The Arctic is becoming an increasingly favorable environment for harmful algae. Some harmful algae can release phycotoxins that can pose a significant threat to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health, as they can bioaccumulate in higher trophic-level organisms. This emerging climate-driven threat is particularly important in Inuit coastal communities, which face a high prevalence of food insecurity and where traditional harvesting activities and marine food sources are central to diet, nutrition, culture and well-being. In Nunavik, saxitoxins were detected in mussels, and to a lesser extent in urchins and sculpin, collected in 2023, underlining the urgent need for an Inuit-led research and monitoring program to maintain safe access to country food.
This project was co-designed through early engagement with partners from Nunatsiavut and Nunavik to ensure that it is conducted with and by Inuit. The objective is to test and deploy on-site genomics-based tools for the early detection of harmful algal blooms (HAB), help building risk infrastructure, management and prevention strategies, clinical practice and community resilience in Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and Nunavut.
The project will i) monitor satellite-derived observations to define time windows of potential HAB and enhance understanding of HAB’s ecological drivers, ii) validate the use of proteomics and a novel portable genomic technique for early detection of toxigenic species and toxin genes in environmental samples, and transfer technologies for community use, iii) study phycotoxin accumulation in marine organisms through food web transfers during key harvesting periods, and iv) develop risk management and prevention strategies for public health and clinical application.