Physical and Chemical Limnological Characteristics of 38 Lakes and Ponds on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic

The limnological features that characterize the shallow ponds (<2 m deep) and lakes (>2 m deep) on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada were examined through chemical analyses and multivariate statistical methods as part of a larger on-going survey to document and monitor environmental changes in these remote and sensitive areas. All sites were relatively oligotrophic and alkaline. Nutrient ratios indicated that nitrogen could be limiting algal growth to a greater degree than phosphorus in over 63% of the sites. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to explore the patterns of variation in the limnological dataset. The three dominant limnological gradients were: major ion content and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels along Axis 1; and pH along Axis 2.