The impact of climate change in the Arctic is already evident and will be widespread. News headlines often focus on melting ice, increasing industrial development, and loss of habitat for animals like polar bears and whales. But we also need to consider the impact on Arctic communities, and the less obvious parts of the food web that those communities rely on. Brent Else, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography in UCalgary's Faculty of Arts, discusses his recent research in the Canadian Arctic and what we should additionally focus on as the Arctic climate changes. Watch the webinar recording: http://go.ucalgary.ca/2017-06-15ArcticClimateWebinar_LPRegistration.html

1. Climate change in Canada’s Arctic:
Impacts on Inuit communities and marine
ecosystems
Brent Else
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
Faculty of Arts
June 15, 2017

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3. Brent Else
 Assistant professor of
Geography, Faculty of Arts
 BSc and MSc from UCalgary,
PhD from University of
Manitoba
 Studies carbon cycles in the
Arctic, and their response to
climate change
 Also interested in how Inuit
communities can adapt to
climate change
 Has spent many months in the
Arctic on ships, in camps, and
in communities

4. Brent Else
 Assistant professor of
Geography, Faculty of Arts
 BSc and MSc from UCalgary,
PhD from University of
Manitoba
 Studies carbon cycles in the
Arctic, and their response to
climate change
 Also interested in how Inuit
communities can adapt to
climate change
 Has spent many months in the
Arctic on ships, in camps, and
in communities Photo by Vishnu Nandan

5. Outline
1. Sea ice and climate change in the Arctic
2. Canada’s Inuit communities
3. Impacts of sea ice loss
4. My research

6. Climate change evidence
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http://www.ebay.com/bhp/hanging-scale
http://www.cyclismas.com/biscuits/riders-look-to-scale-new-weights/
http://us.ohaus.com/en-us
http://www.detecto.com/product-family/physician-scales/
http://radaronline.com/photos/
http://www.tanita.com/es/hd366/

7. Indicators of climate change
 Instrumental records  Historical documents
 Satellite records  “Proxies”
https://en.wikipedia.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://photolibrary.usap.gov/
http://faculty.washington.edu/jsachs/lab

8. Sea ice: A key indicator
 Sea ice (frozen seawater) is highly sensitive to a
warming climate
Sea Ice Icebergs
https://www.afar.com/
https://mattchernos.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/muddying-the-waters-calving-glaciers-and-their-response-to-climate/

9.  Sea ice extent has been decreasing for several
decades
Sea ice: A key indicator

10. Record low summer minimum Record low winter maximum
Sea ice: A key indicator

11. Sea ice loss and Canada’s Inuit
 50,000 people spread over
53 communities, 35% of
Canada’s landmass, and
50% of our coastline
Bonesteel (2006), Canada’s Relationship with Inuit: A History of Policy and Program Development, INAC
http://lbpnunavut.blogspot.ca/2010/05/feast-and-celebration.html

12. Sea ice loss and Canada’s Inuit
 Climate change is hitting Canada’s Inuit the hardest:
• Arctic amplification
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2537/nasa-noaa-data-show-2016-warmest-year-on-record-globally/

13. Sea ice loss and Canada’s Inuit
 Climate change is hitting Canada’s Inuit the hardest:
• Legacy of European contact/government policies
 Employment by whaling/fur trade
industries 1700s-1900s.
 American military presence in WWII
and cold war
 Government relocation policies
in 1940s-60s
 Bigger government role in health care,
education, housing in 1960s-70s
https://en.wikipedia.org/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
http://www.iwm.org.uk/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/northernpix/
http://www.inuitfirstcanadians.com/
Library and Archives Canada

14. Sea ice loss & Inuit communities
 Impacts of sea ice melt on Inuit communities:
• Coastal erosion
• Economic development
• Hazardous travel
• Ecosystem impacts
Gabriel Buoys/AFP

15.  Hazardous travel
Sea ice loss & Inuit communities
http://www.paninuittrails.org/

16.  Ecosystem impacts:
habitat loss
Sea ice loss & Inuit communities
http://lateraloffice.com/

17.  Ecosystem impacts:
Sea ice loss & Inuit communities

18.  Ecosystem impacts:
primary production
Sea ice loss & Inuit communities

19.  Ecosystem impacts:
ocean acidification
Sea ice loss & Inuit communities
University of Maryland

20. Current research
 Cambridge Bay
https://en.wikipedia.org/
http://science.gc.ca

21. Current research
 Air-sea CO2 exchange

22. Current research
 Ocean acidification
Ocean Networks Canada
Ocean Networks Canada

23. Current research
 Community weather stations

24. Current research
 Ecosystem Services
Photo: Navilik Helen Tologanak
JS Moore/Marianne Falardeau

25. Key takeaways
1. Sea ice loss is one of the most dramatic effects of
climate change
2. Sea ice loss makes it more difficult for Inuit
communities to access traditional resources,
compounding existing problems
3. Sea ice loss affects the Arctic marine ecosystem
at virtually all levels of the food web

26. Acknowledgements

27. Thank you
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29. IPCC, Fifth Assessment Report