Physical and biological controls of primary production in the ice-influenced Canadian Arctic marine system

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Global sea ice cover is significantly changing in response to our warming Arctic. As the area of open water increases at the expense of a disappearing ice cover, nations and industries are showing newfound interest in the North for, e.g., shorter shipping routes, new extractable resource access, and tourism. At the same time, Northern peoples and their cultures are being stressed by the change, needing to adapt in the face of an added pressure of cultural globalization. Over two thirds of Canada's coastline is located in the North where nearshore waters represent some of the most productive Arctic regions. It is these regions that tend to support the majority of large animals and therefore represent critical ecosystem services such as subsistence hunting, cultural practices, and tourism. However, our knowledge base of this zone is not as strong as that of offshore regions, more easily accessed by large research vessels. Therefore, there is a need to improve our understanding of marine ecosystem processes in the sensitive Arctic coastal zone. Over the next 5-years I will contribute to this need through method development, dedicated field program studies, and new research directions investigating processes driving primary production in the ice, water column (pelagic), and on the ocean floor (benthic). More specifically, I will seek to: 1) investigate variability and trends of seasonal and inter-annual surface primary production in ice-influenced waters, 2) determine the importance of physical processes that influence nutrient supply on partitioning primary production in ice, pelagic, and benthic environments, and 3) examine seasonal strategies of nutrient uptake and intracellular nutrient storage for primary production by ephemeral ice algae and perennial macroalgae. By meeting these objectives, my research program will increase our knowledge on physical and biological controls of primary production, develop new observational techniques, fuel novel ideas, and fill knowledge gaps. The new information to be obtained and the associated training of at least 2 PDF, 4 PhD, 3 MSc, and 5 BSc highly qualified personnel (HQP) from this program will help meet the forecasted needs of Northerners, territorial and provincial governments, Canada and industry in the face of rapid climate change.