scholarly journals Three recent ice entrapments of Arctic cetaceans in West Greenland and the eastern Canadian High Arctic

2002 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 143 ◽  
Author(s):  
MP Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
P Richard ◽  
M Ramsay ◽  
S Akeeagok
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
The One

Three ice entrapments of Monodontids have been reported in the western North Atlantic since 1993. Hunters in Disko Bay, West Greenland, discovered one in March 1994 that included about 150 narwhals (Monodon monoceros). The entrapment occurred during a sudden cold period which caused ice to form rapidly. The trapped whales were subject to hunting, but about 50 of the killed whales could not be retrieved in the ice. The whales were trapped in a small opening in the ice and because of that they would probably have succumbed even if not discovered by hunters. Two entrapments involving white whales or belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) occurred in the eastern Canadian Arctic in May 1999; one in Lancaster Sound discovered by polar bear (Ursus maritimus) researchers and one in Jones Sound discovered by hunters. The first included one bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) and about 40 belugas that were being preyed upon by polar bears. The second involved at least 170 belugas, of which about 100 were killed by polar bears and 17 were taken by hunters. The entrapments in Disko Bay and Jones Sound both occurred in areas where entrapments have previously been reported, whereas the one in Lancaster Sound was in a new area.

An estimate of the fraction of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in the Canadian high Arctic that winter in West Greenland

Polar Biology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 318-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Heide-Jørgensen ◽  
P. Richard ◽  
R. Dietz ◽  
K. L. Laidre ◽  
J. Orr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
West Greenland

scholarly journals Prey selection of polar bears in Foxe Basin, NU, Canada: evidence of dietary flexibility in a specialized predator

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M P Galicia ◽  
G W Thiemann ◽  
M G Dyck ◽  
S H Ferguson ◽  
I Stirling
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Foxe Basin ◽  
Ice Conditions

Abstract Ecological flexibility of a species reflects its ability to cope with environmental change. Although polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing changes in foraging opportunities due to sea ice loss, regional prey availability and environmental conditions will influence the rate and severity of these effects. We examined changes in polar bear diet and the influence of sea ice characteristics in Foxe Basin over an 18-year period. We combined previous fatty acid data from bears harvested from 1999 to 2003 (n = 82) with additional data from 2010 to 2018 (n = 397). Polar bear diets were diverse; however, ringed seal (Pusa hispida) was the primary prey throughout the sample period. Prey contribution varied temporally and spatially, and by intrinsic factors, while the frequency of prey in diets varied over time suggesting that diet estimates reflect the variability in available prey. Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), although still a minor dietary component, has more than doubled in frequency of occurrence in diets in recent years in association with increased scavenging opportunities. Higher dietary levels of beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) and harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) were linked to later breakup date suggesting heavier ice conditions may promote access to both prey species. The flexible foraging strategies of bears in Foxe Basin may help mitigate their vulnerability to changes in prey distribution and habitat conditions. Our results provide insights into the importance of alternative and supplemental food sources for polar bears during phenological changes in ice conditions that will likely have consequences to Arctic community structure as warming continues.

At-sea observations of ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) in the eastern Canadian high Arctic in 1993 and 2002 indicate a population decline

Polar Record ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Chardine ◽  
Alain J. Fontaine ◽  
Hans Blokpoel ◽  
Mark Mallory ◽  
Theo Hofmann
Keyword(s):  
Polar Bear ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Ice Coverage ◽  
Canadian Population ◽  
The Status ◽  
Inuit Knowledge ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

Evidence from colony surveys and local Inuit knowledge strongly suggest that the Canadian population of ivory gulls (Pagophila eburnea) has declined dramatically. The observations of ivory gulls at sea presented here are consistent with this. Ivory gulls were observed during two cruises on the Russian icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov in the eastern Canadian high Arctic in August 1993 and 2002. Ivory gulls were seen 3.5 times more often in 1993 (n = 176) than in 2002 (n = 149), and, corrected for observation effort, four times more ivory gulls were seen in 1993 than in 2002. Ivory gulls are scavengers: they were never observed feeding on fish behind the vessel while ice-breaking, although black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) often were seen feeding in this way. Ivory gulls were observed scavenging around polar-bear (Ursus maritimus) kills in 1993 but not in 2002. By far the largest number of ivory gulls was seen near Grise Fiord in 1993. There, opportunities for them to scavenge were likely good at the community landfill as well as at Inuit and polar-bear kills due to complete ice coverage of the surrounding marine area. No ivory gulls were seen there in 2002. Observations of four individuals in 1993 and five individuals in 2002 near the southern end of Eureka Sound and in Norwegian Bay, 150 km from the nearest known breeding colonies, suggest that as yet undiscovered colonies might exist in this area. With three lines of evidence (colony surveys, local Inuit knowledge, at-sea surveys) now indicating population decline, urgent reassessment of the status of ivory gulls in Canada needs to take place.

