Hudson Strait-Foxe Basin Marine Coastal Monitoring Surveys: Assessing the Impacts of Declining Summer Sea-Ice and Northern Development (NGMP ID EC20)

The purpose of this project is to estimate the distribution and abundance of marine birds in the Hudson Strait-Foxe Basin region during the summer breeding season and assess their vulnerability to development activities and potential industrial accidents. The research will also examine potential cascading ecological impacts resulting from the loss of summer sea ice on marine bird populations from increased predation by polar bears. Specific study objectives include: 1) Compilation of baseline data on eider and other marine bird abundance and distributions in coastal areas, 2) Estimation of the number and proportion of nests potentially susceptible to flooding by ships wakes, 3) Identification of critical habitats for nesting and brood rearing that could be damaged by industrial accidents such as oil discharge or grounding, 4) Monitoring of polar bear activity on bird colonies and quantify the extent of bear predation of bird nests, and 5) Documenting TEK of changing relationships between polar bear, seals, and birds as they relate to sea-ice conditions and climate change.