To read the entire article, please visit New York Times.

To read the full interview, please visit Toronto Star.

The town of Churchill is home to North America’s principal seaport in the Arctic, which is also the only one connected to the southern railway grid. The CMO is a unique facility for both its location as well as its infrastructure, including built-in laboratories and the Ocean-Sea Ice Mesocosm (OSIM), which incorporates outdoor pools that allow for experiments using water drawn directly from Hudson Bay.

The first international researchers to work at the CMO were a team from the Arctic Research Centre at Denmark’s Aarhus University, who visited last November. In collaboration with Dr. Wang, their work focused on monitoring and studying the initial stages of thin ice formation to investigate how algae and microorganisms concentrate, and how they may influence cloud formation and the Earth’s radiation balance.

Shortly afterwards, a team of researchers from the GENICE II project led by Dr. Eric Collins with Dr. Dustin Isleifson, Dr. Gary Stern, and Dr. Nagissa Mahmoudi put the OSIM facility to the test by conducting its first-ever controlled oil spill experiment. Their use of OSIM allowed them to inject marine diesel beneath a layer of ice in the experimental pool and monitor changes while comparing it to the adjacent pristine control pool.

The GENICE II project’s multidisciplinary approach involves microbiology, remote sensing, and chemistry, and allows researchers to investigate how oil would behave and degrade in a natural Arctic environment. The project is funded by Genome Canada and Genome Prairie, with support from the University of Manitoba and McGill University.

In February, a research team led by Dr. Julienne Stroeve and Dr. John Yackel, with collaborations from Dr. Dustin Isleifson, conducted an experiment studying how salinity changes the properties of snow and radar scattering when thin layers of sea ice are weighed down by large amounts of snow precipitation and subsequently flooded from underneath – a phenomenon that could occur more regularly in the Arctic as the sea ice thins under a warming climate.

The CMO has also supported the thesis research of Maeva Gremaud, a visiting graduate student from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Gremaud studied the distribution of mercury, a major contaminant of concern in the Arctic, by comparing sea ice cores taken from OSIM with natural cores retrieved nearby from Hudson Bay.

In July, the CMO’s on-site water treatment system successfully cleaned the OSIM pool water from the first-year experiments, meaning it can be released back into Hudson Bay.

Another core element of the CMO is its Environmental Observing (EO) System, which monitors biogeochemical data from the Churchill River estuary and out along the main shipping lane in Hudson Bay. As part of the EO System and in collaboration with the Port of Churchill, a cabled observatory was deployed off the wharf in the estuary this year in a testing phase, with plans to retrieve it in the fall and redeploy it next spring.

A community-based monitoring program hiring local community members in Churchill to examine drivers of production in the estuary has also been launched through a collaboration between the CMO and Oceans North.

Finally, the CMO is also equipped with an on-site atmospheric monitoring station collecting real-time meteorological and air quality data, supporting research on the atmospheric chemistry and physics of the rapidly changing sub-Arctic region.

Looking forward, the CMO is prepared to host more researchers from different disciplines and sectors, including local and Indigenous researchers, to conduct specialized experiments and to co-develop knowledge and technologies with the town of Churchill, as well as other communities in the region. For example, the GENICE II team will return to the CMO to expand on their study this winter.

Map of the Hudson Bay showing the Manitoba coast taken from Coppolaro et al. (2025).

The bowhead whale is the only baleen whale that lives year-round in the Arctic. Two populations are found in Canadian waters: The East Canada-Western Greenland (EC-WG) population, found in northern Hudson Bay to Greenland, and the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort population, found in waters from northwestern Canada to Russia.

Commercial whaling from the 15th to the 19th century severely depleted the EC-WG population. While the population began to recover after commercial whaling ended in 1915, numbers recently seem to have plateaued.

A recently published paper by Coppolaro et al. highlights the first recorded sighting of a group of bowhead whales in the Churchill River Estuary and emphasizes the rarity of the occurrence based on historical data.

Veronica L.M. Coppolaro, Ph. D. candidate, and Emma Ausen, M.Sc., from the University of Manitoba, were conducting a beluga whale monitoring study when the sighting occurred. While reviewing time-lapse photos, Ausen noticed two dark figures in one of the images. Coppolaro recalls Ausen saying, “There’s a huge branch, like a log, in the water!”

Later, they heard reports from local tour guides of a bowhead whale in the estuary. “If the dates of the reports match the photos, we may have captured bowhead whales,” Ausen remarked. The pair then carefully identified the species in the images and worked to contextualize the observation. The goal of their paper was to determine how common such a sighting has been in the past and investigate why bowhead whales might be in the area.

