Competition between belugas and Greenland halibut in Cumberland Sound in the Arctic has changed with the climate. Belugas and halibut are considered intraguild predators, i.e. predators that feed on one another to reduce competition for resources. Researchers have tracked predation between the two species over a 30-year period. Their findings show that the belugas consume […]
Tag: arctic
Biodiversity in shallow Arctic lakes 
Shallow Arctic lakes that remain unfrozen throughout the year contain more diverse biofilms than lakes that freeze up for a period of time, a new study has found. Researchers analyzed the genetic material of biofilm—which is a group of microorganisms that stick to one another, forming a so-called “microbial mat” on the surface of a lake—in […]
The cycle of mercury pollution in the Arctic tundra
Human activity has been a major source of mercury pollution in the Arctic, and a new study has identified the form most often taken by the pollutant: gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). The News & Views article discusses how the Arctic tundra acts as a major sink for mercury, as the local plants uptake GEM from the […]
As levels of sea-ice decline, so do polar bear populations
The Arctic sea-ice is vital to polar bears’ hunting and breeding habits. So it comes as no surprise that the decline in sea-ice as a result of anthropogenic climate change has a great effect on the polar bear populations. An international team of researchers further demonstrated this vital relationship by calculating probability in population decrease […]
Bird droppings responsible for a small but much-needed dip in Arctic temperature
Droppings from migratory seabirds are linked to cloud formation in the Arctic, offering a small cooling effect in the region. Clouds have offered a respite from rapid rise in Arctic temperatures, but previously there wasn’t much information available about the source of cloud growth. Using a combination of observations and computer modelling, a team of […]
How much fossil fuel can we exploit?
Canada would need to leave 75 per cent of its oil in the ground as part of a global effort to cap global warming at two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a new study shows. The authors also conclude that the exploitation of resources in the Arctic should be ruled out. Using computer models, the authors found that […]
Arctic sea-ice decline has made severe Eurasian winters twice as likely
The decline in Arctic sea ice over the past few decades has doubled the chance of severe winters in Europe and Asia, a new study shows. Researchers performed computer simulations to show that sea-ice decline in the Arctic Barents and Kara seas since 2004 is linked to blocking situations of the jetstream which in turn […]
Climate change: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
At 8 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, March 30, 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II released its Summary for Policymakers at the end of a week-long meeting in Yokohama, Japan. This is the second of the three working groups that together produced the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). For more […]
Predators are the main drivers of the Arctic tundra food chain
A new study shows that predators (Arctic fox, wolves, stoat, snowy owls) are the main drivers of the Arctic tundra food chain. Usually, predators regulate the food chain in a given ecosystem, but researchers previously thought that this view did not apply to the Arctic tundra as there are too few herbivores such as caribou, […]
Shrubs duke it out in a warming Arctic
As the Arctic tundra warms, will fast-growing leafy plants come to dominate the landscape, or will they lose out to the slow-but-steady evergreens? The results of a 8-year experiment using plastic greenhouses to simulate warmer temperatures seem to indicate the latter. Even though deciduous trees are better at exploiting fertile environments, the tougher evergreens grew […]
Chlorine gas in the Arctic
Scientists measuring atmospheric gases in Alaska have detected surprisingly high levels of chlorine gas (Cl2) – up to 400 parts per trillion. The gas likely results from a light-driven chemical reaction between ground-level ozone and chloride salts in snow and ice. The resulting gas and its breakdown products can have a profound effect on the […]
SMCC Holiday Closure & Top Five of 2013 | News tip
SMCC Holiday Closure and Top Five Science Stories of 2013 | December 20, 2013 The Science Media Centre of Canada will be closed for the holidays from Monday, December 23, 2013 until Friday, January 3, 2014 inclusive. If there is a major breaking news story during these two weeks, we will send out news alerts […]
Ocean Sciences in Canada | Webinar recording
Ocean Sciences in Canada – November 6, 2013 Canada is bordered by three oceans and boasts more coastline than any other country. Oceans have shaped our history and our economy, but do we have the tools we need to address current and future issues in ocean science research in an era of unprecedented change? Can […]
Shrinking Arctic sea ice | Webinar recording
Shrinking Arctic sea ice – September 12, 2012 Arctic sea ice is melting faster and more extensively than ever recorded in three decades of satellite measurement – and it’s not done yet. Data released from the National Snow and Ice Data Center says that sea ice area is now less than four million square kilometres – about […]
Catlin Arctic Survey | Webinar recording
Catlin Arctic Survey – February 27, 2011 The SMCC held an online news briefing for the Canadian launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey. This year, survey scientists – including Canadian Kristina Brown – studied how melting Arctic ice causes surface water to ‘freshen’, and what that means for ocean currents.
Catlin Arctic Survey | Webinar announcement
Catlin Arctic Survey – Webinar Announcement Meet the team of scientists heading up to the Canadian Arctic to help unravel the mystery of how Arctic Ocean currents help drive weather, wind and precipitation in the North Atlantic. The SMCC held an online news briefing for the Canadian launch of the 2011 Catlin Arctic Survey. This […]
