Implementing genomics-based monitoring of caribou in the Far North region of Ontario in response to proposed mining activities

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The focus of this NSERC Alliance project is on caribou (Rangifer tarandus) with an emphasis on the Far North and conservation issues associated with the proposed mining activities in the Ring of Fire, with broader implications for implementing monitoring of caribou nationally. Woodland caribou ecotypes, specifically the boreal population (listed as Threatened under the Species-at-Risk Act (SARA)), and eastern migratory caribou (currently under consideration for listing under SARA as Endangered) seasonally co-occur in areas of the Far North, including the Ring of Fire area. To effectively monitor caribou and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic development, it is critical to establish baseline data on the two ecotypes through a partnership between Trent University, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Omnia Ecological Services, with ECCC facilitating the engagement of Indigenous communities in the region. The project brings the research capacity needed to support the use of new sequencing technology and advanced computing to generate standardized reliable data over time. Genomic data, obtained non-invasively by collecting fecal samples, is used to assign individual caribou to their respective Designatable Unit (DU) or caribou representing admixture from multiple DU sources as it pertains to population surveys; generate a range of population demographic parameters and to assess single moment population genetic structure connectivity through familial networks; and inbreeding. The results of this study will be used to provide baseline information on the occurrence and status of caribou in the Ring of Fire area, and to inform modelling to assess the incremental impact of planned and future individual development projects. Protocols and baseline data from this project will allow for continued standardized monitoring that may be done through universities, government departments at the federal and provincial levels with transferability to private sector environmental consultants that will support Environmental Assessment needs for the mining and forestry sectors, with broader implications in establishing such monitoring across the country for a range of species.