Veronica Coppolaro, UM researcher, conducting a beluga whale monitoring study. Photo supplied by Veronica Coppolaro.

Apart from the summer migration of Western Hudson Bay belugas, no other whale species is known to frequent the Churchill River Estuary.

“The estuary is shallow, less than three meters in most parts of it,” Coppolaro explains. “And bowhead whales are big—up to 18 meters long!” Moreover, bowhead whales are typically observed alone when found outside their usual range. “They generally do not travel in groups,” Coppolaro emphasizes.

Given the rarity of this sighting, Coppolaro et al. conducted a review of bowhead whale sightings along the coast of Manitoba, compiling literature, anecdotal accounts, and observations from locals and researchers. They found only ten documented sightings of bowhead whales in the area since 1900, all of them involving single whales.

Time lapse camera set-up overlooking the Churchill River Estuary. Photo supplied by Emma Ausen and Veronica Coppolaro.

Why were the whales this far south?

One hypothesis is that the bowheads have moved south due to shifting habitats caused by climate change.

Another possibility is that the EC-WG population is increasing, leading to a gradual expansion of their range due to both climate change and population recovery.

Additionally, the decline in sea ice has led to more orca sightings in Hudson Bay. As a result, bowhead whales could be using the estuary as a refuge to escape predation.

“They could have also been scouting for food,” Coppolaro explains. Due to tidal changes, the estuary provides an abundance of food for both baleen and toothed whales.  

Emma Ausen, UM Researcher, overlooking the estuary. Photo supplied by Emma Ausen and Veronica Coppolaro.

The whales could be using the warmer and shallower waters of the bay to molt and shed their skin, just like belugas do.

While there are many possible reasons for the bowheads’ presence in the estuary, one hypothesis is that the pair spotted in 2020 was a calf and a cow.

What does the future hold?

“Since 2000, there has been an increase in bowhead whale sightings in the estuary” Coppolaro explains. However, increased vessel traffic could impact the whales’ presence in the future.

The EC-WG population is designated as “Special Concern” by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). If the estuary becomes a hotspot for these whales, it may require additional management strategies. This could involve establishing limits on vessel size and speed in the estuary.

UM Researchers conducting fieldwork by boat in the Churchill River Estuary. Photo supplied by Emma Ausen and Veronica Coppolaro.

Coppolaro hopes that the findings of their paper will help raise awareness about shifting habitats and changes in marine ecosystems.

“There’s something special about when these animals come through—it’s big news in town, shared with everyone. It’s part of the wonder of Churchill and the adventure,” Ausen shares “Sometimes, science is simply about discovering more about the world we live in”.

You can read the full paper in Polar Biology by clicking the following link:  First documented sighting of a group of bowhead whales outside their typical range in Hudson Bay | Polar Biology

Veronica Coppolaro (left) and Emma Ausen (right) in the field. Photo supplied by Emma Ausen and Veronica Coppolaro.

Beluga whales hanging around UM researchers’ boat. Photo supplied by Emma Ausen.

As sea ice formation continues to vary, the bears could experience “dramatic impacts,” he said.

Read here

UM Knowledge Exchange is a continuation of the former UM Café Scientifique program and is an important opportunity for UM researchers to share emerging knowledge with members of the public and the wider UM community. UM Knowledge Exchange is hosted by the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International), with support from the UM Learning for Life Network.

Now You Sea Ice..

November 22, 7pm-8:30pm (CDT) at Degrees Diner. UM Knowledge Exchange is a hybrid event with in-person and online options to attend.

Please register by November 17^th to join the discussion.

With global temperatures on the rise polar sea ice is disappearing, having a profound effect on ecosystems and ways of life in the Canadian North. What can the decline in sea ice tell us about the future of climate change, and what will it mean to live in our warmer world?

Global experts and researchers at UM are working together with Northern communities to understand and prepare for the impacts of climate change, because a Manitoba without sea ice is closer than we think.

Moderator

• Dr. Feiyue Wang, Associate Dean (Research and Innovation), Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Panelists

• Dr. Julienne Stroeve, Professor and Canada 150 Research Chair, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources
• Mike Spence, Mayor of Churchill Manitoba
• Dr. Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Canada Excellence Research Chair, Center for Earth Observation Science, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources

Add Now You Sea Ice.. to your calendar. Coffee and other refreshments will be provided, and the kitchen at Degrees Diner will be open for specialty coffee and full food service. Parking available is available with registration.

Or join us for online viewing 7 pm CST to watch the live stream. Participate during the live session by asking your questions via email to: Research [dot] Communications [at] UManitoba [dot] ca

The seven-part UM Knowledge Exchange panel-discussion series will take place between November 2023 and May 2024. More details to come soon on the UM Knowledge Exchange webpage.

