Erignathus Research Articles

Bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) birth mass and pup growth in periods with contrasting ice conditions in Svalbard, Norway

AbstractGlobal climate warming has caused major reductions in sea ice in the Arctic, posing a serious threat to ice‐associated marine mammals. Herein, novel data on birth mass and pup growth rates over a 15‐year period (1993–2007; 10 years with growth data) are reported for bearded seals, as well as initial behavioral responses by this species to major, local declines in sea‐ice in Svalbard, Norway. In total, 205 pups were captured; 64 of which were recaptured, some repeatedly, producing 85 growth intervals for nursing pups. Average birth mass of pups was 37.1 ± 3.8 (SD) kg (range 33–47 kg, n = 25); birth mass before vs. after the sea ice collapse (2006 onward) were not found to differ. Pups grew at a rate of 3.0 ± 0.7 kg/day (1.8–4.8 kg/day, n = 64) during the nursing period. LME models suggest that ice concentration did not affect the growth rate of pups. Most females shifted from traditional first‐year ice floes to glacier‐ice pieces for birthing and nursing their young, following the regional sea ice collapse. However, retraction of tidal glaciers will likely eliminate this replacement birthing and nursing habitat for bearded seals in Svalbard in the coming decades.

Behavioural ontogeny of bearded seals Erignathus barbatus through the first year of life

Pinniped pups face special ontogenetic challenges as they are born and receive maternal care on solid substrates (land or ice) but must transition to feeding aquatically following weaning. In this study, satellite relay data loggers were used to study behavioural ontogeny of bearded seal Erignathus barbatus pups (n = 13) through their first year in Svalbard, Norway. Pups occupied shallow, coastal habitats and were found in areas with intermediate ice concentrations (in seasons with sea ice: late-autumn/winter). Most pups showed exploratory movement patterns that peaked in the weeks following weaning; maximum home range size occurred at 31 to 60 d of age. Thereafter, home range size decreased with pups settling into areas along the coast. Time spent diving, dive duration, dive depth and time at the bottom of dives increased during the first weeks of independence, stabilizing when pups were ~50 d old. Dive depth subsequently decreased to depths comparable to adult bearded seals (by the time pups were ~175 d old). Record maximum dive depth (368 m) and duration (16.5 min) were performed by pups that were 66 and 224 d old, respectively. Time spent hauled out decreased after weaning, with pups hauling out only sporadically after they were 75 d old. Bearded seal pups seem to be physiologically and behaviourally well developed by the time they are 2 mo old. Pups did not display the individually specialized diving behaviour seen in adults, which suggests that they continue to fine-tune their aquatic and other life-skills well past the end of the first year of life.

Subsistence harvest of ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska is sustainable

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 40:1-16 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00973 Subsistence harvest of ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska is sustainable Mark A. Nelson1, Lori T. Quakenbush1,*, Brian D. Taras1, Ice Seal Committee2 1Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA 2North Slope Borough, Utqiaġvik, AK 99723, USA *Corresponding author: lori.quakenbush@alaska.gov ABSTRACT: In 2012, climate-warming related decreases in sea ice led to listings of ringed Pusa hispida and bearded seals Erignathus barbatus as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) prior to evidence of population declines. These and 2 other ice-associated species (spotted Phoca largha and ribbon seals Histriophoca fasciata) are vital subsistence resources to coastal Alaska Native communities. ESA-related assessments concluded that subsistence removals (seals that were harvested as well as those that were struck and lost) were sustainable; however, limited data precluded a quantitative evaluation. Potential biological removal (PBR), defined as the maximum number of animals that can be removed from a stock while allowing the stock to reach or maintain its optimal sustainable size, is typically used to determine whether human-caused mortality is sustainable. Although developed to address commercial fisheries bycatch, PBR serves as a conservative measure of sustainability. We compiled annual subsistence removal of ice seals in Alaska between 1992 and 2014 for 41 of 55 ice seal hunting communities and used per capita (based on the 2015 human population) removal estimates from surveyed communities to estimate regional and statewide average removals. We used average per capita values of harvest, combined with struck and lost, for surveyed communities (average removals) to extrapolate to unsurveyed communities. To account for underreported harvest, we also extrapolated using maximum harvest values, providing a liberal estimate. Both the average and liberal estimates of removals were below PBR for all 4 species. Thus, the best available data indicate that subsistence hunting is currently sustainable for all 4 species of ice seals. KEY WORDS: Erignathus barbatus · Pusa hispida · Phoca hispida · Phoca largha · Histriophoca fasciata · Ice seal · Potential biological removal · Struck and lost Full text in pdf format NextCite this article as: Nelson MA, Quakenbush LT, Taras BD, Ice Seal Committee (2019) Subsistence harvest of ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska is sustainable. Endang Species Res 40:1-16. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00973 Export citation Mail this link - Contents Mailing Lists - RSS Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 40. Online publication date: September 19, 2019 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.

