Environment & Climate

Climate change and ice arch failures threaten Arctic's North Water polynya

Researchers and local Inuit monitor rising ice disruption in an 85,000-square-kilometer Arctic marine refuge amid bilateral conservation delays.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 04:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

The North Water polynya, a critical 85,000-square-kilometer open-water habitat between Canada and Greenland, is facing ecological disruption due to warming Arctic temperatures.
Warming increasingly prevents the Nares Strait ice arch from forming, allowing polar sea ice to drift southward and potentially choke the normally open ecosystem.
While Canada designated its side as a marine protected area in March, Greenland is proceeding more deliberately to ensure the protection of Indigenous cultural rights.
Scientists and local Inuit observers are seeking to build a cross-border monitoring network, though logistical and travel barriers persist.

The North Water polynya, known as Pikialasorsuaq in Greenland and Sarvarjuaq in Nunavut, covers 85,000 square kilometers and sustains vital Arctic marine wildlife including whales, seals, and seabirds.[The Guardian]
Rising regional temperatures increasingly disrupt the formation of the Nares Strait ice arch, which historically blocked northern Arctic sea ice from invading the open-water zone.[The Guardian]
Canada designated the Sarvarjuaq marine protected area on its half of the region in March, following recommendations from a 2017 Pikialasorsuaq commission report.[The Guardian]
Inuit Circumpolar Council chair and Greenlandic parliament member Sara Olsvig stated that Greenland is proceeding cautiously to avoid infringing upon Indigenous rights.[The Guardian]
Local community members, such as Terry Noah in Grise Fiord, are partnering with scientists to collect sub-surface ocean data to track shifting environmental conditions.[The Guardian]

The exact threshold and timeline under which the permanent loss of the Nares Strait ice arch could trigger a collapse of the polynya's biological productivity remain uncertain.[The Guardian]
The timeline for Greenland to establish its portion of the proposed joint protected area is indefinite as discussions regarding Indigenous cultural rights continue.[The Guardian]