Trailblazing Nunatsiavut researchers study the ocean, and add Inuit context for other scientists

Every year, the Canadian Coast Guard ship Amundsen makes a trek through the Labrador Sea, operating as an icebreaker and research vessel. On the most recent trip in 2022, the scenery was brand new to many of the scientists on board, but for two of them, northern Labrador is home.

"There's a nice little beach up inside there," said Carla Pamak, the research adviser for the Nunatsiavut government, as the ship drifted near Hebron Fiord.

"That's where I caught my first char," replied Michelle Saunders, a biologist and research manager.

Pamak and Saunders are the first members of Nunatsiavut to have ever been aboard an Amundsen expedition. For them, the vessel's scientific work is personal. 

"This isn't just research for the sake of research. This is research for the sake of Nunatsiavut," said Saunders. 

"We're looking at what's in the water, what's in the animals, what's in the sediment," said Pamak. "We want to know where we're living and what we're eating."

Academics from across the country travel on the Amundsen every year to conduct research on a wide range of ocean-related topics. Pamak and Saunders's research on the trip is part of Nunatsiavut's attempt to establish a marine plan for its waters. This plan would manage Nunatsiavut's ocean space and balance the demand for human activities with the need for environmental protection. 

Nunatsiavut has been doing its own ocean research but the ocean area that Nunatsiavut covers is huge, almost 49,000 square kilometres of coast and ocean. 

"It's integral that we have partners like DFO and Amundsen Science to get out there and understand the deep ocean," said Saunders. 

She plans to present their findings to their community in Nain. She hopes it will inspire younger Nunatsiavut members to consider a career in science. 

"My hope is that our youth, our next generation coming up, will be the ones that are coming up here doing the work for us, for themselves," said Saunders.

Dave Cote, the Amundsen's chief scientist, says having Nunatsiavut members aboard is a great help toward their research.

"If we're working in the North, ideally we'd like to work with northern communities," said Cote. "The coast of Labrador is the homeland of Nunatsiavut people and they have a really rich cultural knowledge and local knowledge because they've been there for thousands of years."

That local knowledge can come in hand in unexpected ways. During a rough day at sea, the Amundsen sought refuge inside Hebron Fiord, a narrow inlet in northern Labrador, away from the high winds and waves of the coast. While in the calmer waters, Pamak suggested a trip to shore to visit her husband at their cabin in Hebron.