Terms of Reference

Supplement to the Biophysical and Ecological Overview for Southampton Island Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) to include additional areas

Regional Science Response Process – Ontario and Prairie Region

August 26-27, 2020
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Claire Hornby

Context

An Area of Interest (AOI) for the waters surrounding Southampton Island 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 Southampton Island Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) on December 5–6, 2018 (DFO 2020). The purpose of the meeting was to identify ecological significance, knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities, and provide advice on potential conservation priorities and objectives using an ecological and biological overview report as background information (Loewen et al. 2020). At the time of the regional peer-review meeting, an AOI boundary was not yet decided on, and the Southampton Island EBSA boundary was considered the scope of the review. Since then the boundaries for the Southampton Island AOI were announced (August 2019), which included two additional areas beyond the boundaries of the Southampton Island EBSA; 1) the marine waters adjacent to the community of Chesterfield Inlet (northern portion of the Western Hudson Bay Coastline EBSA), and; 2) the north side of Southampton Island (portion of the Repulse Bay/Frozen Strait EBSA).

Due to the expansion of the area, DFO Marine Planning and Conservation (MPC; formally Oceans Management) requires DFO Science advice on key ecological features within the additional areas of the AOI that warrant marine protection (i.e., conservation priorities), recommend potential conservation objectives, and to identify knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities for the additional areas. The results of this report should be considered in combination with previous Science Advice provided for the Southampton Island EBSA (i.e., DFO 2011, 2020).

Objectives

The intent of the meeting is to complete the following objectives for the additional marine areas of the Southampton Island AOI:

1. Identify, describe and map, where possible, key biophysical and ecological features (i.e., conservation priorities), including:
1. predominant and unique physical and biological oceanographic and sea ice characteristics;
2. predominant, unique, and sensitive habitat features; and,
3. species of interest, and the abiotic and biotic factors influencing their distribution.
2. Identify known and potential activities and stressors with the potential to affect the conservation priorities.
3. Identify any key uncertainties and knowledge gaps as they pertain to the current understanding of conservation priorities within the AOI, and where possible, recommend measures to address these gaps.
4. Recommend revised wording for potential conservation objectives for each conservation priority that considers the desired and measureable state based on the DFO (2020) advice.

Expected Publications

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science and Ecosystems and Fisheries Management sectors)
• Government of Nunavut
• Environment and Climate Change Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service
• Nunavut Wildlife Management Board
• Academia
• World Wildlife Fund - Canada
• Other invited experts

References

DFO. 2011. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA) in the Canadian Arctic. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2011/055.

DFO. 2020. Identification of Ecological Significance, Potential Conservation Objectives, Knowledge Gaps and Vulnerabilities for the Southampton Island Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2020/in press.

Loewen, T. N., Hornby, C.A., Johnson, M., Chambers, C., Dawson, K., MacDonell, D., Bernhardt, W., Gnanapragasam, R., Pierrejean, M., and Choy, E. 2020. Ecological and Biophysical Overview of the Southampton proposed Area of Interest for the Southampton Island Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2020/032. vi + 96 p.