North Water Polynya

The world's largest Arctic polynya at about 85,000 km2 (33,000 sq mi),[4] it creates a warm microclimate that provides a refuge for narwhal, beluga, walrus, and bowhead whales to feed and rest.

Named the "North Water" by 19th century whalers who relied on it for spring passage, this polynya is one of the most biologically productive marine areas in the Arctic Ocean.

Present-day Inuit communities in Canada (Nunavut) and Avanersuaq (Greenland) rely on the polynya's concentration of marine mammals to sustain their traditional way of life.

The North Water is home to the northernmost self-sufficient human settlements in the world, and borders three Qikiqtani Inuit communities in Canada: Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet and Grise Fiord.

Researchers have also conducted intensive studies on the region's response to global climate change because of its mid-Arctic latitude amidst a polar ecosystem warming twice as fast as the rest of the world.

[10][11][12] The North Water Polynya (Pikialasorsuaq/Saqvaaq) is closely connected to Lancaster Sound (Inuktitut ᑕᓪᓗᕈᑎᐅᑉ ᑕᕆᐅᖓ Tallurutiup Tariunga[13]) and the Baffin Bay by a powerful system of ocean currents that directly affect the region's climate and biology.

Another arm of the West Greenland Current reaches into Lancaster Sound, delivering Atlantic waters into the Arctic Ocean and contributing to that area's rich ecology.