Grants and Contributions

This project will investigate how climate-driven increases in moose populations are influencing wolf ecology and potentially increasing predation pressure on the Porcupine Caribou Herd. Using field data, GPS tracking, and comparisons with historical records, it will examine changes in wolf pack size, diet, movement, and prey relationships in a rapidly changing Arctic ecosystem. This research aims to assess risks to caribou populations and support informed wildlife management and community stewardship.

This project will document and preserve Inuit knowledge of preparing igunaq while examining how climate change affects its safety and preparation practices. Through community-led research, interviews, and a review of botulism risks, it will explore ways to adapt and share this knowledge across generations. This research aims to support culturally appropriate public health guidance and strengthen the continuity of country food practices in Inuit communities.

This project will explore how climate-driven hydrological changes affect pond ecosystems that support the endangered whooping crane in Wood Buffalo National Park, NWT. By combining contemporary monitoring and paleolimnological data, it will assess water-level dynamics, groundwater influence, and food availability to understand risks to breeding habitat. This research aims to inform conservation strategies and long-term monitoring efforts to protect this vulnerable species under changing climate conditions.

This project will investigate how early Holocene sea level rise and glacial retreat transformed the Taku River watershed and how Indigenous peoples adapted to these rapid environmental changes. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines paleoenvironmental reconstruction, archaeology, geomorphology, and T’akú Kwáan oral histories, it will reconstruct past landscapes and human responses. This research aims to support Indigenous knowledge, land stewardship, and cultural heritage protection while advancing understanding of long-term climate adaptation.

This project will examine the causes and consequences of severe tooth damage in muskoxen using community-collected samples and observations from northern hunters. By analyzing dental abnormalities, body condition, tooth composition, and environmental factors, it will assess how these issues relate to overall health and changing climate conditions. This research aims to support wildlife monitoring, protect food security, and respond to community concerns about muskox population declines.

This project will investigate how permafrost thaw and different permafrost landforms influence freshwater ecosystem chemistry and function across northwestern Canada. By analyzing water and sediment samples from multiple regions and landform types, it will identify how landscape history drives variation in nutrient cycling, carbon dynamics, and aquatic conditions. This research aims to improve predictions of ecological change, support northern communities’ water security and land use, and refine estimates of carbon emissions under climate warming.

This project will determine how permafrost thaw and geological legacy influence the formation, evolution, and sensitivity of lakes in the western Canadian Arctic. Using paleolimnology, limnological surveys, and comparisons across terrain types and regions, it will assess how past environmental conditions shape present-day lake ecosystems and their responses to climate change and legacy mining pollution. This research aims to improve predictions of landscape stability, water quality, and freshwater availability for northern communities and ecosystems under future warming.

This project will combine Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit with permafrost and groundwater science to identify and assess landscape indicators of winter groundwater movement that create hazardous overflow areas along overland travel routes in Nunavut. Through field measurements, water sampling, sensors, and camera monitoring conducted in collaboration with local communities, it will investigate why these hazards occur and how they may change over time. This research aims to improve predictions of travel risks and inform local decision-making in the context of Arctic climate change.

This project will examine how urbanization affects the breeding ecology of Arctic-breeding Snow Buntings in Iqaluit, Nunavut, by comparing life-history traits and environmental factors between urban and non-urban sites. It will examine how human disturbance, predation, and resource availability influence reproductive decisions and success, and assess whether urban habitats provide benefits or ecological traps for the species. This research aims to inform conservation strategies, guide urban planning, and support long-term monitoring of Arctic songbird populations.

This project will research the prevalence and drivers of domoic acid, a harmful algal neurotoxin, in Jones Sound, Eastern Arctic, in collaboration with the Inuit community of Ausuittuq. By combining year-round community-led sampling with protein-based analyses of toxin-producing algae, it aims to develop predictive tools for early detection of domoic acid accumulation. This research will strengthen local monitoring capacity, support community health and food security, and contribute to broader understanding of marine toxin dynamics under Arctic climate change.