Call
Joint ArcticNet-MEOPAR Postdoctoral Fellowship
The Arctic environment is changing rapidly, including a significant reduction in sea ice extent and thickness over the past several decades. Due to this decrease in sea ice, as well as shifting economic and social factors, there has been a dramatic increase in shipping throughout the Canadian Arctic. However, despite reduced sea ice overall, increased ice mobility and inter-annual variability still present significant navigational challenges when operating vessels in Canadian Arctic waters. In fact, it is possible that risks are higher now than in the past, and may continue to increase. Ship operators rely on accurate weather, water, ice, and climate (WWIC) information when travelling in the Arctic, specifically to make safe navigation decisions in waters where ice is present. Despite this necessity, it is currently unknown what information services are being accessed and whether operator’s (users) needs are being fully met by providers of WWIC information (producers). How can operators make safe navigation decisions when they don’t have accurate information? How can service providers make products that are useful when they don’t know what operators need? This project will address these knowledge gaps by conducting a survey targeting mariners who have experience operating in the Canadian Arctic. Participants will include users from a range of sectors, operating vessels of various sizes and types (e.g. cargo ships, commercial fishing vessels, and cruise ships). It is broadly acknowledged that user engagement throughout the value-chain is crucial for developing meaningful WWIC products. Despite this, the user perspective often remains overlooked, creating a gap between what scientists understand as useful information and what users need for their decision-making. To date, the co-production of WWIC products has received limited attention. The expected value of this project is to identify user needs, and thereby stimulate the co-production of meaningful WWIC products to aid safer vessel traffic in the Canadian Arctic.
