of marine litter trends. Arctic shorelines are a critical part of monitoring efforts. Pan-Arctic monitoring of litter on shorelines is also an essential component to examining global trends. Based on previous work examining litter in some regions of the Arctic, we suggest steps towards more harmonized protocols that include community-based monitoring, crowdsourced science programs, and science team-based surveys that are specific for the Arctic. Specifically, we recommend that shoreline survey sites for long-term monitoring be established where possible and be at least 50 m and surveys carried out with regular intervals of at least twice a year by any type of research team. Criteria for the selection of sites should be grounded in Indigenous and other local community and regional priorities and should result in representation of both remote shorelines impacted by distant-source marine litter and shorelines impacted by more local sources. Results of any Arctic shoreline litter surveys should be made regularly available either through publications which include datasets, and/or accessible databases to promote regional comparisons and trend analysis across the Pan-Arctic.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48353334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Bouchard, Patrick Farnole, Kristine Lynge-Pedersen, Parnuna Egede Dahl, H. Christiansen
Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) are often found in front of glaciers, which is the least studied of the species' habitats. Uummannap Kangerlua and Sullorsuaq in West Greenland provide a unique opportunity to study Arctic cod in the glacial habitat, as they are among the few places with a directed Arctic cod fishery. Inuit fishers from these fjords regularly catch Arctic cod as fresh bait for the Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) longline fishery, the main economic activity in the region. We collaborated with the fishers to learn about Arctic cod through interviews and collection of fish samples. Ten informants provided information on fishing areas, fishing methods, interannual variability in the catches, relationships with temperature and sea ice, and reported a spawning area near Saattut. One of the two samples collected contained only 21% males, which were longer, heavier, older, and had a higher gonadosomatic index than females. This skewed sex ratio may result from size-selective predation or spawning migration. Collaboration with fishers provided important baseline information on Arctic cod in fjord and glacial habitats. Continued efforts could bring a better understanding of key aspects of Arctic cod that are relevant for all Arctic communities located near glacial fjords.
{"title":"Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) in fjord and glacial habitats: a collaborative study with Uummannap Kangerlua fishers","authors":"C. Bouchard, Patrick Farnole, Kristine Lynge-Pedersen, Parnuna Egede Dahl, H. Christiansen","doi":"10.1139/as-2023-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2023-0014","url":null,"abstract":"Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) are often found in front of glaciers, which is the least studied of the species' habitats. Uummannap Kangerlua and Sullorsuaq in West Greenland provide a unique opportunity to study Arctic cod in the glacial habitat, as they are among the few places with a directed Arctic cod fishery. Inuit fishers from these fjords regularly catch Arctic cod as fresh bait for the Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) longline fishery, the main economic activity in the region. We collaborated with the fishers to learn about Arctic cod through interviews and collection of fish samples. Ten informants provided information on fishing areas, fishing methods, interannual variability in the catches, relationships with temperature and sea ice, and reported a spawning area near Saattut. One of the two samples collected contained only 21% males, which were longer, heavier, older, and had a higher gonadosomatic index than females. This skewed sex ratio may result from size-selective predation or spawning migration. Collaboration with fishers provided important baseline information on Arctic cod in fjord and glacial habitats. Continued efforts could bring a better understanding of key aspects of Arctic cod that are relevant for all Arctic communities located near glacial fjords.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44344459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. Vincent, J. Boike, Victoria R. Buschman, F. Bouchard, S. Zolkos, G. Henry, B. Wolfe, J. Canário
In parallel to rapid sea-ice loss and other climate impacts in the Arctic Ocean, large-scale changes are now apparent in northern landscapes and associated ecosystems. Arctic communities are increasingly vulnerable to these changes, including effects on food security, water quality, and land-based transport. The project “Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connections” (T-MOSAiC) was conducted under the auspices of the International Arctic Science Committee over the period 2017–2022. The aim was to generate multiauthored syntheses, protocols, and observations toward an improved understanding of Arctic terrestrial change, and to identify priorities for northern research, monitoring, and policy development. This special collection of Arctic Science covers a broad range of these themes, including limnological insights into northern lakes and rivers, a set of protocols for permafrost and vegetation monitoring, an integrated perspective on Arctic roads and railways to bridge the social and natural sciences, snow and ice studies at the coastal margin of the Last Ice Area, and Indigenous perspectives on Arctic and global conservation. The contributions summarized in this introductory article to the T-MOSAiC special collection include recommendations for the future, and they illustrate the immense value of Arctic collaborations that bring together researchers across disciplines, nations, and cultures.