Seasonal variations in the call presence of bearded seals in relation to sea ice in the southern Chukchi Sea

The seasonal habitat use of bearded seals is important information in terms of conservation of this species. However, their distribution outside the breeding season has not been well documented. We investigated seasonal variations in the call occurrence of bearded seals by using passive acoustic monitoring in the southern Chukchi Sea, which has some of the greatest benthic biomass in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean. Underwater sounds were recorded between 2012 and 2015. Calls of bearded seals were detected from mid-September or early October to the end of each recording period (mid-May 2013, early March 2014, and mid-June 2015). Two peaks in call occurrence were noted; the first peak occurred during the open-water periods in November, and the second peak occurred during ice-covered periods. This suggest that bearded seals utilize the southern Chukchi Sea not only for the breeding site but also for the autumn foraging site. We could complement the information about the southward autumn migration pattern of bearded seals, and the southern Chukchi Sea was suggested as the south limit of bearded seals’ autumn distribution. Additionally, their vocal activity during autumn in this site was suggested to have some role in social interaction. Our results indicated that the southern Chukchi Sea would be an important monitoring site for understanding the habitat use and the vocal activity of bearded seals, especially outside the breeding season.

Dynamics of two-prey one-predator non-autonomous type-III stochastic model with effect of climate change and harvesting

In this article, we study the dynamical behavior of polar bear preying on ringed and bearded seals. Stochastic non-autonomous Holling type-III two-prey one-predator model is formulated with harvesting in prey species and intra-specific competition among predators. The growth rates and harvesting terms of the system have been perturbed with white noise. Effect of climate change on growth rates of the species has been considered here. At first, feasibility of the model system has been established by the existence of global positive solution. Then sufficient conditions for extinction, non-persistence in mean, weakly persistence in mean and permanence of the populations are demonstrated. Theoretical results are verified numerically. Finally, ecological interpretations are given in the concluding section.

Predation of Harp Seals, <i>Pagophilus groenlandicus</i>, by Polar Bears, <i>Ursus maritimus</i>, in Svalbard

Harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) that breed in February and March in the White Sea migrate to open water around Svalbard and Franz Josef Land in the Barents Sea, feeding pelagically while following the receding ice edge northward to the edge of the polar pack. Although harp seals are present throughout the area during the summer, they are primarily pelagic and do not appear to be extensively preyed upon by polar bears (Ursus maritimus). However, occasionally, large numbers of harp seals may haul out and rest on the pack ice or feed in the water below the ice and surface to breathe between the floes. When approached by a polar bear while on the ice, harp seals do not exhibit the instant flight response characteristic of the polar bear’s primary prey species, ringed (Pusa hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus). In this situation, polar bears may make multiple kills without either consuming their own prey or scavenging seals killed by other bears. This behavior appears not to frighten other nearby harp seals, whether hauled out on the ice or in the water below the floes. These unusual concentrations of harp seals hauled out on sea ice may be related to the distribution and abundance of fish or other epontic prey. Their lack of an escape response to predators on the surface of the sea ice is probably a result of briefly hauling out in large numbers in spring while whelping on the sea ice in areas where the consequences of potential polar bear predation are insignificant. The rare events of harp seal mortality from bears killing them on the surface of pack ice during the summer do not appear to have a significant impact at the population level of either species.

