Climate change and sea ice: Shipping in Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and Foxe Basin (1980–2016)

The seasonally ice-covered waters of Hudson Bay, James Bay, Foxe Basin, and Hudson Strait (“the study area”) are bordered by 39 communities with a total population of roughly 50,000 people, most of whom are Inuit or Cree. Sea ice is a cornerstone of the environment and culture of the study area but is also the main barrier to shipping traffic, which has been growing in the area. This paper presents a review of sea ice and shipping in the study area and an analysis of shipping accessibility as represented by the timing of breakup, freeze-up, and the open water season in its offshore and local waters. Offshore ice timing was analyzed using passive microwave-based data for 1980–2014; local ice timing near Rankin Inlet, Churchill, Kuujjuarapik/Whapmagoostui, and Salluit was examined using Canadian Ice Service ice charts for 1996–2016. Open water was defined using sea ice concentration thresholds of ≤15% (offshore) or