NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: contaminants, mercury, climate change, aquatic food web, Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Objective(s): To develop and apply a computer model of mercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea Shelf food web; to estimate the effects of selected environmental changes on historical Beaufort Sea beluga MeHg concentrations from (1970-2010s); and, to investigate potential future trajectories of mercury levels in the ecosystem under global change.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No.5518. The objectives of this project are to develop and apply a computer model of mercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea Shelf food web; to estimate the effects of selected environmental changes on historical Beaufort Sea beluga MeHg concentrations from (1970-2010s); and, to investigate potential future trajectories of mercury levels in the ecosystem under global change. In the long term, this project aims to support communities in understanding and planning for the impacts of climate change on the Beaufort Sea ecosystem. The preliminary phase of this project was funded by the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) in 2019 (M-45), with the engagement of the Inuvialuit Game Council, and additional funding support from a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Discovery Grant. As this project involves secondary data analysis only (all data obtained from the published literature and no sample collection, interviews, or other primary data collection taking place). The research team developed a computer model of mercury bioaccumulation in the Beaufort Sea Shelf, using the Ecotracer module of the ecological modelling software Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE). The empirical data to build this model came from published literature. The research team will conduct a literature review of Western science (published academic literature) and previously documented Inuvialuit knowledge (found in both the academic literature and in the ISR's Traditional and Local Knowledge Repository) on historical environmental changes in the Beaufort Sea Shelf. Based on guidance of the IGC and FJMC, we reached out to and received input from Hunters and Trappers Committees, and the TLK Team Lead at the Joint Secretariat on appropriate sources of previously documented Inuvialuit Knowledge to draw from in our literature review. The team will develop an historical environmental change scenarios based on this literature review. The team will begin modelling these historical environmental change scenarios and their impacts on mercury levels in different marine species. This work is ongoing. The research team will implement future climate change scenarios in the EwE mercury model to explore potential future trajectories of ecosystem mercury. These future scenarios will be based on previously published Arctic climate modelling research. This project will use secondary data analysis; no sample collection, interviews, or other primary data collection and analysis will be conducted. The expected outcomes of the study will be the development of a tool that can be used to estimate mercury concentrations in the Beaufort Sea Shelf, identification of key environmental change drivers that can affect mercury levels in key marine species such as beluga, and estimates of potential future levels of mercury in marine species. The research team have been engaging with Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) partners in the different stages of the research process, including receiving feedback at Inuvialuit Game Council Meetings, and a Fisheries Joint Management Committee Meeting (June 2022). Based on guidance of the IGC and FJMC, we reached out to and received input from Hunters and Trappers Committees, and the TLK Team Lead at the Joint Secretariat in 2022 on appropriate sources of previously documented Inuvialuit Knowledge to draw from in our literature review. The team have also provided written updates to the NWT Regional Contaminants Committee, and connected with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Regular sharing of research results with these bodies will continue to occur through written updates and through in-person or virtual presentations, including at IGC and FJMC Meetings. The team will also prepare summaries of results (of theses and publications) to be submitted to the IRC, IGC, FJMC, NWT, and HTCs. This communications plan may also be adapted based on further engagement with stakeholders. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 13, 2023 to December 31, 2023.