Mission and Research projects

Lab mission

LNAR acts as a transdisciplinary research unit composed of academic personnel and members from various organizations interested in the use of coastlines in the Canadian Arctic. It is structured around three research axes that frame the main mission, which is to provide avenues of reflection and tools for better prevention and adaptation in coastal areas in the Arctic:

Trajectory of coastal systems. Analysis of coastal evolution and glacial-non-glacial sedimentary balances.
Arctic coastal morphodynamics. Quantification of processes, modeling, tools for predicting morphogenic impacts.
Co-production of coastal knowledge. Multi-risk studies, participatory approaches, hazard mapping.

Research projects

Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay): Permafrost thaw and icy unconsolidated beach morphodynamics facing climate change

Ikaluktutiak (Cambridge Bay) is a community located on southern Victoria Island in Nunavut. Although the village is sheltered from coastal hazards, the majority of the territory used for traditional activities by residents is located along the coast where increasing frequency of morphogenic storms and thawing permafrost are being felt. Projects at Ikaluktutiak, conducted in collaboration with the Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) and Polar Knowledge Canada, aim to characterize coastal response to climate change and to study sediment transport dynamics through different erosion and groundwater flow processes. The research site, at the base of Augustus Hill approximately 20 km from Cambridge Bay, is one of the only high-frequency video shoreline monitoring sites in Nunavut and has been identified as an area of rapid erosion of interest to the community.

Kugluktuk and Coronation Gulf: Coastal evolution and hazards along a post-glacial delta

Located in the southwest of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the community of Kugluktuk in Nunavut is experiencing many changes in the Coppermine River delta. In partnership with the Hamlet of Kugluktuk, the Kugluktuk Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO) and community residents, very high-resolution monitoring of the processes leading to changes in the estuary and coastal zone banks has been carried out since 2021. This work provides a better understanding of the evolution of the region's coastlines that affect the daily use of the territory by the local population. Historical aerial and satellite imagery combined with very high-resolution drone surveys will map sites exposed to multiple hazards and characterize shoreline changes in order to generate knowledge on the intensity and trajectory of geomorphological changes in Kugluktuk and Nunavut.

Grise Fiord and Jones Sound: Characterization of coastal dynamics and adaptation to climate change

Grise Fiord, located on southern Ellesmere Island, is Canada’s northernmost community. Despite a cold High Arctic climate, changes in ice cover and storm frequency have led to increased coastal hazards that threaten community infrastructure and traditional activities. Projects in Grise Fiord, conducted in collaboration with the Hunters and Trappers Organization, Ausuittuq Adventures, and the Hamlet of Grise Fiord, combine residents’ traditional Inuit knowledge with fundamental work on coastal dynamics to identify areas at risk during storm events and support community members’ adaptation. Projects focus on the impact of waves and water levels on the coast, as well as the impact of glaciers on sediment transport. The various research sites in the region form a dense monitoring network that is actively supported by local collaboration throughout the year.

Nunavik: Better understanding of coastal risks and ecosystems

Nunavik is a territory north of the 55th parallel in Quebec and has a coastline of 10,000 km where 15 villages of indigenous communities are located. Nunavik is in post-glacial emergence and its coasts present a wide variety of morphologies, hydrodynamic processes, and risk factors for communities. Projects in Nunavik are carried out in collaboration with several organizations such as Makivik, Kativik and various Quebec ministries. These organizations aim to produce a better characterization and classification of the coastal ecosystems of the territory and are interested in the variability of coastal dynamics between the different communities of Nunavik in order to support the adaptation of communities to the impacts of climate change and to provide knowledge on the exposure of sensitive habitats in coastal areas to potential maritime incidents.

Iceland: Analyzing storm impact on coastal dynamics

Iceland is located at 65°N, a few kilometres below the Arctic Circle. Due to its location that brings a maritime and subpolar influence to coastal systems, the periglacial coastline is affected by strong and long-lasting storm conditions that induce high-energy coastal morphogenic dynamics. In collaboration with the University of Western Brittany and the University of the Westfjords, the projects in Iceland focus on extreme storm conditions that lead to changes in the shapes of soft deposits on the Icelandic coastline to better anticipate future trajectories.