Seasonal Sea Ice Conditions Affect Caribou Crossing Areas Around Qikiqtaq, Nunavut: Uqsuqtuurmiut Knowledge Guides Ice Chart Analysis

Though polar ecologists consider sea ice primarily as a habitat for marine mammals, caribou use sea ice to complete their reproductive cycles, to access areas with preferred climatic and vegetation conditions, and to avoid predators seasonally and sporadically. Building on previous caribou research in Uqsuqtuuq (Gjoa Haven, Nunavut), we explored the connections between caribou and sea ice phenology in 5 community-identified caribou crossing …