Baffin Bay

Geography and oceanography

Baffin Bay contains a series of basins and ridges rather than a single uniform floor. Seasonal sea ice, persistent pack ice and a high concentration of drifting floes influence navigation and ecology. Large pieces of broken glacier ice—icebergs—and smaller fragments of pack ice and floating ice often make the bay hazardous for most of the year. Ocean circulation is dominated by cold southward flow from the Arctic and intermittent warmer, saltier Atlantic water that enters through Davis Strait, producing strong gradients in temperature and salinity.

Ecology and resources

The bay supports a productive but fragile Arctic ecosystem. Marine mammals commonly found here include seals, walrus, and several whale species such as narwhal and beluga. Seabirds nest on coastal cliffs and islands during the brief summer. Fish important to local subsistence and regional fisheries include Arctic char and Greenland halibut. Human communities along the bay continue to depend on a mix of subsistence hunting and limited commercial activities.

Human history and exploration

Archaeological evidence indicates people have occupied the Baffin Bay region for millennia. Early Paleo-Eskimo cultures such as the Dorset were followed by Thule populations and the ancestors of present-day Inuit. European contact began in the late 16th century, and English navigator William Baffin produced detailed charts and descriptions in the early 17th century; his name is the source of the bay's English toponym. Harsh ice conditions limited regular European traffic until modern icebreakers and seasonal shipping made occasional access possible.

Modern significance and environmental concerns

Today Baffin Bay is important for scientific research, Inuit communities, and monitoring the effects of climate change. Warming trends in the Arctic have altered ice cover duration and the frequency of iceberg calving, with consequences for wildlife, coastal communities, and prospective shipping routes. The bay is also monitored for seismic activity and other geophysical phenomena, and its waters are subject to international and regional governance arrangements that affect fisheries and navigation.

Notable facts

• Historic habitation in the area dates back over two thousand years and includes several distinct cultures.
• Navigation is constrained by extensive pack ice, floating ice and icebergs for much of the year.
• In 1933 the bay region was the reported epicenter of a strong earthquake, noted as one of the largest recorded north of the Arctic Circle.

For further geographic and scientific information see regional studies and nautical charts produced by national hydrographic offices and research institutions that focus on Arctic oceanography and coastal communities.