Megabenthic biodiversity in culturally and ecologically important coastal regions of Northern Labrador

Labrador Inuit have expressed concern about the impacts of climate change on their health and well-being and their future access to marine resources, including fisheries. This study filled important knowledge gaps identified by the Nunatsiavut Government and Inuit communities regarding benthic biodiversity and habitat structure within major geomorphology features. Marine benthic surveys were conducted in three areas of ecological, cultural, and historical significance: Hebron Fjord, Okak Fjard, and the Nain archipelago, inclusive of a polynya, using a camera sled and a baited remote underwater video system. We documented the spatial extent of megabenthic diversity components and the high densities of dominant taxa, notably tube-dwelling anemones (cerianthids), brittle stars (ophiuroids), soft corals (Gersemia sp.), and bristle worms (polychaetes). Species accumulation curves indicated that new species records are likely to be discovered. Vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) indicator species and other key taxa provide seafloor structure for mobile species and important ecosystem functions, such as energy cycling, especially in the deeper areas of the fjord and fjard that are dominated by soft sediment. The sites with the highest benthic diversity, including the greatest densities of scallops and fish fauna, were in the archipelago and polynya, areas frequently used by Inuit for traditional harvesting. These findings were suggestive of a more direct linkage between these areas and trophic levels of greatest importance to Labrador Inuit. Understanding these patterns from the combined perspectives of Inuit and Western science in Nunatsiavut marine waters will guide resource management and protected area decisions, including those in the Nunatsiavut Government's Imappivut Marine Planning Initiative.