Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area
History
Tuvaijuittuq was established by ministerial order under the Oceans Act for interim protection on 21 August 2019. Under the order, no new or additional human activities will be allowed to occur in the area for up to five years while the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, the Government of Nunavut, and the Government of Canada work to establish long-term protection of the area. Exceptions to this rule include respecting Inuit rights to harvest wildlife under the Nunavut Agreement, scientific research, activities relating to national security and emergencies, and the safe passage of foreign ships through the region.
Geography
The northwest coast of Ellesmere Island is dominated by thick, multi-year pack ice which accumulates due to the combination of ice transport, from the circulation of the Beaufort Gyre and ice motion from the Transpolar Drift, combined with the land masses acting as natural physical barriers.
Ecology
Sea ice provides habitat for ice-adapted organisms within the neritic and pelagic zones of the area, most notably ice algae. In addition, seabed communities in this area exhibits higher that expected levels of biodiversity and biological productivity.
See also
References
- ^ Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2019-09-18). "Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area (MPA)". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
- ^ Vincent, Warwick F.; Mueller, Derek (2020). "Witnessing ice habitat collapse in the Arctic". Science. 370 (6520): 1031–1032. doi:10.1126/science.abe4491. ISSN 0036-8075.
- ^ Moore, G.W.K.; Schweiger, A.; Zhang, J.; Steele, M. (15 October 2019). "Spatiotemporal Variability of Sea Ice in the Arctic's Last Ice Area". Geophysical Research Letters. 46 (20): 11237–11243. doi:10.1029/2019GL083722. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Kreier, Freda (2021-11-15). "Scientists are racing to save the Last Ice Area, an Arctic Noah's Ark". Science News. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
- ^ Bourke, Robert H.; Garrett, Robert P. (April 1987). "Sea ice thickness distribution in the Arctic Ocean". Cold Regions Science and Technology. 13 (3): 259–280. doi:10.1016/0165-232X(87)90007-3. hdl:10945/62208.