Influence of environmental parameters on the use and spatiotemporal distribution of the vocalizations of bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen

In this study, we used long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to improve knowledge about the use and spatiotemporal distribution of Erignathus barbatus vocalisations. Two autonomous passive acoustic recorders were deployed between August 2014 and July 2015 in the inner and outer parts of the Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands, Norway) resulting in 1728 h of data recorded and 17,220 vocalisations detected. We investigated the vocalisation occurrence with respect to the presence of ice in the fjord (sea ice and glacier iceberg) and to the light cycle. The vocalisation rate varied significantly daily and monthly, and a correlation to the light and darkness turnover was shown during the period between the end of February and the first part of April. Bearded seal vocalisations, which started on 12 February and ceased on 22 June, intensified with the ice coverage peak but also continued during ice retreat, coinciding with the mating season. Additionally, a spatial displacement was highlighted from the inner to the external part of Kongsfjorden in the second part of May corresponding to the disappearance of sea ice within the fjord. This study highlights the ability of PAM to be a useful tool for both understanding abiotic and biotic processes in the marine environment, and ultimately the potential interactions between them.

Late Pleistocene marine resources from the Bering Glacier Foreland and human coastal migration in the northern Gulf of Alaska region

AbstractRecent research on the Bering Glacier forelands in the northern Gulf of Alaska provides new insights into late Pleistocene/early Holocene shorelines, providing a favorable route for human migration as early as ~16,000 cal yr BP. This route included an irregular coastline with embayments and islands offering protection from the open ocean; edible marine invertebrates dating from 15,000 to 5,500 cal yr BP; and marine vertebrates dating as early as 16,000 cal yr BP. The latter included walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), and ringed seal (Phoca cf. hispida), all associated with pack ice conditions unlike those present today. While this ecosystem could have supported humans migrating along the coastline, and coastal refugia may have existed elsewhere in the region, coastal archaeological sites in the northern Gulf of Alaska and southwest Alaska are no older than ~9,500 cal yr BP. This suggests that the earliest sites have been eroded or destroyed, that the earliest migrants ignored available marine resources, and/or that these migrants did not use a coastal route. In contrast, the earliest archaeological sites in southeast Alaska date to ~12,500 cal yr BP, suggesting migration from interior Alaska to the coast somewhere east of the Copper River delta.

Comparative Health Assessments of Alaskan Ice Seals

Bearded (Erignathus barbatus), ringed (Pusa hispida), spotted (Phoca largha), and ribbon (Histriophoca fasciata) seals rely on seasonal sea-ice in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Many aspects of the biology and physiology of these seals are poorly known, and species-typical health parameters are not available for all species. Such information has proven difficult to obtain due to the challenges of studying Arctic seals in the wild and their minimal historic representation in aquaria. Here, we combine diagnostic information gathered between 2000 and 2017 from free-ranging seals, seals in short-term rehabilitation, and seals living in long-term human care to evaluate and compare key health parameters. For individuals in apparent good health, hematology, and blood chemistry values are reported by the source group for 10 bearded, 13 ringed, 73 spotted, and 81 ribbon seals from Alaskan waters. For a smaller set of individuals handled during veterinary or necropsy procedures, the presence of parasites and pathogens is described, as well as exposure to a variety of infectious diseases known to affect marine mammals and/or humans, with positive titers observed for Brucella, Leptospira, avian influenza, herpesvirus PhHV-1, and morbillivirus. These data provide initial baseline parameters for hematology, serum chemistries, and other species-level indicators of health that can be used to assess the condition of individual seals, inform monitoring and management efforts, and guide directed research efforts for Alaskan populations of ice-associated seals.

Use of a Sendai virus-based vector for effcient transduction of pinniped fbroblasts

Generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells expanded possibilities of pluripotency and early development studies. Generation of order Carnivora iPS cells from dog (Canis lupus familiaris), snow leopard (Panthera uncia), and American mink (Neovison vison) was previously reported. The aim of the current study was to examine conditions of pinniped fbroblast reprogramming. Pinnipeds are representatives of the suborder Caniformia sharing conservative genomes. There are several ways to deliver reprogramming transcription factors: RNA, proteins, plasmids, viral vectors etc. The most effective delivery systems for mouse and human cells are based on viral vectors. We compared a lentiviral vector which integrates into the genome and a Sendai virus­based vector, CytoTune EmGFP Sendai Fluorescence Reporter. The main advantage of Sendai virus­based vectors is that they do not integrate into the genome. We performed delivery of genetic constructions carrying fluorescent proteins to fbroblasts of seven Pinnipeds: northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus), Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), Baikal seal (Pusa sibirica), ringed seal (Phoca hispida), and spotted seal (Phoca largha). We also transduced American mink (N. vison), human (Homo sapiens), and mouse (Mus musculus) fbroblasts as a control. We showed that the Sendai virus­based transduction system provides transgene expression one­two orders of magnitude higher than the lentiviral system at a comparable multiplicity of infection. Also, transgene expression after Sendai virus­based transduction is quite stable and changes only slightly at day four compared to day two. These data allow us to suggest that Sendai virus­based vectors are preferable for generation of Pinniped iPS cells.

