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In Arctic Canada, Hudson Bay is a site of great exploration history, aboriginal culture, and a vast marine wilderness supporting large populations of marine mammals and birds. These include some of the most iconic Arctic animals like beluga, narwhal, bowhead whales, and polar bears. Due to the challenges of conducting field research in this region, some of the mysteries of where these animals move, and how they are able to survive in such seemingly inhospitable, ice-choked habitats are just now being unlocked. For example, are polar bears being replaced by killer whales? This new information could not be more salient, as the Hudson Bay Region is undergoing rapid environmental change due to global warming, as well as increased pressures from industrial development interests. A Little Less Arctic brings together some of the world's leading Arctic scientists to present the current state of knowledge on the physical and biological characteristics of Hudson Bay.

A Little Less Arctic: Top Predators in the World's Largest Northern Inland Sea, Hudson Bay

Dedication.- Introduction.- 1. Physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the Hudson Bay marine region.- 2. Changing Sea Ice Conditions in Hudson Bay, 1979-2005.- 3. Importance of eating capelin: Unique dietary habits of Hudson Bay beluga.- 4. Migration route and seasonal home range of the Northern Hudson Bay narwhal (Monodon monoceros).- 5. Polar bear ecology and management in Hudson Bay in the face of climate change.- 6. The rise of killer whales as a major Arctic predator.- 7. Hudson Bay ringed seal: ecology in a warming climate.- 8. Past, present, and future for bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in northwest Hudson Bay.- 9. Effects of climate change, altered sea-ice distribution and seasonal phenology on marine birds.- 10. Temporal trends in beluga, narwhal and walrus mercury levels: links to climate change.- 11. Hudson Bay ecosystem: Past, present, and future.- 12. Population genetics of Hudson Bay marine mammals: current knowledge and future risks.- 13. Understanding and managing wildlife in Hudson Bay under a changing climate: Some recent contributions from Inuit and Cree ecological knowledge.- 14. The future of Hudson Bay: New directions and research needs.- Index