{"title":"Terrestrial geosystems, ecosystems, and human systems in the fast-changing Arctic: research themes and connections to the Arctic Ocean","authors":"W. Vincent, J. Boike, Victoria R. Buschman, F. Bouchard, S. Zolkos, G. Henry, B. Wolfe, J. Canário","doi":"10.1139/as-2022-0051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0051","url":null,"abstract":"In parallel to rapid sea-ice loss and other climate impacts in the Arctic Ocean, large-scale changes are now apparent in northern landscapes and associated ecosystems. Arctic communities are increasingly vulnerable to these changes, including effects on food security, water quality, and land-based transport. The project “Terrestrial Multidisciplinary distributed Observatories for the Study of Arctic Connections” (T-MOSAiC) was conducted under the auspices of the International Arctic Science Committee over the period 2017–2022. The aim was to generate multiauthored syntheses, protocols, and observations toward an improved understanding of Arctic terrestrial change, and to identify priorities for northern research, monitoring, and policy development. This special collection of Arctic Science covers a broad range of these themes, including limnological insights into northern lakes and rivers, a set of protocols for permafrost and vegetation monitoring, an integrated perspective on Arctic roads and railways to bridge the social and natural sciences, snow and ice studies at the coastal margin of the Last Ice Area, and Indigenous perspectives on Arctic and global conservation. The contributions summarized in this introductory article to the T-MOSAiC special collection include recommendations for the future, and they illustrate the immense value of Arctic collaborations that bring together researchers across disciplines, nations, and cultures.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43750875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexander M Jardine, C. Matthews, J. Provencher, C. Hornby, M. Gamberg, M. Bourdages, David Alexander, Manasie Naullaq, J. Vermaire
As plastic pollution continues to persist at a global level, the Arctic has drawn increased research interest as a possible sink for marine pollutants. Plastic and microplastics are highly durable and can be transported across vast distances. To date, only a handful of studies have directly assessed microplastics in Arctic mammals. In Canada, it is still unclear whether they show a concrete propensity for microplastic retention and ingestion. Atlantic walruses, (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) are economically and culturally important for Inuit and are key predators in Arctic marine ecosystems. Here, we present the first assessment of microplastic pollution in Canadian walruses, and the first gastrointestinal assessment of microplastic in walruses globally. Since microplastics accumulate in benthic sediment and animals, we expected that walruses may ingest and retain microplastic contaminants when sifting in search of prey or when eating contaminated bivalves and invertebrates. We detected no microplastics ≥ 80µm in our evaluation of 36 walruses from five communities in Nunavut, Canada. Our results suggest that walruses in this region do not retain microplastic particles ≥ 80µm in their stomachs, which is consistent with findings in other pinnipeds that have been evaluated in Arctic Canada.
