CanICE - A Sea Ice Information Database and Web-based Portal

Canada has the world's longest coastline and largest area of sea ice. Sea ice exerts important seasonal effects on weather, climate, and marine ecosystems with major implications for the safety of marine transportation, northern communities, tourism, and offshore resource development and exploitation. Whether preparing policy or regulations, assessing the impacts of activities on ecosystems, designing sustainable infrastructure, or planning and conducting safe and secure shipping, it is vital to have the best information possible about the variable ice conditions of the Arctic marine environment. Large collections of such data are acquired, compiled, produced, and maintained by national and international agencies such as the Canadian Ice Service (CIS). However, such data collections have not been made readily accessible other than for operational use. The purpose of this project is to develop a Canadian sea ice information infrastructure that manages historical, ongoing, and in-situ sea ice data for research and decision-making, with a particular focus on meeting the needs of Beaufort environmental assessments. CanICE aims to put all current and historical CIS sea ice information from the Beaufort Sea online for northern organizations, northern residents, industry, regulators, researchers, forecasters, modellers, and the general public.