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INUVIK - A senior polar researcher says the speed with which permafrost thaw and coastal erosion is occurring along the coast of the Mackenzie Delta could dramatically affect the ocean's ecosystem.

"It will change the composition of the water. Some species will like it; some species will not. The next step will be to talk to biologists to figure out which species will be taking over," said Dr. Hughes Lantuit of the Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research in Germany.

Dr. Hugues Lantuit, third left, of the Alfred Wegener Institute for polar and marine research is shown by the Aurora Research Institute last month with fellow researchers, from left, Michael Fritz, Gerald Muller, and Gregory De Pascale. - Andrew Rankin/NNSL photo

Lantuit, along with a three-person team, was briefly stationed at the Aurora Research Institute building last month to continue his research in the region, which stems back to 2003.

He's currently paying more attention to erosion rates along the Delta coast, but much of his research centres on studying permafrost along the Yukon coast and Herschel Island. The island experiences some of the highest amounts of landslide activity in the Arctic, amounting to 18 dump truck loads of sediment being dumped into the ocean every day.

He said because of the warming period the polar region is experiencing, melting permafrost is triggering landslides, which deposit in the water huge amounts of nutrient-rich sediments, much of which is made up of plant and animal remains.

Though he can't pinpoint exactly how these deposits will affect ocean ecosystems, he said they are significant and occur regularly enough to disrupt the natural species balance.

"It will affect the distribution of resources," he said.

"For example, if you have more seals in a certain location, then how will that affect traditional fishing grounds?" he said.

Levels of coastal erosion in the region between 1950 and 2000 have been stable, but Lantuit said those levels have increased significantly in recent years and he anticipates they will climb even more along the rural Mackenzie Delta coastline.

Though erosion levels along the Yukon coast have been closely documented, the same can't be said for the Arctic Coast, of which only one per cent has being recorded.

During his visit last month, Lantuit and his researchers spent several days on Hershel Island studying sentiment found in ground ice, which will help them understand climate patterns for the region. The process involves analyzing isotope levels and vegetation. Lantuit said this will help forecast future climate patterns, which are generally cyclical.

Lantuit will return to ARI in July to continue his research.