{"title":"No microplastics detected in the first assessment of Atlantic walrus stomachs from Nunavut, Canada","authors":"Alexander M Jardine, C. Matthews, J. Provencher, C. Hornby, M. Gamberg, M. Bourdages, David Alexander, Manasie Naullaq, J. Vermaire","doi":"10.1139/as-2023-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2023-0002","url":null,"abstract":"As plastic pollution continues to persist at a global level, the Arctic has drawn increased research interest as a possible sink for marine pollutants. Plastic and microplastics are highly durable and can be transported across vast distances. To date, only a handful of studies have directly assessed microplastics in Arctic mammals. In Canada, it is still unclear whether they show a concrete propensity for microplastic retention and ingestion. Atlantic walruses, (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) are economically and culturally important for Inuit and are key predators in Arctic marine ecosystems. Here, we present the first assessment of microplastic pollution in Canadian walruses, and the first gastrointestinal assessment of microplastic in walruses globally. Since microplastics accumulate in benthic sediment and animals, we expected that walruses may ingest and retain microplastic contaminants when sifting in search of prey or when eating contaminated bivalves and invertebrates. We detected no microplastics ≥ 80µm in our evaluation of 36 walruses from five communities in Nunavut, Canada. Our results suggest that walruses in this region do not retain microplastic particles ≥ 80µm in their stomachs, which is consistent with findings in other pinnipeds that have been evaluated in Arctic Canada.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48874673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
D. Hauser, Roberta Tuurraq Glenn, Elizabeth D. Lindley, K. Pikok, Krista Heeringa, Joshua Jones, B. Adams, J. Leavitt, Guy Norman Omnik, R. Schaeffer, Carla SimsKayotuk, E. Sparrow, A. M. Ravelo, O. Lee, H. Eicken
Indigenous Peoples across the Arctic have adapted to environmental change since time immemorial, yet recent climate change has imposed unprecedented and abrupt changes that affect the land and sea upon which communities rely. Co-created community-based observing programs offer an opportunity to harness the holistic breadth of knowledge in communities with the goal of tracking Arctic change while simultaneously supporting community priorities and local-scale needs. The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) is a network of Iñupiaq observers from northern Alaska coastal communities working in partnership with academic researchers. Here, we describe five core functions that have emerged through AAOKH, which include tracking long-term environmental changes; communicating Indigenous-led observations of the environment and their meaning; place-based and culturally relevant education; enabling scientific and Indigenous Knowledge exchange; and supporting community-led responses to environmental change. We outline and discuss specific actions and opportunities that have been used to increase knowledge exchange of AAOKH observations, make space for the next generation of Indigenous scholars, and create locally relevant data products and syntheses that can inform resource management and community planning. We also discuss our ongoing efforts to increasingly shift toward a knowledge coproduction framework as we plan to sustain AAOKH into the future.
{"title":"Nunaaqqit Savaqatigivlugich—working with communities: evolving collaborations around an Alaska Arctic observatory and knowledge hub","authors":"D. Hauser, Roberta Tuurraq Glenn, Elizabeth D. Lindley, K. Pikok, Krista Heeringa, Joshua Jones, B. Adams, J. Leavitt, Guy Norman Omnik, R. Schaeffer, Carla SimsKayotuk, E. Sparrow, A. M. Ravelo, O. Lee, H. Eicken","doi":"10.1139/as-2022-0044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2022-0044","url":null,"abstract":"Indigenous Peoples across the Arctic have adapted to environmental change since time immemorial, yet recent climate change has imposed unprecedented and abrupt changes that affect the land and sea upon which communities rely. Co-created community-based observing programs offer an opportunity to harness the holistic breadth of knowledge in communities with the goal of tracking Arctic change while simultaneously supporting community priorities and local-scale needs. The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) is a network of Iñupiaq observers from northern Alaska coastal communities working in partnership with academic researchers. Here, we describe five core functions that have emerged through AAOKH, which include tracking long-term environmental changes; communicating Indigenous-led observations of the environment and their meaning; place-based and culturally relevant education; enabling scientific and Indigenous Knowledge exchange; and supporting community-led responses to environmental change. We outline and discuss specific actions and opportunities that have been used to increase knowledge exchange of AAOKH observations, make space for the next generation of Indigenous scholars, and create locally relevant data products and syntheses that can inform resource management and community planning. We also discuss our ongoing efforts to increasingly shift toward a knowledge coproduction framework as we plan to sustain AAOKH into the future.","PeriodicalId":48575,"journal":{"name":"Arctic Science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2023-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46981831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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