A closer look at this ecosystem can provide valuable answers, not only for designing local interventions but also for understanding what a warming climate might mean for the planet, suggests David Barber, professor and Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Arctic-System Science at the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) at the University of Manitoba (UM).

Studying “the changing sea ice environment requires new and innovative facilities, techniques and approaches,” says Dr. Barber, who leads a new facility, the Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO). “It’s located adjacent to Canada’s only Arctic deep-water port, which will allow researchers access to marine and Arctic life like never before. Our group is working to understand Canada’s often overlooked third ocean. How do we manage it? How do we prepare for the changes happening there? How do we get our policies and procedures in place?”

Gary Stern, board co-chair of the CMO and lead of the GENICE project, studies the transport of contaminants through Arctic marine and freshwater ecosystems. “As we lose sea ice, there is more and more ship traffic,” he says. “Local communities are concerned about this commercial activity, which brings challenges for the marine food web, such as ship noise and potential oil spills.”

Mechanical oil recovery efforts, which may be effective in warmer climates, are hampered by the presence of sea ice, so Dr. Stern is looking at alternative approaches that take the seasonal change in temperature of the ice and the potential of microbial degradation into account.

“The idea is to study which microbes are present – and the types of ice where they are predominant – as well as under what conditions these microbes have a better chance of degrading the oil,” he said.

Science will help to provide much-needed answers for authorities with regulatory responsibilities, shipping companies and local communities, believes Feiyue Wang, professor and CRC in Arctic Environmental Chemistry at CEOS.

At the Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO), researchers find ways to respond to a changing environment. // Image from CMO

“As the Arctic is getting more accessible, both in terms of marine transportation and resource development, we are facing imminent threats and opportunities,” he says. “While communities are interested in developments that improve their socio-economic situation, change is happening so fast that many worry how this will affect their way of living.”

The CMO’s Ocean-Sea Ice Mesocosm (OSIM) will provide answers about the detection, fate, modelling and response techniques for crude oil and other transport-related contaminants, Dr. Wang says. “[OSIM] consists of two outdoor covered pools that can accommodate controlled experiments on various scenarios for marine and freshwater environments. We can pump water from surrounding sources into the tanks, and this allows us to emulate field experiments, albeit with greater control.”

Researchers can gain insights on geophysical and biogeochemical processes across the ocean-sea ice-atmosphere interface and freshwater-marine coupling, and Dr. Wang envisions this to spur “development of new technologies that help to respond to some of the challenges.”

In addition to OSIM, the CMO has an “Environmental Observing (EO) System, which consists of a series of automated instruments located across Hudson Bay,” says Dr. Barber. “This provides us with real-time data for monitoring changes as they occur and to set conditions in our OSIM experiments.”

Designed to operate for about 50 years, the EO will accumulate a significant amount of data about “the impacts of humans on the system, including what happens when hydrocarbons or other contaminants are spilled,” he says. “It will also allow us to study extreme weather and climate change effects regionally and nationally.”

As chief scientist of the EO, CJ Mundy emphasizes the importance of oceanographic research in Canada’s North, which draws on data from the automated instruments as well as the RV William Kennedy, Canada’s first research vessel dedicated exclusively to this region. It is operated – in partnership with the Arctic Research Foundation – during the summer months and has enabled a number of initiatives, including community-based projects around Hudson Bay.

A shift in focus – from deep water to the coastal areas – has revealed the region to be more productive than previously thought, says Dr. Mundy, who studies phytoplankton, ice algae and kelp. “There is a lot of production feeding marine life. The summer beluga whale population is estimated at more than 50,000 in southwestern Hudson Bay alone, and other marine mammals in the bay include polar bears, bowhead whales, seals and walruses.”

Yet what does a changing climate mean for species adapted to cold water? Dr. Mundy believes they will face pressure from newcomers to the region, since increasing temperature and less sea ice could lead to a shift in seasonal production regimes at the detriment of highly adapted Arctic marine species. “New information can help us understand how this system works,” he says, “and what is likely to happen as temperatures continue to change.”

Implications of this kind of research go far beyond local communities in Hudson Bay, adds Dr. Barber. “The CMO is focused on climate change and how these changes, which are so obvious in the North, are connected to what is happening across the planet. Better understanding can help us inform the public and hopefully guide industry practices and policy toward better outcomes.”

This story was originally published in November 2021, as part of the ‘Excellence in Research and Innovation’ feature in The Globe and Mail that marked the Canadian Foundation for Innovation’s 25th anniversary

As night fell on Hudson Bay, the stars emerged, brightening against the darkening, crisp sub-Arctic sky. From the silent heavens, dropped shafts of brilliant blue-green, shimmering overhead like glowing stage curtains, twisting in a light breeze.

