On Thin Ice: The Story of the Dolphin and Union Caribou Interpretation by Joslyn Oosenbrug, Species at Risk Secretariat

Abstract

In April 2023, Dolphin and Union caribou became the first species to be assessed as Endangered under Northwest Territories species at risk legislation. The migration of this species twice a year across the frozen Arctic Ocean sets it apart from other caribou in the Northwest Territories and around the world. Impacts of climate change and ship traffic through the Northwest Passage are making the crossing more dangerous and numbers of Dolphin and Union caribou have plummeted since the 1990s. This is a summary of the current biological status of Dolphin and Union caribou and the findings of the NWT Species at Risk Committee that led to an assessment of Endangered in the Northwest Territories.