In Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canadian hunters use decoy geese to attract birds.
Natalia Saprunova
The impact of global climate change is vividly portrayed in Natalia Saprunova’s stunning icy blue photographs, which feature in her award-winning series that secured the Emerging Scientist Editor’s Award at the Earth Photo 2026 competition.
Her images depict hunters from the Inuit community of Tuktoyaktuk, on Canada’s Arctic coast, skillfully using goose decoys to lure migratory birds. In the backdrop, a pale sky meets the shores of melting ice, accentuated by a scattering of faux birds. These traditional decoy methods, once crafted from reeds by Indigenous communities, are now challenged by rising temperatures affecting bird migration patterns, complicating hunting practices. Saprunova captures these transformations, focusing on the significant thawing of permafrost.
Below, Inuit individuals residing on Victoria Island interact with fish, a crucial food source that has been impacted by climate change. The thawing of permafrost leads to coastal erosion, which releases harmful substances like mercury into local fish habitats, jeopardizing essential food supplies.
In Uluqaktok, Victoria Island, residents manage fish, an essential community resource.
Natalia Saprunova
In the image below, Saprunova captures the evolving Arctic landscape, marked by sunken polygons filled with water and conical ice-covered hills. As permafrost melts, the terrain becomes unstable, complicating movement for animals like caribou. “The melting snow signifies more than just a change in temperature; it reshapes the maps that both wildlife and humans have depended on,” Saprunova shared in her award application.
Permafrost thaw dramatically alters the landscape near Tuktoyaktuk.
Natalia Saprunova
In her poignant imagery of Sachs Harbor, Saprunova showcases the alarming erosion of permafrost cliffs, with cracks dangerously unsettling structures nearby. The stark contrast between the orderly homes and the unstable landscape underscores the pressing reality of climate change faced by Arctic communities. Canada’s expansive Arctic coastline hosts some of the first potential climate refugees as their habitats become increasingly uninhabitable.
Eroding permafrost cliffs at Sachs Harbor, Banks Island.
Natalia Saprunova
Among her most striking images features Perry Island, known for its alarming disappearance. The melting permafrost emits greenhouse gases, further exacerbating global warming and hastening the degradation of the island. The stark black rock cliffs starkly contrast with the minuscule people against the water, highlighting the devastating impacts of climate change.
Perry Island, known as the disappearing island in northwestern Canada.
Natalia Saprunova
These impactful images are currently featured in an exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society in London, running until July 24th.
Topics:
- Climate Change/
- Photography
Source: www.newscientist.com
