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dc.contributor.authorPedro, Sara
dc.contributor.authorLemire, Mélanie
dc.contributor.authorHoover, Carie
dc.contributor.authorSaint-Béat, Blanche
dc.contributor.authorJanjua, Muhammad Y.
dc.contributor.authorHerbig, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorGeoffroy, Maxime
dc.contributor.authorYunda-Guarin, Gustavo
dc.contributor.authorMoisan, Marie-Ange
dc.contributor.authorBoissinot, Justin
dc.contributor.authorTremblay, Jean-Éric
dc.contributor.authorLittle, Matthew
dc.contributor.authorChan, Laurie
dc.contributor.authorBabin, Marcel
dc.contributor.authorKenny, Tiff-Annie
dc.contributor.authorMaps, Frédéric
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-17T09:01:23Z
dc.date.available2023-08-17T09:01:23Z
dc.date.issued2023-02-16
dc.description.abstractArctic marine species, from benthos to fish and mammals, are essential for food security and sovereignty of Inuit people. Inuit food security is dependent on the availability, accessibility, quality, and sustainability of country food resources. However, climate change effects are threatening Inuit food systems through changes in abundance and nutritional quality of locally harvested species, while foundational knowledge of Arctic food webs remains elusive. Here, we summarized scientific knowledge available for the western Baffin Bay coastal and shelf ecosystem by building a food web model using the Ecopath with Ecosim modeling framework. Based on this model, we calculated ecological network analysis indices to describe structure and function of the system. We used Linear Inverse Modeling and Monte Carlo analysis to assess parameter uncertainty, generating plausible parameterizations of this ecosystem from which a probability density distribution for each index was generated. Our findings suggest that the system is controlled by intermediate trophic levels, highlighting the key role of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) as prey fish, as well as the importance of other less studied groups like cephalopods in controlling energy flows. Most of the ecosystem biomass is retained in the system, with very little lost to subsistence harvest and commercial fisheries, indicating that these activities were within a sustainable range during the modeling period. Our model also highlights the scientific knowledge gaps that still exist (e.g., species abundances), including valued harvest species like Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), and seals, and importantly our poor understanding of the system in winter. Moving forward, we will collaborate with Inuit partners in Qikiqtarjuaq, NU, Canada, to improve this modeling tool by including Inuit knowledge. This tool thus serves as a starting point for collaborative discussions with Inuit partners and how its use can better inform local and regional decision-making regarding food security.en_US
dc.identifier.citationPedro, Lemire, Hoover, Saint-Béat, Janjua, Herbig, Geoffroy, Yunda-Guarin, Moisan, Boissinot, Tremblay, Little, Chan, Babin, Kenny, Maps. Structure and function of the western Baffin Bay coastal and shelf ecosystem. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. 2023;11(1)en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 2154427
dc.identifier.doi10.1525/elementa.2022.00015
dc.identifier.issn2325-1026
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/30030
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of California Pressen_US
dc.relation.journalElementa: Science of the Anthropocene
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2023 The Author(s)en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_US
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)en_US
dc.titleStructure and function of the western Baffin Bay coastal and shelf ecosystemen_US
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)