Community-based nearshore wave and water level monitoring in Nunavut, Arctic Canada 2021–2023
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) lies within Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of the Inuit, and encompasses extensive coasts of Nunavut. These shorelines are continuously changing, shaped by sea ice, glaciers, icebergs, permafrost, and oceanographic dynamics during the open-water season. Inuit knowledge offers profound insights into coastal change; however, systematic measurements of ocean waves and water levels remain scarce, which limits our ability to model nearshore processes and anticipate shoreline responses, both critical for adaptation. We present a dataset of water levels and wave statistics collected between 2021 and 2023 in partnership with three communities: Ausuittuq (Jones Sound), Canada's northernmost community; Ikaluktutiak and Kugluktuk (both in Coronation Gulf). The dataset includes 19 calibrated pressure sensors in the nearshore zone and 6 offshore wave buoys deployed with Inuit boat operators, capturing more than 427 days of hourly observations. Observed conditions include significant wave heights up to 1.7 m and peak wave periods up to 6.0 s. All files are published in open formats with structured documentation to ensure transparency, accessibility, and reuse.
Authors
- Gwénaëlle Chaillou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4170-8852)
- Olorunfemi Omonigbehin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6486-7119)
- David Didier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6176-4384)
- Maya P. Bhatia
- Jacob Stolle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0902-9339)
- Bay Berry
- Andrew K. Hamilton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2286-1472)
- Paul G. Myers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4514-2654)
- Gabriel Ferland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8746-7639)
- Paul Nicot
- Jérémy Baudry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8016-8396)
- Claire Parrott
- Antoine Boisson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7984-2192)
- Ana Heras Duran
- Charlotte Stancu
- Alexandre Normandeau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7900-7763)
- Danielle Hallé
- Daniela Walch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2074-300X)
- Ludivine Lafosse (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9522-1970)
- Faten Zouaghi
- Stéphanie Coulombe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6519-0632)
- Dany Dumont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4107-1799)
- Patrick White (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2047-8787)
- Yohan Quenet
- Simon Bélanger
- Samuel Binette
- Jordan Eamer
- Laisa Audlaluk Watsko
- Denys Dubuc
- Frédéric Bouchard
- Hatim Ben Said
- Terry Noah
- Richard Akana
- Jimmy Qaapik
- Samuel Gagnon
- Erin Marie Bertrand
- Charles Jourdain-Bonneau
- Carole-Anne Guay
- Béatrice Noël
Institutions
- Dalhousie University (CA)
- Université de Sherbrooke (CA)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Waterloo (CA)
- University of Alberta (CA)
- Université du Québec à Rimouski (CA)
- Université TÉLUQ (CA)
- Bedford Institute of Oceanography (CA)
- Nunavut Arctic College (CA)
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (CA)
- Nunavut Research Institute (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Scientific Data
- Published
- 2026-01-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06559-y
- Primary Topic
- Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00