Acoustic detections of Arctic marine mammals near Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada

The Arctic marine environment is changing rapidly through a combination of sea ice loss and increased anthropogenic activity. Given these changes can affect marine animals in a variety of ways, understanding the spatial and temporal distributions of Arctic marine animals is imperative. We use passive acoustic monitoring to examine the presence of marine mammals near Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada, from October 2016 to April 2017. We documented bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus Linnaeus, 1758) and beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776)) vocalizations later into the autumn than expected, and we recorded bowhead whales in early April. We recorded ringed seal (Pusa hispida (Schreber, 1775)) vocalizations throughout our deployment, with higher vocal activity than in other studies and with peak vocal activity in January. We recorded bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben, 1777)) throughout the deployment, with peak vocal activity in February. We recorded lower bearded seal vocal activity than other studies, and almost no vocal activity near the beginning of the spring breeding season. Both seal species vocalized more when ice concentration was high. These patterns in vocal activity document the presence of each species at this site over autumn and winter and are a useful comparison for future monitoring.

The Dynamics of the Community of True Seals (Phocidae) in Piltun Bay, Sakhalin Island, During the Ice-Free Seasons of 1999 and 2014–2016

The on-shore haul-out of phocid seals located in the mouth of Piltun Bay (northeastern Sakhalin Island) has been studied and the number of seals on it during the ice-free season was estimated. Currently, it is the largest mixed-species on-shore haul-out on the northeastern Sakhalin coast. In the summer and autumn, three species of ice-bound seals feed in the adjacent waters: the bearded seal, ringed seal, and spotted seal. In 1999 and 2014–2017, the total observation time amounted to 630 days, during which 3361 counts of seals were made. The seasonal dynamics of the number of seals on shore are characterized by three consecutive periods with peak values (June–July, August–September, and October), each coinciding in time with the runs of anadromous fish through the bay mouth. In 1999, the number of seals was statistically significantly different from those recorded in 2014–2017; in 2014, it differed from the value in the season of 2016. In 1999, the median of the total number was significantly lower than in any of the seasons from 2014 to 2017.

Marine mammal visual and acoustic surveys near the Alaskan Colville River Delta

Information about the occurrence of marine mammals near the Colville River Delta (CRD), Beaufort Sea, Alaska is limited for most species expected to occur in this region. As part of marine mammal monitoring and mitigation for a seismic acquisition program August 25–September 30, 2014, we recorded marine mammal occurrence in a ~ 30 km2 survey area between the Spy Islands and Oliktok Point near Simpson Lagoon using a combination of visual and acoustic monitoring methods. Visual effort totaled 632 h, occurring 18–20 h/day during all daylight hours by observers aboard three small survey vessels. In addition, an Inupiat observer and seal hunter from the village of Nuiqsut conducted a small-vessel survey to investigate locations of Phoca largha haul-out sites. A total of 102 individual marine mammals were recorded from five species: P. largha, Pusa hispida, Ursus maritimus, Erignathus barbatus, and Delphinapterus leucas. Over 400 h of acoustic data were recorded using second-generation Ecological Acoustic Recorders deployed on the seafloor at three locations. Calls were identified for D. leucas, Balaena mysticetus, E. barbatus, and P. hispida. Results provide valuable information on marine mammal occurrence for the Beaufort Sea CRD during summer/fall, an area proposed for potential offshore oil and gas development.

