Spring distribution of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in Eclipse Sound and Milne Inlet, Nunavut: implications for potential ice-breaking activities
Resource development in Arctic waters is proceeding rapidly leading to increased interactions with Arctic wildlife. As sea ice extent decreases, the demand for shipping and ice-breaking operations will expand into winter and spring with greater impact on ice-dependent pinnipeds. However, knowledge o...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Other/Unknown Material |
| Language: | unknown |
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NRC Research Press (a division of Canadian Science Publishing)
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1807/93125 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/AS-2018-0020 |
| Summary: | Resource development in Arctic waters is proceeding rapidly leading to increased interactions with Arctic wildlife. As sea ice extent decreases, the demand for shipping and ice-breaking operations will expand into winter and spring with greater impact on ice-dependent pinnipeds. However, knowledge of the distribution of these species, such as ringed seals (Pusa hispida), during spring within areas of resource development is lacking. Baffinlandâ s Mary River iron ore port in southern Milne Inlet, Nunavut opened in 2015 with proposed ice-breaking activities in spring â an important period in ringed seal seasonal life-history. We conducted infrared and photographic aerial surveys in June 2016 and 2017 to overlay the proposed ice-breaking route with ringed seal hotspots (i.e. areas of higher density). We identified four areas of overlap where proposed ice-breaking would traverse through ringed seal hotspots: eastern and western Eclipse Sound (a ringed seal pupping ground identified by local knowledge), middle of Milne Inlet, and southern Milne Inlet. We identified potential negative implications of spring ice-breaking operations on ringed seals such as displacement, separation of mothers and pups, destruction of resting and birth lairs, and vessel-seal collisions. Results are relevant to policy decision-makers who can develop mitigation strategies in the rapidly thawing and developing Arctic. The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author. |
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