Genelal description: Ice cores, samples of nilas and snow samples, under-ice water and a sample of frost flowers were taken in the Amundsen Gulf (Canadian Arctic) onboard the CCGS Amundsen. Methology: We used corer to collect ice cores and frost flowers and we used ice cage to collect nilas. We collected descriptive variables for the snow and frost flowers, ice cores and nilas, and for under ice water. For all samples, we measured pH, salinity and conductivity. Back in our university-based laboratories, we studied elemental composition of samples and we carried out scanning electron microscopy.

Benthic fauna were sampled at 78 stations between June and October from 2007 to 2011 onboard the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen. Station depths ranged from 34 to 1024 m, all below the average ice scouring zone. All faunal samples were collected with an Agassiz trawl (effective opening of 1.5 m and a 40 mm net mesh size, with a 5 mm cod end liner) with average trawling time and speed of 5 min and 1.5 knots, respectively.