Individual variability in diving, movement and activity patterns of adult bearded seals in Svalbard, Norway

Bearded seals are one of the least studied Arctic marine mammals, despite their circumpolar distribution and importance as a resource to Inuit communities. In this study, adult bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) were equipped with GPS-Argos-CTD-SRDLs in Svalbard, Norway (2011–2012, n = 7) to document their diving, activity and movement patterns in a region where their habitat is changing rapidly. Five seals transmitted for > 8 months, sending 21,738 GPS-positions and 17,866 dives between July and April. The seals spent little time hauled out (≤ 5%). Diving, which occupied 74 ± 3% of their time, was generally shallow (24 ± 7 m, max: 391 m) and of short duration (6.6 ± 1.5 min, max: 24 min) with deeper, longer dives in winter/spring compared to summer. All seals occupied shallow, coastal areas and relatively small 50% home ranges (10–32 km2). However, individuals exhibited high degrees of specialization in their habitat use and diving behaviour, differing markedly with respect to proportions of benthic vs pelagic dives (range: 51–95% benthic dives), distance to glacier fronts (range: 3–22 km) and in the time spent at the bottom of dives (range: 43–77%). Having specialized strategies within a generalist population may help bearded seals adapt in a rapidly changing Arctic ecosystem.

From sea ice to seals: a moored marine ecosystem observatory in the Arctic

Abstract. Although Arctic marine ecosystems are changing rapidly, year-round monitoring is currently very limited and presents multiple challenges unique to this region. The Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory (CEO) described here uses new sensor technologies to meet needs for continuous, high-resolution, and year-round observations across all levels of the ecosystem in the biologically productive and seasonally ice-covered Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska. This mooring array records a broad suite of variables that facilitate observations, yielding better understanding of physical, chemical, and biological couplings, phenologies, and the overall state of this Arctic shelf marine ecosystem. While cold temperatures and 8 months of sea ice cover present challenging conditions for the operation of the CEO, this extreme environment also serves as a rigorous test bed for innovative ecosystem monitoring strategies. Here, we present data from the 2015–2016 CEO deployments that provide new perspectives on the seasonal evolution of sea ice, water column structure, and physical properties, annual cycles in nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton blooms, and export, zooplankton abundance and vertical migration, the occurrence of Arctic cod, and vocalizations of marine mammals such as bearded seals. These integrated ecosystem observations are being combined with ship-based observations and modeling to produce a time series that documents biological community responses to changing seasonal sea ice and water temperatures while establishing a scientific basis for ecosystem management.

Underwater Acoustic Signaling of Bearded Seals (Erignatus barbatus) in the White Sea

The bearded seal occurs in virtually all Arctic seas. During the spring (pupping and mating season), this species is characterized by high underwater acoustic activity; studies performed in the foreign countries in the 1960s showed that sexually mature males produced the signals. The present article discusses a comprehensive analysis of bearded seal acoustic signals recorded in 1984–2017 in different parts of the White Sea. The main types of signals were identified, the physical characteristics of the signals were described, and territorial and temporal variability of the signals was assessed. High overall stability was demonstrated for bearded seals’ underwater acoustic signaling system. Acoustic census methods to account for individuals present in the studied water area have been proposed based on the results.

Seal Occurrence and Habitat Use during Summer in Petermann Fjord, Northwestern Greenland

Ice-associated seals are considered especially susceptible and are potentially the first to modify distribution and habitat use in response to physical changes associated with the changing climate. Petermann Glacier, part of a unique ice-tongue fjord environment in a rarely studied region of northwestern Greenland, lost substantial sections of its ice tongue during major 2010 and 2012 calving events. As a result, changes in seal habitat may have occurred. Seal occurrence and distribution data were collected in Petermann Fjord and adjacent Nares Strait region over 27 days (2 to 28 August) during the multidisciplinary scientific Petermann 2015 Expedition on the icebreaker Oden. During 239.4 hours of dedicated observation effort, a total of 312 individuals were recorded, representing four species: bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), hooded seal (Crystophora cristata), harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), and ringed seal (Pusa hispida). Ringed seals were recorded significantly more than the other species (χ2 = 347.4, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). We found significant differences between species in haul-out (resting on ice) behavior (χ2 = 133.1, df = 3, p < 0.001, n = 307). Bearded seals were more frequently hauled out (73.1% n = 49), whereas ringed seals were almost exclusively in water (93.9%, n = 200). Differences in average depth and ice coverage where species occurred were also significant: harp seals and bearded seals were found in deeper water and areas of greater ice coverage (harp seals: 663 ± 366 m and 65 ± 14% ice cover; bearded seals: 598 ± 259 m and 50 ± 21% ice cover), while hooded seals and ringed seals were found in shallower water with lower ice coverage (hooded seals: 490 ± 163 m and 38 ± 19% ice cover; ringed seals: 496 ± 235 m, and 21 ± 20% ice cover). Our study provides an initial look at how High Arctic seals use the rapidly changing Petermann Fjord and how physical variables influence their distribution in one of the few remaining ice-tongue fjord environments.

