Scientists from the University of Manitoba set out to measure how climate change would impact sea ice in Hudson Bay, in northeastern Canada. Their goal was to help prepare local marine industries and the coast guard for what lay ahead. Unfortunately, as you can see in the video above, severe ice conditions caused by climate change forced the researchers to abort the first leg of their expedition.
The Hudson Bay System Study was stopped in its tracks when massive chunks of arctic ice blocked the research team’s path in northern Canada, where sea ice is normally thinner. Even their icebreaker ship, CCGS Amundsen, had problems navigating through the frozen waters.
Warmer temperatures from climate change cause arctic sea ice to thin and break apart. These ice chunks float southward towards Canada, creating problems for coastal industries. Additionally, the shifting ice flow makes sea transportation in the area significantly more dangerous and interferes with search and rescue missions.
Despite their failure this year, researchers are planning to reschedule their study for 2018.