Ottawa, Ontario -The vast and beautiful Arctic Ocean is Canada's largest ocean area. Steeped in tradition, it defines northern communities and cultures and is home to diverse and dynamic ecosystems. Today, the Arctic Ocean faces variable and changing conditions largely driven by global human-caused stressors, including climate change. Together with Inuit and Northern partners, the Government of Canada is working to better understand the Arctic Ocean, sea ice and the complex ecosystems they support.
Today, on Earth Day, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, released Canada's Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems, 2019, the second status report of the annual ocean series. Canada's State of the Ocean reports are summaries of the current status and trends of marine ecosystems in Canada's three oceans. Today's release provides useful educational content for students and all Canadians to read on Earth Day while at home.
The report was co-authored by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of Nunavut, and the Fisheries Joint Management Committee. It includes current knowledge and trends for Canadian Arctic marine ecosystems based on scientific findings and Inuit knowledge. It outlines observed sea ice-related ecosystem changes and provides new insight into varying environmental conditions and the connections between ocean and coastal areas.
