Off-roading!

Working in the Canadian Arctic means that sample collection often comes with some amazing views! This image was taken on the bay in front of the town of Ikaluktutiak, Nunavut (which can be seen in the background) after a day of riding ATVs out on over 6ft of ice! My research focuses on seasonal acclimation of heart function and the regulation of adrenaline, a central hormone involved in the 'fight-or-flight' response evoked in stressful situations, in several Arctic fishes. The day this image was taken we were fishing for Greenland cod through natural cracks in the ice to be used for my experiment. Once the cod were caught, they were anaesthetized and hooked up to an electrocardiogram to monitor their heart function with rapid warming, all of which was set-up directly on the ice! This information is useful as it provides us with some insight on what challenges these fishes might face with the continued rapid warming occurring in the Arctic.