Peary caribou and muskoxen abundance and distribution in the Arctic Archipelago - Nunavut (NGMP ID 16EC38)

An aerial survey will be conducted to update population abundance and distribution of Peary caribou and muskoxen on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The scope of this project includes identifying population abundance, distribution, and productivity (adult:calf ratio) for Peary caribou and muskoxen on northern Ellesmere Island, Prince of Wales Island, and Somerset Island. Updating the abundance and distribution of Peary caribou and muskoxen, both NGMP Valued Ecosystem Components, has been brought forward as a priority by community members and researchers during development of conservation and management policies like the Peary Caribou Recovery Strategy and territorial management plans for Peary caribou and High Arctic muskoxen. It is also a key question in the NGMP blueprint, and the aerial survey proposed here follows the protocols and indicators for caribou and muskoxen, while drawing on local knowledge and support to build community capacity and understanding of caribou and muskox populations.