BearWatch: Monitoring Impacts of Arctic Climate Change using Polar Bears, Genomics and Traditional Ecological Knowledge

A Genome Canada-supported project

 

 

BearWatch seeks to create an alternate way to monitor polar bears across the Canadian Arctic using non-invasive genomics tools and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. BearWatch is a partnership among northern communities in Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, HTAs in Gjoa Haven and Coral Harbor, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the governments of Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon, the Canadian Rangers, and researchers and students at Queen’s University, University of Toronto, University of Calgary, Trent University, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, and the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique.

 

Published or In Press Papers, Reports and Other Outputs

  • Iyare, P.U. H. Vanderlip, M. Dias, J. Provencher, S. Zhou, S.C. Lougheed, P. V. C. de Groot, G. Whitelaw, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, and D.M. Orihel. An assessment of microplastics in fecal samples from polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Canada’s North. Accepted in Arctic Science.

  • Jensen, E.L., C. Tschritter, P.V.C. de Groot, K.M. Hayward*, M. Branigan, M. Dyck and S.C. Lougheed. 2020. Canadian polar bear population structure using genome-wide markers. Ecology and Evolution. Mar 24;10(8):3706-3714. Link to article

  • Wu, Y., D.R. Lougheed, S.C. Lougheed, K. Moniz, V.K. Walker & R.I. Colautti. 2020. baRcodeR with PyTrackDat: Open-source labelling and tracking of biological samples for repeatable science. 2020. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 11(8): 980-985. Link to article

  • Hayward, H. M.P. Harwood, S.C. Lougheed, Z. Sun, P.V.C. de Groot, and E.L. Jensen. 2020. A qPCR assay to quantify the amount of polar bear DNA in fecal samples. PeerJ. 8:e8884 Link to article

  • Hayward, K., R. Clemente-Carvalho, E. Jensen, P.V.C. de Groot, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, C. Tschritter, Z. Sun, S.C. Lougheed. 2022. Genotyping-in-thousands by sequencing (GT-seq) of non-invasive fecal and degraded samples: a new panel to enable ongoing monitoring of Canadian polar bear populations. Molecular Ecology Resources. 22(5): 1906-1918. Link to article

  • Saskia de Wildt (2022). Exploring Polar Bear Research as Ethical Space, Practice and Process of Engagement (between science and Inuit Knowledge). Podcast. UNESCO RILA UoG Link to podcast

  • Boutet, V., M. Dominique, K.M. Eccles, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, P van Coeverden de Groot, S.C.. Lougheed, A, Rutter, and V.S. Langlois. 2023. An exploratory spatial contaminant assessment for polar bear (Ursus maritimus) liver, fat, and muscle from northern Canada. Environmental Pollution. 316(Part 2):120663. Link to article

  • Tschritter, C., P. can Coeverden de Groot, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, Z. Sun, and S.C. Lougheed 2023. A new multiplexed magnetic-capture - droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) tool for monitoring wildlife population health and pathogen surveillance. Ecology and Evolution. Ecology and Evolution. 13: e10655. Link to article

  • James Qitsualik, William Aglukkaq, Danny Aaluk, Saskia de Wildt (2023). Voices of Thunder. Animated Graphic Documentary. 15 min.

  • Featured at the Yukon Light Film Festival. Link to festival web page

 

Papers Submitted or In Progress

  • Eccles, K.M., V. Boutet. M. Branigan, M. Dyck, P. van Coeverden de Groot, S.C. Lougheed, A. Rutter, and V.S. Langlois. 2024, Non-invasive biomonitoring of polar bear feces can be used to estimate concentrations of metals of concern in traditional food. Environmental Health Perspectives. In review.

  • Vanderluit, S.N., M-J. Fortin, P Van Coeverden de Groot, R.B.G. Clemente-Carvalho,, E.L. Jensen, Z. Sun, M. Dyck, M Branigan, and Stephen C. Lougheed. Changes in landscape and sea ice impact genetic population structure of polar bears over just two decades. In preparation.

  • Landon, E., O. Tournayre, P Van Coeverden de Groot, Z. Sun, M. Dyck, M Branigan, and S.C. Lougheed. Blocking primers to inhibit the PCR amplification of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) DNA for DNA diet metabarcoding. In preparation.

  • Landon, E., O. Tournayre, P Van Coeverden de Groot, Z. Sun, M. Dyck, M Branigan, and S.C. Lougheed. Variation in polar bear (Ursus maritimus) diet across the Canadian Arctic using fecal DNA metabarcoding. In preparation.

