The study effectively integrates data from Western Science and Inuvialuit Knowledge to assess environmental drivers of mercury trends. However, the reliance on simplified linear relationships in the modeling of environmental drivers (e.g., sea ice, SST, freshwater discharge) and their impact on mercury pathways may oversimplify complex nonlinear feedbacks. For instance, sea ice dynamics and their influence on mercury cycling likely involve threshold effects or feedback loops not captured by linear response functions.
Could the authors provide further discussion or evidence on whether alternative nonlinear models were considered during the parameterization process? This could clarify the robustness of the conclusions regarding the relative influence of environmental drivers on mercury bioaccumulation in beluga whales. Additionally, were sensitivity analyses conducted to evaluate the impact of these modeling assumptions on key findings? Such analyses would strengthen confidence in the ecological interpretations presented.