McGill University
Candidat M.Sc.
superviseur(e): Melissa McKinney
Magali Houde, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Début: 2025-08-27

Projet

Impacts du changement climatique sur l’écologie alimentaire et l’accumulation de contaminants d’une source alimentaire clé pour les Inuits
Environmental contaminants have been found in biota around the world, threatening the health of wildlife, humans, and ecosystems. As the distribution and fate of these contaminants may be influenced by climate change, it is critical to develop knowledge in regions that are experiencing intense warming, such as the Arctic. High concentrations of environmental contaminants have been found in Arctic biota consumed by Inuit communities, such as the ringed seal (Pusa hispida). Using blubber and muscle samples collected as a part of the government of Canada’s Northern Contaminants program, my project aims to (1) determine the influence of climate change on the feeding ecology of ringed seals from the high and low Arctic, (2) evaluate how these changes influence temporal trends of legacy (Persistent Organic Pollutants, POPs; trace elements) and emerging contaminants of Arctic concern (e.g., Plastic Related Compounds, PRCs). Results will support the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring Assessment Programme (AMAP), as well as help the effectiveness evaluation conducted under the United Nations (UN) Stockholm Convention on POPs and the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Sharing of results with Health Canada and regional health agencies will ensure the safe consumption of traditional food sources by northerners.

Mots-clés

Arctic, Marine mammals, Fatty Acid, Stable isotope, Mercury, Persistent Organic Pollutants