Monitoring belugas and vessel noise in a changing environment

Photo by Jaclyn Aubin.

Beluga research

As sea ice retreats, previously quiet waters face increased vessel traffic, with consequences for communities and wildlife.

The overall objective of this initiative is to monitor underwater noise in Western Hudson Bay, to assess its impacts on belugas, and to predict the long-term effects of commercial traffic in Western Hudson Bay.

Close up of the backs of two Belugas coming to the surface in the St. Lawrence.

A pod of belugas come to the surface in the St. Lawrence with an industrial shoreline in the distance.

A rapidly changing Northern ecosystem

Across the globe, wildlife is threatened by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. Species inhabiting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, such as belugas (Delphinapterus leucas), may be particularly vulnerable to rapid ecosystem changes and increased human incursions into previously minimally disturbed habitats. Belugas hold a vital role within their ecosystems as consumers of fish and invertebrates, and as a prey source for apex predators. Belugas are also deeply significant within the culture, traditions, and foodways of First Nations and Inuit communities, and hold economic value as drivers of ecotourism. Yet despite their environmental, cultural, and economic value for Canada, five of Canada’s eight beluga populations are at-risk.

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Focus on the Churchill River Estuary

The Port of Churchill is positioned for significant expansion as part of Canada’s broader infrastructure development strategy. In September 2025, an expansion of the Port of Churchill was listed on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Transformative Strategies List. Port activities and associated vessel traffic in Western Hudson Bay will increase substantially in the coming years, making baseline acoustic data collection critically important for environmental monitoring and impact assessment. Our project aims to address this gap, building upon previous research led by Raincoast Cetacean Director Dr. Valeria Vergara, who used passive acoustic monitoring to examine the vocal behavior of Churchill River belugas. We are currently working to better understand the impacts of underwater noise and disturbance on the vocal and social behaviour of belugas in the Churchill River estuary.

The left side of a beluga is visible as it comes out of the water's surface for a breath.

Pod of belugas swimming in the ocean. — Group of male belugas. Photo by Valeria Vergara.

Listening across Western Hudson Bay

Increased vessel traffic across beluga summering grounds and migratory routes could lead to behavioural changes, reduced population health, and displacement from disturbed habitats. We aim to establish a region-wide hydrophone network to investigate the impacts of increased vessel traffic across Western Hudson Bay. Acoustic monitoring at several sites, including the Seal River and Nelson River estuaries, and offshore sites along shipping routes will allow us to quantify ambient noise and assess changes in noise levels.

Through collaborations with colleagues across Canada, we will contribute to broader efforts to understand the impacts of increased shipping in other polar regions. This work evaluates the potential impacts of Northern shipping expansions to determine whether they are compatible with the long-term wellbeing of coastal ecosystems, wildlife, and the communities that depend on them.

Our plan

Collect acoustic recordings, visual observations, and photographic data of belugas;
Measure and quantify levels of anthropogenic noise;
Investigate the vocal and social behaviour of Western Hudson Bay belugas and the impact of anthropogenic noise on beluga behaviour.

Our partners

We are working in collaboration with several other organisations and stake-holders, including Oceans North, Frontiers North Adventures, Polar Bears International, the University of Windsor, and Mitacs.