Foxe Basin Kivalliq North Sapujiyiit/Guardians of the Sea Society

Published purpose

This project will develop novel sensor technologies to collect real-time knowledge of water quality and both contaminant levels and nutritional quality of fish harvested for consumption. We will expand an existing monitoring platform developed by NRC collaborators to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit into its deployment across a marine-to-freshwater gradient in three Nunavut communities. The affordable and easy-to-use monitoring platform will employ open-source principles and be integrated within a highly popular Inuit mobile app to promote wider uptake across Canada's Arctic and Northern region. Community members will steer the design, testing, and monitoring aspects of this project to ensure the project design meets their requests. The outcomes of the project will benefit Arctic and Northern people through improved environmental and community monitoring of potential contaminants, and the community-based platform will foster self-determination and resilience in the face of climate change. The project will also deliver hands-on skills for Indigenous biomonitoring staff and students, and support Youth internships in science and research.