Presence and Distribution of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) in Arctic and Subarctic Marine Food Chains

1975 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 2111-2123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald W. Bowes ◽  
Charles J. Jonkel
Keyword(s):  
Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Salvelinus Alpinus ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Polar Bears ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Food Residue ◽  
Marine Food ◽  
High Concentrations

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), man-made industrial chemicals, have been identified in tissues of polar bears (Ursus maritimus), ringed (Phoca hispida) and square flipper (Erignathus barbatus) seals, and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) of the Canadian arctic and subarctic. All tissues from each species examined contained these compounds. PCB content in tissue, both absolute and relative to the concentration of DDT (p,p′-DDE + p,p′-DDD + p,p′-DDT), generally increased from seals to adult polar bears to polar bear cubs and young. Polar bear milk contained high concentrations of PCB and is the most probable source of the high concentrations in polar bear cubs. Chromatograms revealed a greater accumulation of higher chlorinated PCB isomers in polar bears than in seals, their main food. Residue data suggest that polar bear subpopulations in the eastern Canadian arctic and subarctic have been exposed to higher levels of PCB and DDT than western subpopulations.

Observations on Distribution and Intraspecific Variation in Pigmentation Patterns of Odontocete Cetacea in the Western North Atlantic

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1111-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Phocoena Phocoena ◽  
Western Atlantic ◽  
Stenella Coeruleoalba ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Monodon Monoceros

This paper comprises sight records for nine species and morphometries, color descriptions, and miscellaneous notes on the food and parasites of seven species of small odontocetes observed from West Greenland to Florida 1967–72. Of interest are the first western Atlantic extralimital record of Monodon monoceros, first Newfoundland records of Stenella coeruleoalba, and extralimital records of Delphinapterus leucas from Newfoundland. Intraspecific variability is described in the pigmentation patterns of Phocoena phocoena.

scholarly journals Distribution and Abundance of the Eastern Canada – West Greenland Bowhead Whale Population Based on the 2013 High Arctic Cetacean Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Doniol-Valcroze ◽  
Jean-François Gosselin ◽  
Daniel G. Pike ◽  
Jack W. Lawson ◽  
Natalie C. Asselin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Arctic ◽  
Diving Behaviour ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Survey Area ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Bowhead Whales ◽  
Abundance Estimate ◽  
Track Line ◽  
Canada West

The hunting of bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) is an integral part of Inuit culture. An up-to-date abundance estimate of the entire Eastern Canada – West Greenland (EC-WG) bowhead population is necessary to support sustainable management of this harvest. The High Arctic Cetacean Survey (HACS) was conducted in August 2013, primarily to update abundance estimates for known stocks of Baffin Bay narwhal (Monodon monoceros). As the ranges of narwhal and bowhead largely overlap, the survey area was expanded to cover the summer range of bowhead whales. Bowhead whale abundance was estimated using 3 aircraft to cover the large survey area within a short time frame. Distance sampling methods were used to estimate detection probability away from the track line. Double platform with mark-recapture methods were used to correct for the proportion of whales missed by visual observers on the track line (perception bias). Abundance in Isabella Bay, an area known for high bowhead density, was estimated using density surface modelling to account for its complex shape and uneven coverage. Estimates were corrected for availability bias (whales that were not available for detection because they were submerged when the aircraft passed overhead) using a recent analysis of satellite-linked time depth recorders transmitting information on the diving behaviour of bowhead whales in the study area in August of the same survey year. The fully corrected abundance estimate for the EC-WG bowhead whale population was 6,446 (95% CI: 3,838–10,827). Possible sources of uncertainty include incomplete coverage and the diving behaviour of bowhead whales. These results confirm earlier indications that the EC-WG stock is continuing to recover from past overexploitation.

Sexual differences in the foraging ecology of 19th century beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas ) from the Canadian High Arctic

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Szpak ◽  
Marie‐Hélène Julien ◽  
Thomas C. A. Royle ◽  
James M. Savelle ◽  
Dongya Y. Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Foraging Ecology ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Beluga Whales

Arctic Security, Territory, Population: Canadian Sovereignty and the International

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 358-374
Author(s):  
Mark B Salter
Keyword(s):  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Canadian High Arctic ◽  
Territorial Sovereignty ◽  
Arctic Security ◽  
Simultaneous Implementation ◽  
Blind Spots

Abstract Canada's policies to assert and maintain sovereignty over the High Arctic illuminate both the analytical leverage and blind spots of Foucault's influential Security, Territory, Population (2007) schema for understanding modern governmentality. Governmental logics of security, sovereignty, and biopolitics are contemporaneous and concomitant. The Arctic case demonstrates clearly that the Canadian state messily uses whatever governmental tools are in its grasp to manage the Inuit and claim territorial sovereignty over the High North. But, the case of Canadian High Arctic policies also illustrates the limitations of Foucault's schema. First, the Security, Territory, Population framework has no theorization of the international. In this article I show the simultaneous implementation of Canadian security-, territorial-, and population-oriented policies over the High Arctic. Next, I present the international catalysts that prompt and condition these polices and their specifically settler-colonial tenor. Finally, in line with the Foucauldian imperative to support the “resurrection of subjugated knowledges” (Foucault 2003, 7), I conclude by offering some of the Inuit ways of resisting and reshaping these policies, proving how the Inuit shaped Canadian Arctic sovereignty as much as Canadian Arctic sovereignty policies shaped the Inuit.

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