The Northern Lights dance over an Inukshuk in Churchill, Man. Photo by Matthew Sinclair. (Click to enlarge)

Against this backdrop of the Northern Lights’ dancing chorus-line of dazzling colour, trots a grey wolf onto the horizon, silhouetted against the iced-over bay, sniffing the air as if more concerned with finding its next meal than drinking in the celestial spectacle overhead.

To a wide-eyed Jordan Grenier, it was all playing out like a scene from a Farley Mowat novel. He could scarcely believe his eyes.

He wondered: If this is Day 1, what comes next in my practicum experience?

If he left the city wanting to get away from it all, Grenier soon found himself closer to community than he’s ever been.

In this remote coastal town, once a month, everyone gathers at the school to share a hot breakfast. Grenier frequently encountered students outside school hours, often fundraising for school trips—an added challenge in this town, located some 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

 “There is definitely a strong sense of close community,” he said of the town of 1,000 people.

Home to polar bears and beluga whales, an Inuit museum and the historic Prince of Wales Fort, Churchill is a world-renowned a tourist destination, but as a science teacher, Grenier was keen to explore the research conducted at the Northern Studies Centre.

Northern crossroads of scientific discovery

Grenier took a Grade 10 science class to the centre, where they dissected a wolverine and explored exciting new projects benefitting the community. 

A fox trots across the tundra. Photo by Matthew Sinclair. (Click to enlarge)

Standing at the intersection of unique ecosystems that include the boreal forest, the Arctic tundra, and the Hudson Bay Lowlands, with its marine ecology and wildlife, Churchill presents researchers with an array of opportunities.

 “We talked about how those ecosystems are unique and how they interact with each other in the Churchill area,” Grenier said, adding the class also toured Rocket Greens, a project where community members can buy a weekly subscription to access leafy green vegetables, such as chard, bok choy spinach, grown at the centre hydroponically in a shipping container without soil. In a town where families pay a shipping premium for groceries, the program is proving popular.

Well-resourced school

Housed in the Churchill Town Complex, Grenier was surprised to find how well the high school was resourced. In addition to a health centre, swimming pool, indoor playground, curling rink, theatre, hockey arena, gymnasium and fitness centre, the town complex also houses a library and elementary school—all resources available to teachers and students. 

“I have been in a lot of science classrooms, but this one has the most resources in terms of equipment and materials,” said Grenier, whose teachable major is music and minor is general science.

With the town complex connecting the elementary and high schools, teachers are also presented with opportunities that include cross-curricular learning, Grenier said.

Perhaps Grenier’s most important takeaway as a teaching professional was that conducting his practicum in a town of 1,000 opened his eyes to the benefits of teaching smaller class sizes, including the opportunity for more one-on-one time with students.

“We have five weeks to build as good a relationship as a possible—with smaller class sizes that’s more manageable,” Grenier said. “When students aren’t engaged, I have the time to build connections with students to find out how I can connect their interests with the course material.”

Living in a small town, Grenier found opportunities to build professional, caring relationships with students—both inside and outside the classroom—learning and sharing lessons that will stay with him the rest of his life.

• • •

Epilogue: Since completing his practicum, Grenier has accepted a teaching position at H. C. Avery, a Grade 6-8 school in Seven Oaks School Division where he will be teaching band and choir.

• • •

To find out more about how to apply for a teaching degree at the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, click here. 

“It’s an idea whose time has come,” says Prentice. “Some remote communities have deplorable living conditions, Canadian sovereignty is threatened by warming Arctic Seas, and ice roads are becoming unreliable because of climate change. A lower cost, year-round mode of transportation is needed.”

The Caninfra challenge ideas contest aims to surface transformational infrastructure ideas from all across Canada. Voting for the People’s Choice Winner will be open from May 14 to May 23, 2018, and you can vote once per day.

The Short-List of Finalists is posted on the CanInfra website: https://www.caninfra.ca/vote

In addition to funds supporting economic growth in the Churchill region, funding support is being provided from key programs and initiatives to advance the interests of the Churchill region. The University of Manitoba’s Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO) is receiving more than $1.5 million through the Western Diversification Program (WDP). Over the course of the project, it is anticipated that 13 full-time and 20 trainees will be hired.

The funding was announced today by the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.

“We thank the Government of Canada for this support to a critical piece of infrastructure necessary for this project to move forward. The Churchill Marine Observatory will play a key role in learning more about the impact of oil and other contaminants under realistic ice-covered conditions,” says Dr. Digvir Jayas, Vice-President (Research and International) and Distinguished Professor, University of Manitoba.