Impacts Tools for Arctic Climate Change in Storm Waves and Storm Surge (iTACS)

Description

Climate change is expected to impact sea ice, winds, waves, currents, and coastal sediment transport, which affect Arctic communities, the maintenance of small craft harbours, offshore industries, and the potential for future marine transport in the Arctic. Fisheries and Oceans Canada mandates include the maintenance of coastal infrastructure and safe secure waterways, both of which require reliable estimates to inform routine maintenance and long-term infrastructure planning.

To address these issues, this project will develop and deliver a web-based planning tool, maps and datasets that will enable reliable estimates of Arctic climate variability and possible climate change in the Beaufort Sea, Davis Strait, and the Mackenzie Delta region. Available, high-quality datasets will be used to provide:

• updated estimates for sea ice, currents, tides, waves, winds, sediment transport, and related climate change projections;
• maps and web-based tools that display the extremes in present climate and future climate scenarios (to mid-21^st century) in response to expected scenarios; and
• a technical report and journal paper to document the results, and a related web-based tool to integrate climate change considerations into decision-making.

Program Name

Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Services Program (ACCASP)

Year(s)

2014 - 2016

Ecoregion(s)

Arctic: Beaufort Sea

Arctic: Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Principal Investigator(s)

William Perrie
DFO, Maritimes Region
Tel.: (902) 426-3985
Email: william.perrie@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Adele Butcher
DFO, Central and Arctic Region
Tel.: (204) 984-3962
Email: Adele.Butcher@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team Member(s)

Yongsheng Wu, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Zhenxia Long, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Bechara Toulany, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Blair Greenan, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

David Greenberg, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Guoqiang Liu, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Li Zhai, DFO, Maritimes, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Gavin Manson, NRCAN, BIO, Dartmouth, NS

Jinyu Sheng, Dalhousie University

Dave Atkinson, University of Victoria

C. S. Chen, University of Massachusetts

Robert Beardsley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute collaborate

Nicole Couture

Mike Li

Collaborating Government Department(s)

NSERC (funding)

Environment Canada

NRCAN

Collaborative Partner(s)

MEOPAR Project

Dalhousie University

University of Victoria

Panel on Energy Research and Development (PERD)

Beaufort Refional Environmental Assessment

Collaborative International Partner(s)

USA National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP)

University of Massachusetts and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (through Northeast Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems)