Abstract
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) lies within Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of the Inuit, and encompasses extensive coasts of Nunavut. These shorelines are continuously changing, shaped by sea ice, glaciers, icebergs, permafrost, and oceanographic dynamics during the open-water season. Inuit knowledge offers profound insights into coastal change; however, systematic measurements of ocean waves and water levels remain scarce, which limits our ability to model nearshore processes and anticipate shoreline responses, both critical for adaptation. We present a dataset of water levels and wave statistics collected between 2021 and 2023 in partnership with three communities: Ausuittuq (Jones Sound), Canada’s northernmost community; Ikaluktutiak and Kugluktuk (both in Coronation Gulf). The dataset includes 19 calibrated pressure sensors in the nearshore zone and 6 offshore wave buoys deployed with Inuit boat operators, capturing more than 427 days of hourly observations. Observed conditions include significant wave heights up to 1.7 m and peak wave periods up to 6.0 s. All files are published in open formats with structured documentation to ensure transparency, accessibility, and reuse.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The full dataset is openly available via Zenodo under the https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17049446.
Code availability
Custom MATLAB scripts developed to read and process the raw data are available through the following GitLab repository: (https://gitlab.uqar.ca/lnar1/lnar-arctic-hydro).
References
Casas-Prat, M. & Wang, X. L. Sea ice retreat contributes to projected increases in extreme arctic ocean surface waves. Geophysical Research Letters 47, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088100 (2020).
Wilson, K. et al. “When we’re on the ice, all we have is our Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit”: Mobilizing inuit knowledge as a sea ice safety adaptation strategy in Mittimatalik, Nunavut. Arctic (2022).
Fawcett, D., Pearce, T., Notaina, R., Ford, J. D. & Collings, P. Inuit adaptability to changing environmental conditions over an 11-year period in ulukhaktok, northwest territories. Polar Record (2018).
Ford, J. D. et al. Changing access to ice, land and water in arctic communities. Nature Climate Change (2019).
Nielsen, D. M. et al. Increase in arctic coastal erosion and its sensitivity to warming in the twenty-first century. Nature Climate Change 12, 263–270, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01281-0 (2022).
Wang, Z. et al. Arctic coastal hazard assessment considering permafrost thaw subsidence, coastal erosion, and flooding. Environmental Research Letters 18, 104003, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acf4ac (2023).
Tanguy, R. et al. Pan-arctic assessment of coastal settlements and infrastructure vulnerable to coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and permafrost thaw. Earth’s Future 12, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF005013 (2024).
St-Hilaire-Gravel, D., Bell, T. J. & Forbes, D. L. Raised gravel beaches as proxy indicators of past sea-ice and wave conditions, lowther island, canadian arctic archipelago. ARCTIC 63, https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic976 (2010).
Didier, D. et al. Community-based monitoring to understand the changing coastal ocean in jones sound, nunavut. In Abstracts of the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting (New Orleans, Louisiana, https://agu.confex.com/agu/OSM24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1486934 2024).
Ford, J. D. et al. Projected decrease in trail access in the arctic. Communications Earth & Environment 4, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00685-w (2023).
Meier, W. N., Stroeve, J. & Gearheard, S. Bridging perspectives from remote sensing and inuit communities on changing sea-ice cover in the baffin bay region. Annals of Glaciology (2006).
White, P. L. et al. Shifting phytoplankton ecological strategies along a continuum of tidewater glacier retreat. ISME Communications 5, ycaf045, https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf045 (2024).
Durap, A. Data-driven models for significant wave height forecasting: Comparative analysis of machine learning techniques. Results in Engineering 24, 103573 (2024).
Gimsa, J., Fritz, M. & Lantuit, H. Nearshore Hydrodynamics and Sediment Dispersal Along Eroding Permafrost Coasts—Insights From Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler Measurements Around Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk (Yukon, Canada). Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 1–12 (2025).
Glover, H. E., Wengrove, M. E. & Holman, R. Measuring hydrodynamics and exploring nearshore processes using distributed sensing of fiber-optic cable strain. Coastal Engineering 190, 104487, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2024.104487 (2024).
Wong, C., Ballegooyen, K., Ignace, L., Johnson, M. J. & Swanson, H. K. Towards reconciliation: 10 calls to action to natural scientists working in canada. Facets (2020).
Kanatami, I. T. National inuit strategy on research https://www.itk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ITK-National-Inuit-Strategy-on-Research.pdf Accessed: 2023-10-01 (2020).
Scharffenberg, K. et al. Environmental drivers of beluga whale delphinapterus leucas habitat use in the mackenzie estuary, northwest territories, canada. Marine Ecology Progress Series 626, pp. 209–226 (2019).
Lee, R. E., Whalen, D., Scharffenberg, K., MacPhee, S. & Loseto, L. L. Spatial and temporal impacts of climate change to the tarium niryutait marine protected area, beaufort sea, canada. Arctic Science 11, 1–23, https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2024-0039 (2025).
Carter, N., Dawson, J., Simonee, N., Tagalik, S. & Ljubicic, G. Lessons learned through research partnership and capacity enhancement in inuit nunangat. Arctic (2019).
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Inuit Nunangat Coastline Length and Land Area Calculations. Tech. Rep., Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (2022).
Taylor, R. B. & McCann, S. B. Coastal depositional landforms in northern canada. In Dawson, S. (ed.) Shorelines and Isostasy, 53–77 (Special publication) (Institute of British Geographers, London, UK, 1983).
Brown, J., Ferrians, O., Heginbottom, J. & Melnikov, E. Circum-arctic map of permafrost and ground-ice conditions Circum-Pacific Map Series CP-45, scale 1:10,000,000, 1 sheet (1997).
Dalton, A. S. et al. Deglaciation of the north american ice sheet complex in calendar years based on a comprehensive database of chronological data: Nadi-1. Quaternary Science Reviews 321, 108345 (2023).
Jennings, A. et al. Retreat of the boothia-lancaster ice stream from its last glacial maximum extent and its role in the origin of baffin bay detrital carbonate (bbdc) events 0, 1 and 2. Quaternary Science Reviews 358, 109353, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109353 (2025).
Dyke, A. et al. The laurentide and innuitian ice sheets during the last glacial maximum. Quaternary Science Reviews 21, 9–31, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(01)00095-6 (2002).
Kleptsova, O. & Pietrzak, J. High resolution tidal model of canadian arctic archipelago, baffin and hudson bay. Ocean Modelling 128, 15–47, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocemod.2018.06.001 (2018).
Rotermund, L. M. et al. The effect of sea ice on tidal propagation in the kitikmeot sea, canadian arctic archipelago. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 126, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JC016786 (2021).
Gagnon, S. et al. Coastal gullies formed by piping on a permafrost marine terrace near iqaluktuuttiaq (cambridge bay), nunavut, canada. Geomorphology 486, 109905, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109905 (2025).
Eamer, J., Stancu, C., Normandeau, A. & Didier, D. R/V Nuliajuk expedition 2022Nuliajuk: seabed mapping and marine geohazards in Grise Fiord, near Ausuittuq, Nunavut. Open File 8935, Geological Survey of Canada https://doi.org/10.4095/331355 (2022).
Raubenheimer, B., Guza, R. T. & Elgar, S. Field observations of wave-driven setdown and setup. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (2001).
Stockdon, H. F., Holman, R. A., Howd, P. A. & Sallenger, A. H. Empirical parameterization of setup, swash, and runup. Coastal Engineering 53, 573–588 (2006).
Didier, D. et al. Wave runup parameterization for sandy, gravel and platform beaches in a fetch-limited, large estuarine system. Continental Shelf Research 192, 104024 (2020).
Toomey, T. et al. Wave setup estimation at regional scale: Empirical and modeling-based multi-approach analysis in the mediterranean sea. Weather and Climate Extremes 44, 100685 (2024).
Baudry, J., Nicot, P., Lacasse, F.-A. & Dumont, D. A Synchronised Pressure Gauge Array (SPaGAtt) for measuring wave directional spectra in coastal ice-covered waters https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.15272.99849 Presented at the Assemblée Générale de Québec-Océan 2023, Rivière-du-Loup, February 6–7 (2023).
Stone, G. W., Wang, P. & Zhang, X. Wave height measurements at the raccoon island breakwaters demonstration projection (te-29) project – report on october 1997 field deployment. Technical Report, Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA Coastal Engineering Report (1998).
Environment and Climate Change Canada. Historical climate data Government of Canada. https://climate.weather.gc.ca/historical_data/search_historic_data_e.html Accessed July 21, 2025 (2025).
Lee, D.-Y. & Wang, H. Measurement of surface waves from subsurface gage. Coastal Engineering Proceedings 1, 19 (1984).
Holthuijsen, L. H.Waves in Oceanic and Coastal Waters (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
Kinsela, M. A. et al. Nearshore wave buoy data from southeastern Australia for coastal research and management. Scientific Data 11, 1–21 (2024).
Work, P. A. Nearshore directional wave measurements by surface-following buoy and acoustic Doppler current profiler. Ocean Engineering 35, 727–737 (2008).
Lancaster, O., Cossu, R., Boulay, S., Hunter, S. & Baldock, T. E. Comparative wave measurements at a wave energy site with a recently developed low-cost wave buoy (Spotter), adcp, and pressure loggers. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 38, 1019–1033 (2021).
Collins, C. O. et al. Performance of moored GPS wave buoys. Coastal Engineering Journal 66, 17–43, https://doi.org/10.1080/21664250.2023.2295105 (2024).
Sofarocean. Spotter user guide https://content.sofarocean.com/hubfs/Spotter Accessed July 24, 2025 (2021).
Rossi, G. B. et al. Improvement in the Post-Processing of Wave Buoy Data Driven by the Needs of a National Coast and Sea Monitoring Agency. Sensors 23 (2023).
Casas-Prat, M. & Wang, X. L. Projections of extreme ocean waves in the arctic and potential implications for coastal inundation and erosion. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 125, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JC015745 (2020).
Raghukumar, K. et al. Performance characteristics of “spotter,” a newly developed real-time wave measurement buoy. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 36, 1127–1141 (2019).
Thomson, R. E. & Emery, W. J. Data Analysis Methods in Physical Oceanography 3rd edn (Elsevier, 2014).
Kuik, A. J., van Vledder, G. P. & Holthuijsen, L. H. A method for the routine analysis of pitch-and-roll buoy wave data. Journal of Physical Oceanography 18, 1020–1034 (1988).
Didier, D. et al. Community-based nearshore wave and water level monitoring along the Nunavut coast of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (2021–2023). Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17049447 (2025).
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the communities of Ikaluktutiak, Kugluktuk and Ausuittuq, and the Hunter and Trappers Organizations in all communities for welcoming us, and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) for hosting us and providing logistical support. This work was conducted under the 04 018 21N-M, 04 015 23R-M, 02 014 22R-M and 02 029 23R-M permits from the Nunavut Research Institute, screened by the Nunavut Research Impact Review Board (#18YN020, #19YN020 and #21YN021). The project was reviewed by the Nunavut Planning Commission (#149466, #149497, #149748, #149749 and #150058). We also want to thank the Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) team in Resolute and Ottawa. We underline the crucial work done by PCSP to support research initiatives in the Canadian Arctic and to help us conduct partnerships with local organizations in Nunavut. We thank Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2024-04226 and RGPIN-2021-03333) and the NFRF Explorations Fund (NFRFE-2018-01427) for their financial support. This work was also supported by the Polar Continental Shelf Program (grants #66822, #64123 and #63623). Many students in the research team also received funding supports from the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) under Polar Knowledge Canada.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
D.D., T.N., S.C., M.B., E.B. and J.S. conceptualized the project with contributions from L.A.W., J.Q., and G.F. The ideation and coordination of data collection were carried out by D.D., S.C., J.S. and T.N. Data was gathered by D.D., S.C., T.N., J.S., C.J-B., J.B., S.B., R.A., B.N., A.B., D.Dub., B.B., G.F., L.L., O.O., C.S., C-A.G., H.B.S., P.W., A.H.D., D.M.R.W., D.H., C.P., J.S., Y.Q., S.G. and J.E. Figures were created by D.D. and F.Z. The main manuscript was written by D.D. and F.Z., with supplementary writing contributions from S.C., J.S., A.N., J.E., G.C., B.K., F.B., S.B., S.G., Y.Q. and E.B. J.B. and P.N. designed and built the home-made instruments. F.Z. processed the data and developed the MATLAB codes, with contributions from J.B. and D.D. D.D., M.B., S.C., A.H., F.B., B.K., G.C., S.Bel., D.Dum., A.N. and P.M. contributed on project administration and funding acquisition, and all authors reviewed the manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
About this article
Cite this article
Didier, D., Zouaghi, F., Coulombe, S. et al. Community-based nearshore wave and water level monitoring in Nunavut, Arctic Canada 2021–2023. Sci Data (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06559-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-026-06559-y
