Monitoring ground-nesting seabirds in the Canadian Arctic: the Nasaruvaalik Island Field Station

Abstract

The Nasaruvaalik Island field station in the high Arctic was established to facilitate research and monitoring on rare seabird species, largely to meet regulatory obligations defined in Canada's Species At Risk Act. After building a small research facility at the site, investigations have not only shed new insights on at-risk seabirds but have (1) provided new insights into movements and annual habitat needs of other ground-nesting seabirds, (2) shown effects of weather on seabird breeding effort and success, (3) determined contaminant concentrations in species that have generally been overlooked in Arctic pollution monitoring, and (4) have captured trends in local breeding populations that appear to mirror region-wide trends. However, the future of monitoring at the site is unclear, as safety concerns, considerations of new approaches to Arctic research, and monitoring priorities in a time of multiple environmental stressors may be shifting.