| Foxe Basin | |
|---|---|
 Map indicating Foxe Basin | |
| Location | South ofBaffin Island,Nunavut |
| Coordinates | 65°55′50″N77°55′10″W / 65.93056°N 77.91944°W /65.93056; -77.91944 (Foxe Basin)[1] |
| Type | Bay |
Foxe Basin is a shallowoceanic basin north ofHudson Bay, inNunavut, Canada, located betweenBaffin Island and theMelville Peninsula. For most of the year, it is blocked bysea ice (fast ice) anddrift ice made up of multipleice floes.[2]
The nutrient-rich cold waters found in the basin are known to be especially favourable tophytoplankton and the numerous islands within it are important birdhabitats, includingSabine's gulls and many types ofshorebirds.Bowhead whales migrate to the northern part of the basin each summer.
The basin takes its name from the English explorerLuke Foxe who entered the lower part in 1631.[3]
Foxe Basin is a broad, predominantly shallow depression, generally less than 100 m (330 ft) in depth, while to the south, depths of up to 400 m (1,300 ft) occur.[4] The tidal range decreases from 5 m (16 ft) in the southeast to less than 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in the northwest. During much of the year, landfast ice dominates in the north, whilepack ice prevails towards the south. Foxe Basin itself is rarely ice-free until September, open pack ice being common throughout the summer. Vigoroustidal currents and strong winds keep the ice pack in constant motion and contribute to the numerouspolynyas andshore leads which are found throughout the region. This same motion, combined with the high sediment content of the water makes the sea ice of Foxe Basin dark and rough, easily distinguishable from other ice in theCanadian Arctic.
Foxe Basin is connected to theGulf of Boothia via the narrowFury and Hecla Strait, and toHudson Bay andHudson Strait via the wideFoxe Channel. It is also connected toNaujaat andRoes Welcome Sound viaFrozen Strait.
The terrain is rocky and rugged in the southern half of the region, and generally low-lying in the north. Highcliffs are found across the southern portion of the region, where most of theseabirds nest. Coastalmarshes andtidal flats up to 6.5 km (4.0 mi) in width are found in the vast lowland section of eastern Foxe Basin, as well as in the bays ofSouthampton Island.
This is one of the little-known areas of the CanadianArctic, though it is proving to be biologically rich and diverse. The numerous polynyas in northern Foxe Basin support high densities ofbearded seals and the largestwalrus herd in Canada (over 6,000 individuals).Ringed seal andpolar bear are common, with north Southampton Island as one of the highest-density polar bear denning areas in Canada.[4]
This area is also an important summering area for thebowhead whale,[5]beluga whale andnarwhal. Both bowhead whales and belugas winter in the waters of northeasternHudson Bay. Bowheads were the only known baleen whales to occur in the Hudson Bay, but recently some other species of whale, such ashumpback andminke, are confirmed to migrate into the waters as well.[6]
The region is the main North American stronghold of theSabine's gull, with some 10,000 pairs nesting here. Moderate numbers ofblack guillemots,Arctic terns andglaucous,herring andivorygulls also breed here. TheGreat Plain of the Koukdjuak on Baffin Island is the world's largestgoose nesting colony, with upwards of 1.5 million birds, 75 per cent of which arelesser snow geese and the remainderCanada andbrant geese. Shorebirds and ducks are also abundant. Several hundred thousandthick-billed murres breed on the cliffs ofDigges Sound andCoats Island to the south.
This region is not yet represented in the national marine conservation areas system. Studies to identify preliminary representative marine areas have yet to be undertaken.
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