Community-partnered research on subsistence char fisheries near Kugluktuk, Nunavut: novel insights from traditional knowledge and western science

• Main Author: Weinstein, Spencer Yael
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Waterloo 2023
• Subjects: Salvelinus; genomics; morphometrics; meristics; local and traditional knowledge; char diversity; Arctic; Climate change; inuit; Kugluktuk; Nunavut; Salvelinus alpinus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10012/19943

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and Dolly Varden (S. malma) are the two most closely related species in the genus Salvelinus. Both species show substantial intraspecific variation in ecology, life history, morphology, and postglacial history across their distributional ranges, which has presented substantial challenges for conservation and management. Not only do char play important ecological roles within ecosystems, but they are also culturally, economically, and recreationally important. Char, and char fisheries, are a foundational element of Inuit culture in many coastal communities in the Canadian Arctic, and are critically important to food security due to their abundance and availability for year-round harvest. Char are also vulnerable to climate-induced changes in hydrology and water temperature due to their life stage-specific dependency on multiple habitats. Despite their importance and vulnerability, the genetics, ecology, and demography of anadromous (i.e., sea-run) chars are understudied, which makes it difficult to anticipate the effects of climate change and other stressors on species persistence. In the central Canadian Arctic, there is uncertainty surrounding the distribution of Dolly Varden, as well as interspecific relationships between Dolly Varden and Arctic char in systems where they may be sympatric. Furthering understanding of the diversity of char species present in the central Canadian Arctic will enable scientists and local community members to more accurately and efficiently identify and restore critical habitats, thereby ensuring the viability of the critically important subsistence char fisheries. Through the application of western science methods and the gathering of traditional knowledge in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, this thesis aims to address knowledge gaps and uncertainties regarding char diversity and the composition of Salvelinus fishes in ecosystems in the central Canadian Arctic. In Chapter 1, I provide a detailed overview of the postglacial history, ecology, and diversity of ...