ARCTIC BIOSCAN (ARCBIO): a platform for real-time DNA-based surveying and monitoring of biodiversity in the Canadian Arctic

The Arctic BIOSCAN project (ARCBIO) aims to reinforce existing knowledge about the Arctic by providing capacity to monitor shifts in the biological communities at a more detailed level and by building a new framework for integrating scientific data with traditional knowledge. It will facilitate easier access to the research results not just by scientists, but also by any interested members of local, particularly, indigenous communities. These data will help informing public policy and addressing societal impacts of ecological and climatic changes, such as the spread of invasive species, dynamics of wildlife diseases, or shifts in the availability of country foods and other natural resources. ARCBIO has two main objectives. Firstly, it aims to build a DNA reference library of Arctic organisms this is done in collaboration with Canadas natural history museums, such as the Canadian Museum of Nature. The second, field component, aims to gather baseline data on the species composition of habitats around two hamlets in the Kitikmeot region representing two bio-climatic zones: Cambridge Bay (Victoria Is middle Arctic tundra) and Kugluktuk (mainland - low Arctic tundra). Surveys will aim to cover a small representative sample of all terrestrial and aquatic habitats in these areas: different tundra types, wetlands, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers, and coastal marine habitats (intertidal and subtidal). It is expected that survey sites will be located outside Inuit-owned Land/marine areas and Territorial Parks; however, input from local communities will be sought when establishing new study sites.Collection activities will target a wide variety of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms, excluding species that are commercially or traditionally hunted/harvested by local communities. Particular focus will be on insects (e.g., flies, beetles) and other arthropods (e.g., spiders, mites, aquatic organisms), which will be surveyed using a diverse array of standard methods, from stationary traps to active collecting. As well, field collecting will target Arctic flora (including flowering plants, mosses, lichens, fungi and algae). A small sub-project will attempt to do a local pilot survey of small mammals and their parasites.The ARCBIO is led by Prof. Paul Hebert at the University of Guelph a world-renowned expert in DNA-based approaches and Director of the Centre for Biodiversity Genomics the worlds largest DNA barcoding facility.