Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #2: Ecological monitoring of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and seals (Phoca sp.) in Nunavut – a step towards the future  (Polar bear and seal monitoring in Nunavut)

Outline
Most of Canada's polar bears exist in Nunavut. Bears play an important cultural, spiritual, and economic role in Inuit society. Climate change could have a detrimental effect on bears, and therefore also on the Inuit culture. Currently, there is no information available about how, and if, climate change is affecting bears in Nunavut. If the proposal receives funding, biological information of already harvested polar bears and seals would be collected (i.e., sex, age by counting growth layers in teeth, body length, chest girth) from one area in the High Arctic (i.e. Lancaster Sound), and one southern area (i.e. western Hudson Bay) for comparison. Growth layer thickness of animals born in the same year (polar bear and seal cohorts) will be compared, and correlated with environmental data (i.e. temperature, etc.). Thickness of growth layers indicates food abundance, and how it affects growth. These growth layers provide indirect information about habitat and food chain health and productivity. By examining climate information from the past 30 years, as well as tooth growth layer thickness for the same time period, it will be possible to examine how the abiotic factors (i.e., temperature, etc.) affected biological factors (i.e., growth) in the past. The collection, and continued monitoring, of biological data of bears and seals can indicate how bear and seal populations are doing with respect to climate, and whether any immediate action plans (i.e., recovery strategies) need to be devised and implemented. Continued collection of biological data of bears and seals can indicate changes in habitat/ecosystem and food chain. Traditional knowledge of hunters can help supplement the understanding of these processes.This research project will fill research gaps regarding polar bear and seal growth/body condition with respect to ecosystem health and climate change effects. Information is available for only one polar bear population in the world thus far, but it is imperative to focus on the area that has most of the world's polar bears-namely Nunavut. By conducting this research, baseline information will be collected, that, with continuation of the program, can indicate specific trends in the environment or the populations under investigation. Aside the valuable knowledge gathered, communities and their hunters are directly involved in the research by collecting and providing the data. Knowing how most of Canadian polar bears in the Arctic are doing will provide the essential information to prepare recovery strategies and plans for the long-term. An additional aspect that will be examined over time is how body size/mass of regular hunt polar bears differs from sport-hunted polar bears. Sporthunts usually target trophy animals, and are larger and older. It has been documented for other species (i.e., lions and bighorn sheep) that due to trophy hunting male trophy characteristics (or morphometrics) have been declining over time, and that the genetic diversity also has been decreasing. To monitor how harvest, especially sport hunts, affect the male proportion of polar bear populations, can aid in developing specific management regimes.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The present environmental status of most of the world’s polar bears can be possibly examined, and with the establishment of the baseline study, and the continuation of a monitoring programme, inferences can be made with respect to connections and correlations among climate change, body condition of seals and polar bears, past environmental effects on the food chain, and effect of harvest on body dimensions of polar bears.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Climate data (from NOAA) will be used in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard University/Smithsonian Institute (USA); tooth section and digital imagery of growth layers will be analysed in collaboration with colleagues from Denmark.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Coordinates of study area is difficult to determine precisely, as we are dealing with 2 polar bear populations. Lancaster Sound between 80 and 90 W, and between 72 and 75 N; Western Hudson Bay between 90 and 95 W and between 60 and 65 N.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07/05 – 06/06      07/06 – 06/07      07/07 – 06/08
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The Government of Nunavut has a laboratory that will (anticipated) be used for sample analyses, and could possibly be shared.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own support
Other sources of support

Several funding agencies in Canada will be approached on a yearly basis to secure funding sources; in-kind support will be requested from several government organizations

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: Ecosystems: Marine Processes

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New
It is a new project, where the IPY activities overlap

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be organised by the applicant through community visits where hunters will be given presentations on what the project and sample collection entails. Other data organization will be done by the project manager (e.g., collaboration with colleagues on data analyses, sample collection through Nunavut Wildlife Service, etc.) The project will be managed by the applicant (e.g., grants administration, logistical coordination, data entry, analyses).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Community visits will be conducted to talk to harvesters, about their perception of the status quo, and to inform them about the project. Students from the college will be involved in working on lab samples, data management to learn practices that will put them in a more favourable position when applying for Nunavut jobs that are wildlife or environmentally oriented. The communities will be informed or educated about the results of the project, via visits or posters. Management agencies will be part of the education process as to allow them to be more flexible with respect to wildlife management regimes.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?

How is it proposed to fund the project?
At present, funding sources and collaborators have been approached for financial or logistical support of the project. Sources include Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, Government of Nunavut, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Nunavut Wildlife Management Board. Decisions about funding will not be available until April 2005. The estimated project budget per year is approximately 50,000. In-kind contributions have been tentatively been committed in value of about 20,000 for the first year.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Mr  Markus Dyck
Nunavut Arctic College, Environmental Technology Program, Government of Nunavut
North 40 Campus, Box 600, Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0
Canada

Tel: 867.979.7282
Mobile:
Fax: 867.979.7101
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information