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Research underway in Chesterfield Inlet waters

Federal scientists collaborate to pursue local goals
Stewart Burnett
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A Greenland cod caught by the research team. Photo courtesy of Darcy McNicholl / DFO

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is building up a backlog of data from community work as it supports the Southampton Island Area of Interest designation and potential marina protected area one day in the future.

Researchers have been in Chesterfield Inlet this summer training locals to collect data, part of a project that has also been taking place in Rankin Inlet since last summer and Kinngait before that.

β€œWe kind of have a recipe of standardized things that we collect, but when we meet the HTO and request their support and introduce the project, we ty to tailor it to what they’re interested in,” explained Darcy McNicholl, aquatic science biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Her team spent a week training technicians in Chesterfield Inlet to collect plankton, gather benthic samples and generate ocean profile data. After the scientists head south, research continues throughout the summer with technicians going out about once a week.

And in Chesterfield Inlet, hunters were particularly interested in the potential for a scallop fishery, said McNicholl. In Rankin Inlet, they wanted salinity data.

The Arctic Coast team from Fisheries and Oceans Canada did some robot video work underwater in Chesterfield Inlet while they were in town but found no evidence of scallops.

β€œThere’s a huge amount of kelp outside of Chesterfield,” though, said McNicholl, adding that it was unexpected.

Kinngait’s data goes back to 2020, and McNicholl said salmon are starting to show up in the region so her team is watching the interaction between them and char.

In underwater video work in Rankin Inlet, her team collected footage of sea anemones and some different species of fish that McNicholl didn’t think had been documented before.

Asked whether establishing a scallop fishery could conflict with the goals to turn a portion of the region into a marine protected area, McNicholl said the two can go hand in hand and be worked out through discussions.

β€œA marine protected area doesn’t mean that there can’t be any fishing or commercial activities,” said McNicholl, adding that her background is science, not policy. β€œIf Chesterfield wanted to develop the scallop fishery, it’s still possible.”

ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᑕα’₯ α‘²α‘Žα‘¦α‘Žα•—α‘¦ ᐱᔭᕇᖅᑕᐅᓯα’ͺᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓗᓕᐅα”ͺα’₯α’ƒ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᑉ α±α“•α•†αŠα’ƒα“΄α–α“α“‚ ᐃᑲα”ͺᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ α“±α’‘α“•αŠα‘―α‘• ᓄᓇᖓᓂ ᐃᓱα’ͺᒋᔭᐅα“ͺα“—α“‚ αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α“›α•α“‚αŠα•α“‚α•α’₯α“‚ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— α‘Žα‘―αŠα–…α‘•α…α“―α’ͺα“ͺα“—α“‚ ᑕᕆᐅᖅ ᐃα’ͺα–… α“΄α³α‘Žα“―α’ͺᓇᓱᖕᓂᖅ ᐃᓗᖅ αŠα‘α“›α–…α‘α’₯ α“―α•—α“‚α‘¦α‘Žα“α“‚.

α–ƒα…α”¨α“΄α–…α‘Žα‘¦ ᐃᒑᓗᓕᒐᕐα”ͺᖕᒦᑐᑦ αŠα…α”­α…α”ͺα’₯ ᐱᓕᒻα’ͺᒃᓴᐃα“ͺα“—α‘Žα’ƒ ᓄᓇᓕᖕα’₯ᐅᓂᒃ αŠα•—α“‚α–… ᐃᓗᓕᓂᒃ, αƒα“šα’ α±α“•α•†αŠα–… αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α–•α’₯α”ͺα–… ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐα’₯ αŠα…α•™α“‚ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᑭᙡᐃᓂ α‘­α–‘α“ͺᓕᕐα’₯.

”ᐱᓯα’ͺα•α“šα…α”­α–…α‘α’ α’ͺᓕᒐα’₯ᑦ αŠα•Ώα’ƒα“―α’ͺα”ͺα‘Žα’₯ αŠα•™α‘•α‘¦α‘Žα“α“‚, α‘­α“―αŠα“‚ α‘²α‘Žα–ƒα‘Žα–ƒα•‹α–“α‘¦α‘• HTO αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᐱα”ͺα’ͺα”ͺα‘Ž ᐃᑲα”ͺα‘Žα“„α‘¦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αƒα“•α‘¦α‘Žα••α’‹α“—α‘Žα’ α±α“•α•†αŠα’ƒα“΄α–…, α‘α‘­α“―α‘Žα“α“‡α“±α•ˆα“˜α”­α–…αΈα’ƒα‘•α•—α‘¦ ᐱα”ͺα’ͺᓂᖏᓐᓄ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐅᓯ α’₯α“‚α‘―, ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᓄ α–ƒα…α”¨α“΄α–…α‘Ž ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᑲᓇᑕα’₯.

αƒα–ƒα“‡αƒα”­α–…α‘Žα–ƒα‘Žα–α‘¦ α±α“‡α“±αŠα•ˆα“―α–… ᐱᓕᒻα’ͺα’ƒα“΄αƒα“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᓂ ᐃᒑᓗᖠᒐᕐα”ͺα–•α’₯ αŠα•—α–…α‘α‘¦ ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᒃᓴᔭα’₯α’ƒ α–ƒα…α”¨α“΄α•ˆα‘Žα’ƒα“΄α“‚α’ƒ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αƒα–α•‹α‘Žα“α“‚α–… ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ αŠα•—α–…α‘•α…α”ͺᑦ. α±αŠα“‚α’ƒα‘―α‘Ž α–ƒα…α”¨α“΄α–…α‘Žα‘¦ α–ƒα“—α“ˆα“„α‘¦, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᓂᖅ α‘²α”ͺα“―α•—α–… αŠα…α”­ αƒα–ƒα“‡αƒα”­α–…α‘Žα–ƒα–…α–’α‘Ž αŠα…α“šα‘²α‘•α’ƒα‘Žα‘¦ α±α“‡α“±αŠα•ˆα“―α‘•α’ͺα–….

