The proposed project builds on interest expressed by Inuit communities in Nunavut to assess the status and value of their marine benthic resources and prospects for their sustainable use in the context of food security and climate change. It aims to expand our understanding of nearshore benthic assemblages, with a focus on winter-spring processes occurring at sea-ice edges and on species of relevance to commercial and subsistence fisheries. Interlinked objectives will be dedicated to fundamental research, practical knowledge transfer and community mobilization. Field work is expected to take place in the summer/fall of 2022 and the winter/spring of 2023. The approach centers on the use of a portable remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed through holes in the sea ice to investigate the benthic community structure and diversity in two regions (Low vs High Arctic, specifically Sanikiluaq and Grise Fiord). The ROV will have minimal environmental impact; it will capture videos of the benthos and collect a few water, sediment and biological samples for analysis. Videos will be used for scientific analyses and to create education material; they will be shared with end users in the two localities. A complementary segment will assess methods best adapted for the collection and handling of key commercial species. Benthic life occurring underneath or close to inshore polynyas and landfast ice edges in the Arctic is an understudied topic. Findings thus have the potential to yield novel information on species interactions and benthic-pelagic coupling, including how birds and mammals both depend on and fuel the underlying benthos. The project brings together academic investigators (scientists and students), the territorial government, an NGO partner, an Inuit Birthright Corporation, the local Hunters and Trappers Organizations (HTOs), and other members of the Inuit communities. Ultimately it will produce conservation and technical guidelines for species that might be targeted for premium markets (seafood, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals). Moreover, the project will ground-truth the use of small-sized submersibles as a tool for research and capacity-building in areas where other methods would be too destructive or impractical (due to ice cover or shallow depth). Community leaders and youth will be the primary informants and participants in the project.