Survey of vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in traditional native Alaskan meats, fish, and oils

Greater consumption of traditional foods has been associated with improved vitamin D status in Arctic and sub-Arctic populations, including Alaskan Native Americans. However, lack of vitamin D food composition data impairs epidemiological studies on health outcomes, and development of specific dietary recommendations. Vitamin D, including 25(OH)D3 was quantified in samples of native fish, fish eggs, meats (caribou, goose, whale, seal) and traditionally prepared whale and seal oil collected from Alaskan tribes. Vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3, and vitamin D2 were assayed in alkaline-saponified samples by UPLC-MS, after derivatization with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione, with in-house control materials and/or NIST SRM® 1546a Meat Homogenate included in each analytical batch. All but the land animals and bearded seal meat contained ≥2 μg vitamin D3/100 g, with >10 μg/100 g in steelhead trout; dried sheefish, whitefish, smelt; smoked/dried salmon; fermented sheefish eggs; whale and seal oils. Large between-sample differences in bearded seal oil suggested possible effects of season and/or maturity on vitamin D content. 25(OH)D3 was >0.3 μg/100 g in many foods, notably smoked salmon, beluga whale skin/fat and oil and spotted seal (but not other seal) oil, with the highest levels in dried beluga whale meat, skin/fat, and oil (up to 1.2). Vitamin D2 was <0.2 μg/100 g in all foods.

Seasonal sea ice dynamics drive movement and migration of juvenile bearded seals Erignathus barbatus

Seasonal sea ice dynamics drive movement and migration of juvenile bearded seals Erignathus barbatus

My Wounded Island by J. Pasquet and M. Arbona

Pasquet, Jacques and Marion Arbona. My Wounded Island. Translated by Sophie B. Watson. Orca Books, 2017.Imarvaluk lives on a small island called Sarichef on the Chukchi Sea coast of Alaska. Imarvaluk tells the story of how her people live on their island, in their town of Shishmaref. She explains how they used to live in igloos but now live in small wooden homes. The men in her family still hunt bearded seal, walrus, elk, and caribou as their ancestors did. In the summers the family moves to a camp on the mainland by the Serpentine River where they hunt caribou, catch fish, and pick berries.Imarvaluk also tells of how their lives are changing because of the sea, and the monster within it. During winters long ago, the sea would freeze and protect the island from the waves. The ice would also enable her family to hunt. The creature in the sea has caused winter to retreat earlier and earlier, making the pack ice unstable to hunt on, and it slowly swallows the island into the sea. Imarvaluk describes how the home of her people will eventually disappear and how they may have to relocate to Nome, when her island becomes uninhabitable. Through her relationship with her grandfather, Imarvaluk explains how the culture of her people is very much at risk as they face the end of their island.This beautiful and emotionally packed story is remarkable in its ability to convey how environmental impacts are being felt by this Inupiat community. Illustrations by Marion Arbona use paint and texture to convey impactful images of life on Shishmaref, weaving the monster of the changing environment together with Inupiat mythology. It was refreshing to read a children’s book that takes up the very real changes caused by climate change, and in so doing, does not hesitate to leave the ending unresolved. This being said, My Wounded Island could evoke strong emotions and may be better read with an adult, so that there can be discussion about the issues it presents. This doesn’t mean parents should shy away from this book as it is truly a beautiful and impactful read for both young and old.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Hanne PearceHanne Pearce has worked at the University of Alberta Libraries since 2004. She holds a BA and MLIS and is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Communications and Technology. Her research interests include: visual communication, digital literacy, information literacy and the intersections between communication work and information work. She is also a freelance photographer and graphic designer.