Science Response 2020/055
Supplement to the Biophysical and Ecological Overview for Southampton Island (SI) EBSA to include Additional Areas within the Southampton Island Area of Interest (AOI)
Context
An Area of Interest (AOI) for the waters surrounding Southampton Island (SI) and Chesterfield Inlet is being considered for designation as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Oceans Act. In support of MPA development, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) regional advisory meeting was conducted for the SI Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) on December 5–6, 2018 (DFO 2020a). The purpose of that meeting was to identify ecological significance of the SI EBSA (i.e., unique characteristics of a region, such as physical oceanographic drivers, key species, and habitats), knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities, and provide advice on conservation priorities (ecological components targeted for protection) and potential conservation objectives (quantitatively/qualitatively measurable statements to achieve goals), based upon a Biophysical and Ecological Overview Report as background information (Loewen et al. 2020a). At the time of the 2018 regional peer-review meeting, an AOI boundary was not yet decided on, and therefore the SI EBSA was considered the scope of the review. Since then, the boundaries for the SI AOI were announced (August 2019), which included two additional areas beyond the boundaries of the SI EBSA: 1) the marine waters adjacent to the community of Chesterfield Inlet (northern portion of the Western Hudson Bay Coastline (WHBC) EBSA), and 2) the north side of SI (portion of the Repulse Bay/Frozen Strait (RB/FS) EBSA; Figure 1). The Kivalliq Regional Inuit Association has supported further discussions on marine protection options for the remainder of the area adjacent to Wager Bay and Repulse Bay, currently these areas are not part of the SI AOI.
Due to the expansion of areas within the SI AOI which were not originally part of the SI EBSA review, DFO Marine Planning and Conservation (MPC; formerly Oceans Management) requires supplementary science advice for the additional areas of the AOI. This request includes describing key ecological and biological features for the additional areas within the AOI, identifying knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities, and refining the potential conservation objectives (COs) provided in the first assessment (DFO 2020a). Although not described here, future work will be based upon the results of various assessments of the area (i.e., the Biophysical and Ecological Overview for SI EBSA and this supplement to it, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, socio-economic, petroleum potential) and consultations with partners. These assessments will also help to finalize the COs, provide the foundation for an ecological risk assessment of activities within the area, and determine final boundaries of a potential MPA and how the MPA should be designed (e.g., measures to be put in place). This Science Response Report (SRR) for the additional areas within the SI AOI was reviewed by experts within a Science Response Process held August 26–27, 2020, and September 17, 2020. The information presented here should be considered in combination with previous science advice provided for the SI EBSA (i.e., DFO 2020a).
Figure 1. Southampton Island (SI) Area of Interest (black line and diagonal shading), overlaid with the WHBC (blue), SI (yellow), and RB/FS (green) EBSAs (DFO 2011) in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.
This Science Response Report results from the Science Response Process of August 26–27, 2020 and September 17, 2020 on the Supplement to the Biophysical and Ecological Overview for Southampton Island Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) to include additional areas.
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