The proposed project is part of a PhD project at Université du Québec à Rimouski, partly funded by Polar Knowledge Canada under the Northern Scientific Training Program. It consists of a sampling campaign that would take place in the coastal area near Kugluktuk community at the beginning of august. Dates are flexible depending on the availability of local guides. The PhD research project is an assessment of trace metals (notably heavy metals) contamination in marine sediment of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), with a special interest for areas close to northern communities. It will provide baseline information on the CAA seafloor chemical composition and will help to determine the ecological risk associated to trace metals contamination. Data collected for this project and resulting information will hopefully provide new insights on this environmental concern and support communities and government authorities with future decisions. During the proposed sampling campaign, we will collect surface marine sediment with a grab sampler (possibly a Van Veen type) in an area close to Kugluktuk coast. Number of samples will vary between 10 and 20, depending on the type of sediment. In collaboration with a local guide, sampling will be carried out using a zodiac/boat. Results will be presented at workshops and conferences and will result in a publication in a scientific journal.