Arctic Archipelago Marine Ecozone (CEC)

The Arctic Archipelago Marine Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is a marine ecozone in the Canadian Arctic, encompassing Hudson Bay, James Bay, the internal waters and some shores of the islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the shores of the territories, northern Ontario and western Quebec. Early exploration of these waters by Europeans were conducted to find a passage to the Orient, now referred to as the Northwest Passage.

It is inextricably tied to the terrestrial ecozones of the Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic, Hudson Plains, Taiga Shield, Taiga Plains, and Taiga Cordillera, as well as the marine ecozones of the Arctic Basin Marine and Northwest Atlantic Marine.

It is characterised by frigid, windy winters with average temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius, and summer temperatures typically near 10 degrees. The thick ice which cover the ecozone in the winter connect the islands and continental land with a continuous sheet that prevents navigation, but allows the migration of various animals. The ice partially melts during the summer, though ice floes are numerous in some parts. Polynyas may occur throughout the ecozone, but are most common near the Nares Strait in northern Baffin Bay.

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