Mooring data and biogeochemical properties of water samples taken from lakes, rivers and coastal areas surrounding Naujaat, NU to better understand Arctic Char habitat

The objective of this study was to learn more about the habitat where Arctic Char frequent around Naujaat. Arctic Char taste and look different depending on where you fish for them and thus moorings and conductivity-temperature-depth profilers were deployed and water samples were collected to physically and biogeochemically characterize the different areas. Moorings were used to capture the environmental properties over a long period of time than water samples which captured the environment at one point in time. The data from this specific project is complemented by previous work supported by ArcticNet and POLAR in this area. Arctic Char is an important country food for Aivilingmiut in Naujaat. The char overwinter in lakes, and once the ice breaks up they travel down rivers into coastal waters for their summer feeding phase. Naujaat fishers have noticed that the timing of char runs vary between rivers. The appearance of the fish also differs depending on where they are caught. To begin to understand how this phenology is linked to environmental conditions, we have investigated several rivers and lakes near Naujaat as a part of the ArcticNet IQP program. The team consists of Lead Coordinator and Field Technician, Johnny Tagornak, the Arviq HTO, field assistants from Naujaat, CEOS Coastal Oceanography Team at University of Manitoba, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans scientists, with financial support from Inuit Qaujisarnirmut Pilirijjutit (IQP).