Seasonal and Late Holocene changes in export productivity as recorded in sediment traps and seafloor sediment collected in the Nares Strait

The Last Ice Area (LIA), north of Canada and Greenland, is the last sanctuary for multiyear sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. In 2019, the Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area was established for its interim protection. However, while the LIA hosts unique endemic sea-ice-dependent ecosystems and plays a key role in the global climate system, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of this region remain nearly undocumented. This program aims to improve the understanding of how global change influences ecosystem functioning in key areas of the Tuvaijuittuq and downstream ecosystems, including the Nares Strait and the Pikialasorsuaq/Sarvarjuaq (North Water polynya). The project specifically addresses the following question: How do changes in oceanographic conditions, including sea-ice regimes, alter algal phenology, community composition and export to the seafloor ?