Researchers want to know how more marine shipping in Nunavut could affect walruses

Researchers are hoping to understand how walruses in the central Canadian Arctic react to shipping noise in the waters around them. 

That work is led by a master's student at the University of Manitoba, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It's taking place in Foxe Basin, home to one of Canada's largest walrus populations.

"They're really sensitive to any underwater noise and it might affect their behaviour," said Marine Cailleau, a marine biology master's student at the University of Manitoba who's leading the research. 

"So foraging, breeding, everything like that, and we want to know how it's going to affect them."

Foxe Basin is also where mining company Baffinland Iron Mines could start shipping year-round through a port at Steensby Inlet. 

The Steensby port was part of Baffinland's original proposal for its Mary River iron ore mine near Pond Inlet, and it was approved by the federal government in 2012. 

Although the project was previously approved, the mining company said it is consulting with Inuit communities prior to its construction. It also needs permitting and financing to move forward. 

Potential shipping route through breeding grounds 

Several Nunavut communities hunt walrus, and other marine mammals, in Foxe Basin. 

Todd-King Ammaaq lives in Sanirajak and hunts in the area. Ammaaq is also part of the research team and helped install hydrophones, which measure underwater noise, in the area. 

"I really, really wanted to get the work done and have some data," he said. 

"Right where the shipping route will be is like the birthing area for walrus. And what if the shipping route changes the area and walruses no longer give birth there?"  

Ammaaq said he also worries about the impact year-round shipping could have on hunting. 

"To be a hunter up here is like, really difficult," he said.

Ammaaq also noted that Baffinland is one of the main employers for people in his community. 

"It's mainly the good-paying job available," he said. 

Mitigation and consultation happening, company says 

In an email, Baffinland spokesperson Peter Akman said the company proposed "several mitigation measures" in its initial assessment of Steensby. 

"These include maintaining a steady speed and course whenever possible, reducing idling, and incorporating noise-reduction technologies into vessel designs to minimize environmental impact," Akman wrote. 

Akman said the company is "confident" the potential effects on walrus and other marine mammals will be managed through marine mitigation and monitoring programs. 

Cailleau said not much data exists on walruses underwater in the central Arctic. Most of the work has been done on terrestrial haulout sites, rather than in the water. 

"It's a bit abstract for the moment because there is not a lot of research on it. So we're trying to really get into it and collect the most information that we can have," she said.

Cory Matthews, a Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) research scientist working on the project, said during the day, walruses are out foraging and can be up to 40 kilometres away from their haulout site. 

DFO is also putting satellite telemetry tags on some walruses in the area to track location data. 

"So he's getting like a small picture of like, you know, in the day or the week of a walrus," Matthews said. 

Walruses 'very, very vocal'

DFO is also working with hunters to collect walrus skin and blubber samples. 

"We use those to look at stress hormone levels. So we're able to get a really good snapshot of what it looks like now, and let's say the shipping occurs, it's another opportunity to look at what changes in physiology we see, so not just behaviour after the fact." 

Cailleau said walruses are "very, very vocal," communicating underwater through "knocking" sounds, often for hours at a time. 

"Breeding season is a very, very important season because I think the more vocal you are going to be, the more chance you have to reproduce," she said. 

Cailleau said the research could also contribute to conservation efforts by understanding how walruses behave, and as shipping routes are discussed. 

The team will start analyzing the hydrophone data this summer.