Grant: Major Resources Support Program - Infrastructure

The Arctic World is changing rapidly under the double pressure of climate warming and modernization. Mobilized for science thanks to a major grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the research icebreaker Amundsen and its pool of state-of-the-science instruments have revitalized Canadian research in the Arctic and played a pivotal role in the deployment of Canada's remarkable contribution to the International Polar Year (2007-2008). Since 2003, the Amundsen has logged an impressive 1426 days at sea for international science, supporting major Canadian-led projects such as the Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study (CASES), the Inuit Health Surveys, ArcticNet, Arctic-SOLAS, Geotrace, and the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System Study. Internationally, the Resource has contributed equipment and technical expertise to the multinational Nansen-Amundsen Basins Observatory System (NABOS) study, and has hosted the France-USA-Canada Malina program, a study of air-sea interactions in the Arctic Ocean. Starting in 2009, the Amundsen has been the fulcrum of major research partnerships with the Oil & Gas exploration sector to assess the risks and environmental impacts of exploration drilling in the offshore Beaufort Sea. All in all, the Amundsen has been one of the most successful large research facilities in Canada, propelling the country in the leading pack of nations studying the transformation of the Arctic World. Direct benefits for Canada include a consolidation of its scientific presence in the Arctic; a contribution to the affirmation of its sovereignty over its arctic seas; the training of the next generation of Canadian specialist of the Arctic Ocean in a multidisciplinary and international context; a continuity of the Canadian arctic effort that allows the long-term planning of major scientific programs; a unique research capacity that supports the Canadian contribution to the International Polar Year and helps ensure its legacy.