ᐃᒑᓗᓕᒐᕐα”ͺα’₯, αŠα–‘α“‡α“±α’ƒα‘Žα‘¦ ᐱα”ͺα’ͺα“‚α–ƒα•α“‚α–…α“΄α…α“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ α±α“•α•†αŠα–‘α”ͺα’₯ αŠα’§α’ͺα”ͺᖅᑕᕐᓂᖅ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ α’ͺα’ƒα“‚α‘―. ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐα’₯, ᐱα”ͺα’ͺα“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ α–ƒα…α”¨α“΄α•α“‚αŠα–…α‘•α’₯α“‚α’ƒ ᐃα’ͺᐃᓐᓴᐅ ᐃᓗᓕᖓᓂ.

ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐα’₯ ᐃᓴᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑲᓇᑕα’₯ αŠα”Ύα”¨α“•α…α•†α’ͺᐅᖅᑐᑦ αŠα…α“šα”«α’ƒα‘―α‘¦ ᐃα’ͺᐅᑉ αŠα‘•α“‚ ᐃᒑᓗᓕᒐᕐα”ͺα–•α’₯ α‘•αƒα‘²α“‚α‘Žα“ͺα“—α’‹ α‘­α“―αŠα“‚ α“‡α“‚α“―α“‚α–ƒα“šα…α–α‘¦α‘α‘¦ αŠα’»α’§α’ͺα”ͺα“‚.

”ᐱᑕᖃᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᒐᓛᖕᓂᑦ α“―α“šα‘ŽαŠα“‚ ᐃᒑᓗᖠᒐᕐᔫᑉ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ α’₯α’ƒα“‚α‘―, αƒα“šα“ͺᓗᓂᐅ α“‚α•†α…α’‹α“šα…α–α“α“‡α’₯ᐅ. ᑭᑲᐃα’₯ αŠα•—α–…α‘•α…α”ͺᑦ α…α‘Žα“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ 2020α’§, αŠα’»α’ͺα“— α’₯α’ƒα“‚α‘― ᐅᖃᖅᖒᓂ ᐃᖃᓄᒐᐃᑦ α“΄α•Ώα‘Žα“‚α•α“‚α–α“α“‚ ᓄᓇα’₯α“‚

αƒα–ƒα“‡αƒα”­α–…α‘Žα–ƒα‘Žα–α‘¦ ᐅᔨᖅᓱᓕᖅᐳᑦ αŠα–α‘Žα…α”ͺα–… ᐃᖃᓗᓄ.

ᐊα’ͺᐅᑦ αŠα‘•α“‚ αŠα”¨α“•α…α•†α”­α…α”ͺᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐα’₯, αƒα–ƒα“‡αƒα”­α–…α‘Žα‘¦ αŠα•—α“šα…α–…α‘α‘¦ ᐃα’ͺᕐα’₯ᐅᑕᒐᓛᖕᓂᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— αŠα”¨α’‹α–α‘¦α‘α“‚

ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ α’₯α’ƒα“‚α‘― ᐃᓱα’ͺα’‹α”­α“‚ α‘²α’ͺα’‹α”­α…α“šα…α–…α“―α“΄α–α“‚α–“α“‚.

αŠα±α•†α•™α•‹ α“΄α•Ώα‘Žα“—α“‚ αŠα’§α’ͺα”ͺα–…α‘•α•α“‚αŠα•α••α–•α’₯ αŠα‘αŠα“‚α–ƒα•‹α”­α•α’ͺα–“ ᐱᔭᐅα”ͺα’ͺα”ͺᒃᑯᑦ αƒα“šα–“ ᑕᕆᐅᖅ ᐃα’ͺ

αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α”­α•†αŠα–ƒα–α‘¦α‘α–… αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α’ƒαΈα‘¦, α’₯α“‚α‘― ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ α‘²α’ͺα’‹α–ƒα‘•α…α‘Žα”ͺᓐᓇᕋα’₯ α±α“•α•†α–ƒα‘Žα’‹α“—α‘Ž α…α–ƒα–ƒα‘Žα’‹α–•α“‚α’ƒα‘―α‘¦.

β€α‘•α•†αŠα–… ᐃα’ͺα–… αŠα‘α–…α‘•α…α”­α•†αŠα–ƒα–α‘¦α‘α–… ᐊα”ͺα•ˆα‘Žα–ƒα“•α–…α“―α’ͺᖏᒻα’ͺᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ αŠα’»α’ͺα“— ᐃᖃᓗᒐᓱα“ͺα”ͺαŠα–…α‘Žα“„α‘¦,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ α’₯α’ƒα“‚α‘―, αƒα“šα“ͺᓗᓂᐅ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᖅ α±α“•α•†αŠα•†α–•α’ͺα”Ύα”ͺ, α’ͺᓕᒐᓕᕆᓂᐅᖏᑦᑐᖅ. ”ᐃᒑᓗᓕᒐᕐα”ͺα–•α’₯ᐅᑦ αŠα’§α’ͺα”ͺᓕᕆα”ͺα’ͺα’α‘Ž, ᐱα”ͺᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ.”

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Jason Ippiak deploying a plankton net. Photo courtesy of Darcy McNicholl / DFO
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Amphipods collected with a plankton net to study the coastal food web. Photo courtesy of Darcy McNicholl / DFO

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