 

Community bulletins - in English and Inuktitut

  • Thank you for participation and overview of toolkit in English and Inuktitut Link to PDF document

  • Bulletin on new assay for surveying pathogens in polar bears in English Link to bulletin

  • Bulletin on new assay for surveying pathogens in polar bears in Inuktitut Link to bulletin

 

  • Announcement from 2015 LSARP competition. Genome Canada. 2016. Link to article

  • News Release - Queen’s University researchers receive Genome Canada funding for project track impact of climate change on polar bears. Thursday, December 8, 2016. Link to article

  • Bearing the brunt of change. Queen’s Gazette Article. Chris Moffatt Armes. December 8, 2016. Link to Gazette article

  • Study of Southampton Island polar bear dens to start this spring. Nunatsiaq News. February 17, 2020. By Elaine Anselmi. Link to Nunatsiaq News article

  • Polar bears: A sentinel of Arctic environmental change. Queen’s Gazette Article. Wednesday March 10, 2021. By Ishita Aggarwal. Link to Gazette article

  • Poop and prints could offer fresh insights on polar bear health. Cabin Radio. January 5, 2023. Chloe Williams Link to Cabin Radio article

  • Genomics as reconciliation. Genome Canada news piece on the TRC call to action. August 14 2023. Link to article

 

Presentations to Northern Partners

  • Lougheed, S.C. BearWatch: Monitoring Impacts of Arctic Climate Change using Polar Bears, Genomics and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Presentation to the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT). Sept. 17, 2020.

  • Lougheed, S.C. Using genetics tools to study wildlife populations. Hunters and Trappers Association of Gjoa Haven. Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Canada, August, 2021.

  • Lougheed, S.C. Using genetics tools to study wildlife populations. Hunters and Trappers Association of Coral Harbour. Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada, August, 2021.

  • Lougheed, S.C. Review of BearWatch findings for non-invasive monitoring. Coral Harbour, Nunavut, Canada, August, 2021.

  • Lougheed, S.C. BearWatch: Monitoring Impacts of Arctic Climate Change using Polar Bears, Genomics and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Progress report for the Inuvialuit Game Council. June 15, 2021

 

Conference Presentations

  • Jensen, E., P. VC de Groot, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, L. Waits and S. C. Lougheed. Genomic tools to enable non-invasive monitoring of polar bears. Talk at ArcticNet 2018. Ottawa, ON.

  • Jensen, E. et al. Genomic approaches for non-invasive scat-based monitoring of polar bears. Talk at ArcticNet 2019. Halifax, NS.

  • Jensen, E. et al. Genomic approaches for non-invasive, scat-based monitoring of polar bears across the Canadian Arctic. Joint Meeting Acadian Entomological Society, Entomological Society of Canada, Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution. Fredericton, NB, Canada. Aug 18-21, 2019. Talk.

  • Fawcett, D. et al. BearWatch: Monitoring climate change impacts on polar bears using genomics and Inuit knowledge. Poster at ArcticNet 2019. Halifax, NS.

  • Mapping research on Inuit Traditional Ecological Knowledge of polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in the Canadian Arctic. Sarah Flisikowski, Tristan Pearce, Graham Whitelaw, Douglas Clark, James Ford and Kimberly Ovitz. Virtual talk at ArcticNet 2020.

  • De Wildt, S., et al. Voices of Thunder: Testimonial echoes of polar bear quota regulation impacts in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut. Queen’s Northern Research Symposium, Kingston, Canada, April 13, 2021.

  • Hayward, K., et al. New ways of non-invasively monitoring Canada’s polar bear populations. Queen’s Northern Research Symposium, Kingston, Canada, April 13, 2021.

  • Vanderluit, S., et al. Landscape genetics of sea ice-dwelling polar bears in the Canadian Arctic. Queen’s Northern Research Symposium, Kingston, Canada, April 13, 2021.

  • Wainwright, H., et al. Monitoring Canada’s polar bear populations using genetic mark and recapture methods. Queen’s Northern Research Symposium. April 13, 2021

  • de Wildt, Saskia. 2022. Science at ArcticNet 2022. Situated performance(s). Studio Gingertheworld. Link to image at ArcticNet Link to zine image

  • Tschritter, C., P. van Coeverden de Groot, M. Branigan, M. Dyck, and S.C. Lougheed. A multiplexed magnetic-capture tool for monitoring polar bear (Ursus maritimus) health and wildlife disease surveillance. Talk. 70th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA). Madison Wisconsin. July 2022.

 

Collaborators and Partners

     

 

   

 

         

 

     

 

       

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

If you have questions please contact: Peter VC de Groot - degrootp@queensu.ca, Graham Whitelaw - whitelaw@queensu.ca or Stephen Lougheed steve.lougheed@queensu.ca

 

Last updated 8 November 2023