NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, contaminants, water quality, fish, bathymetry, oceanography, sea ice, meteorology, arctic ecosystems

Project Description: Warming of the Arctic is resulting in changes in sea ice formation, decay, and distribution which operate differently in the Eastern and Western Canadian Arctic. Short term sampling has been conducted, but this research is a long-term observation of the ocean, sea ice, atmosphere coupling. Sampling will be conducted at mooring stations, along the ship track, and at specific sampling stations, and will include water, plankton and juvenile fish sampling, bottom mapping, sediment core extraction, sea ice sampling and meteorological measurements. High resolution bathymetric surveys of the coastal shallow water areas of De Sallis Bay, Sachs Harbour, and Gillet Bay, will also be conducted using the 10-m hydrographic launch, CSL Heron. Sampling will only be conducted around the icebreaker vessel, CCGS Amundsen, along transects and at stations indicated below. There will be no land-based sampling. Moorings are recovered and redeployed every year in the Mackenzie Shelf/ Amundsen Gulf area. The mooring line includes instruments that gather continuous records (for 1 year) of currents, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and the vertical flux of carbon and contaminants. A subsurface float maintains the line vertical in the water at =30 m. Four moorings will be redeployed at the same location for 7 - 14 years. Before redeploying the moorings for another year, the compasses of all current meters will be calibrated on land and in relative proximity to mooring sites. Three calibration sites have been chosen for this purpose: De Sallis Bay, Sachs Harbour and Cape Parry. These sites will be accessed by the CCGS Amundsen helicopter. Flights will be mostly conducted over water. Should flying occur near land, flight regulations will be strictly complied with to avoid disturbance to people or wildlife. The calibration sites will be no further than 5 miles inland and would be visited for less than 12 hours, depending on the number of instruments to calibrate. Once on site, compasses of each current meter will be mounted on a tripod and directional readings will be taken. Negative effects on the environment are expected to be minimal. Research results will be communicated through annual Game Council meetings. Publications arising from this research will be submitted to the Aurora Research Institute and other local organizations. A community visit is also scheduled for Sachs Harbour aboard the CCGS Amundsen, where the research will be discussed with community members. Research activities will take place from September 28 to October 19, 2006 from on board the vessel, CCGS Amundsen at the following mooring and sampling stations: (69° 14.400 N 116° 36.000 W); (71° 02.950 N 128° 30.510 W); (70° 10.200 N 133° 32.100 W); (70° 15.400 N 133° 33.600 W); (70° 20.600 N 133° 35.000 W); (70° 25.800 N 133° 36.500 W); (70° 31.000 N 133° 38.000 W); (70° 36.200 N 133° 39.500 W); (70° 41.400 N 133° 41.000 W); (70° 46.600 N 133° 42.400 W); (71° 05.620 N 133° 42.530 W); (70° 51.800 N 133° 43.900 W); (70° 57.000 N 133° 45.400 W); (71° 02.200 N 133° 46.900 W); (71° 07.400 N 133° 48.300 W); (71° 12.600 N 133° 49.800 W); (71° 17.800 N 133° 51.300 W); (71° 23.000 N 133° 52.800 W); (71° 28.200 N 133° 54.300 W); (71° 26.670 N 121° 37.500 W); (71° 58.500 N 125° 15.060 W); (70° 08.700 N 124° 37.080 W); (69° 36.000 N 118° 07.800 W); (70° 06.000 N 120° 06.000 W); (70° 21.000 N 121° 36.000 W); (70° 39.970 N 122° 58.430 W); (71° 00.900 N 125° 56.130 W); (70° 20.374 N 126° 21.469 W); (71° 42.260 N 126° 28.960 W); (71° 38.310 N 126° 40.970 W); (71° 34.420 N 126° 52.990 W); (71° 30.470 N 127° 05.140 W); (71° 24.840 N 127° 23.480 W); (71° 22.640 N 127° 29.700 W); (71° 20.570 N 127° 32.480 W); (71° 18.420 N 127° 41.950 W); (71° 16.450 N 127° 48.480 W); (71° 14.940 N 127° 54.560 W); (71° 12.850 N 128° 00.460 W); (71° 10.810 N 128° 06.240 W); (71° 08.850 N 128° 12.220 W); (71° 06.790 N 128° 18.370 W); (71° 04.900 N 128° 24.630 W).