Arctic atlas, free to download, highlights effects of changing environment

Three Canadian conservation organizations have come together to release a new, free, downloadable Arctic atlas.

Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas is published by World Wildlife Fund Canada, Oceans North and Ducks Unlimited Canada.

In a joint news release on Monday, the organizations said their 122-page atlas “relies on the latest data to describe an extraordinary ecosystem undergoing dramatic shifts due to climate change.”

The atlas is available in English, French, or Inuktitut. Its contents include sections on land claims, place names, sea ice, the food web, fish, birdlife, and mammals.

Downloadable as a PDF or available to view online, the atlas includes 67 images, 77 maps, and 33 scientific illustrations.

Download: Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas

“Arctic ecosystems are experiencing increasing pressure from both the effects of climate change and development,” said Leslie Bogdan, Ducks Unlimited’s director of regional operations, in Monday’s news release.

“Scientific research and knowledge transfer are critical to ensuring that careful planning and conservation measures can be implemented by Indigenous communities, governments and industry.”

“The Arctic is undergoing rapid change, attracting attention from nations and corporations eyeing its business potential,” said Paul Crowley, WWF Canada’s head of Arctic conservation.

“We have an opportunity here to get it right, and that starts with understanding the marine environment through the eyes of the people who rely on it and the wildlife that make it home.”

The atlas provides six pages of citations for the information it contains, claiming the contents are derived from a range of government reports, academic journals, and online databases. Ten individuals and two agencies listed as experts are credited with reviewing each chapter’s contents for accuracy.