How changing winter ice conditions around Prince Edward Island (Canada) are letting the sea eat into its shores

Photo courtesy of Aaron Adetuyi/CBC. Retrieved from cbc.ca

The amount and duration of shore ice around Prince Edward Island has been changing in recent years, and researchers say shorter seasons are a concern because the ice provides a protective shield against winter storms and erosion.

The last two winters saw lighter ice conditions than historic normal levels. This winter, the ice was thicker, but it didn’t form until February, almost six weeks later than it used to.

“The past five years in particular have been very low on sea ice around Prince Edward Island… That’s definitely unusual compared to our historical record,” said Genevieve Keefe, a PhD candidate at UPEI’s School for Climate Change and Adaptation.

“One thing that we’re concerned about is coastal erosion,” Keefe said. “The sea ice provides kind of a barrier to the wind and the waves during the winter.

If we don’t have any sea ice during the winter, then our coast is essentially exposed for an additional three months during the year​​​​​​.— Genevieve Keefe, UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation

“Whenever we have winter storms that come in, that sea ice kind of can protect the shore from that wind and that waves if it’s there during the winter. But if we don’t have any sea ice during the winter, then our coast is essentially exposed for an additional three months during the year.”