Bylot Island is located off the northern tip of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. It is accessible from the communities of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) and Nanisivik, both located on northern Baffin Island. Research on the island focuses on the southern plain of the island (1600 km2), but the station is located in a glacial valley at the southwestern end of the island.
The CEN Bylot Island Research Station is accessible through the community of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) on Northern Baffin Island. The primary station can host up to 15 people daily.
The field research covers the southern plain of the island, but the research station is located in a large glacial valley at the southwest end of the island. The station is operated by CEN (Centre d'études nordiques) and co-owned with Parks Canada.
A central theme of the research conducted here is trophic interactions in the Arctic tundra in relation to environmental change and Greater Snow Goose ecology, but also long-term monitoring of animal populations, vegetation and climate of the Arctic tundra, impacts of bird populations and climate change on lake ecosystems (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions), and geomorphology of ice wedge polygons. The site is also part of several national and international research networks including ArcticNet, Arctic Wildlife Observatories Linking Vulnerable EcoSystems (ArcticWOLVES), the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP), the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT) and the Canadian Network of Northern Research Operators (CNNRO).
Established in 2001, Sirmilik National Park encompasses most of Bylot Island, except for a few pockets that are Inuit-owned lands. Covering an area of 22,000 km2, this park extends to the northern part of Baffin Island. Sirmilik (which means "place of glaciers" in Inuktitut) reflects the complex of glaciers and ice caps covering most of Bylot Island.
Several permits must be obtained prior to conducting the work, hence, the field season must be prepared well in advance. Located in Sirmilik National Park and in the Bylot Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a joint research permit from Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca) and the Canadian Wildlife Service is required to access the site (Parks Canada, Iqaluit). It is also recommended to meet with the wildlife officer and Hunters and Trappers Organization representatives from Pond Inlet before going to the field.
| Climatic and environmental data : |
Several climate stations of the CEN SILA Network operate year-round on site. For requests concerning ecological monitoring data, please contact the lead researcher and project leader Pierre Legagneux. |
| Nordicana-D : |
CEN's Nordicana-D series freely and openly give access to online climatic and environmental data reports archived at CEN, aiding the management of the wealth of environmental data sets produced by CEN's monitoring and research activities. The following data series from Bylot Island in Nunavut is available here. Visit the Website to view the complete list of available data. |
| Institution | Université Laval |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Infrastructure type | Research station |
| Disciplines | Biology and biochemistry Environmental sciences Earth sciences Natural environments and wildlife |
| Language of operation | English French |
| Keywords | permafrostperiglacial environmentglacial processesgeomorphologyecologyclimate changearcticaquatic systems |
For any questions regarding the station’s availability or reservations, please contact:
The CEN secretariat: station@cen.ulaval.ca or +1-418-656-3340.
The CEN secretariat: station@cen.ulaval.ca or +1-418-656-3340.
Lead Researcher
Dr. Pierre Legagneux, professor
Dept. biologie, Université Laval
Tel. : 
+1-418-656-2131 ext. 411378
pierre.legagneux@bio.ulaval.ca
