Integrated seabed mapping is an important prerequisite for effective management of offshore areas. With the rapidly expanding City of Iqaluit on its shores and mineral resources on nearby Hall Peninsula, Frobisher Bay will undoubtedly see new infrastructure development over the next several years. The 2014 field season marked the first of a two-year, collaborative, seabed-mapping project in the region. The purpose of the project is to improve understanding of the geology of Frobisher Bay and, ultimately, to support decision-making with respect to its seabed use. Using both legacy and newly acquired high-resolution seabed-morphology and geology data, the project will generate a suite of bathymetric and geological maps for the floor of Frobisher Bay. Initial results reveal three zones (outer, middle and inner) with distinctive seabed morphology and surficial geology, and extensive evidence of seabed-slope instability in the inner zone.
