Much of the research within TRACES is situated in the Amittuq region--home to Igloolik, a vibrant Inuit community with a long, dynamic history of subsistence harvesting. This is evidenced by (1) detailed oral histories imbued with lasting Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and (2) abundant archaeological evidence in the form of pre-modern dwellings, middens (deposits of harvested animal bones) and other features and materials--many visible on the surface.

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Importantly, the rich harvesting tradition--particularly of marine mammals, such as the Atlantic walrus (aivik; ᐊᐃᕕᖅ), ringed seal (nattiq; ᓇᑦᑎᖅ), bearded seal (ugjuk; ᐅᒡᔪᒃ) and three varieties of whale--continues to this day in Igloolik and the nearby Inuit hamlet of Sanirajak (ᓴᓂᕋᔭᒃ / 'Place along the coast'; pop. approx. 891ᵃ). In both communities, the harvest--currently co-managed with local, territorial and federal organizations--not only helps alleviate food insecurity, but reinforces generations of cultural tradition.

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Key to the ecological productivity of the region is the presence of a system of recurring polynyas--relatively warm patches of open water or moving pack ice in marine areas otherwise frozen solid in winter months. These cold-season oases are prime habitat for the phytoplankton sustaining complex food webs, including the marine mammals that have sustained Amitturmiut for generations.