The data in this dataset represent an amalgamation of sea turtle sighting, stranding, and entrapment events, mainly near Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.This document summarises the detection events data for Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and Green (Chelonia mydas) Turtles that has been collected from opportunistic and systematic survey sources, plus stranding and entrapment records, in the waters of NL from 1946 to 2023. To a much lesser extent there are also detection records for the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Scotian Shelf, and northeastern U.S. waters.These detection records are mostly derived from opportunistic reports, so there are rarely data for a report that includes measures of the observer effort expended to make the detection, and rarely associated imagery. During DFO aerial surveys there are measures of effort in most cases, enabling the turtle sightings reports to be used in habitat modelling (e.g., Mosnier et al. 2018).Most of the information variables (such as “Date”, “Latitude”, “Longitude”, “Number of Animals”) have been obtained from the detection report. In some cases data for variables such as “Location Reliability”, “ID Reliability”, “Platform”, and “Strand or Entrapment Outcome” were derived from interpretation of the comments associated with the report, if available. For description of the variables in the dataset see the Data Dictionary.References:Mosnier, A., Gosselin, J.-F., Lawson, J., Plourde, S., and Lesage, V. 2018. Predicting seasonal occurrence of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in eastern Canadian waters from turtle and sunfish (Mola mola) sighting data and habitat characteristics. Can. J. Zool. 97: 464-478. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2018-0167

A Railroad Crossing is where the road surface is common to both the Railway Authority and the Ministry of Transportation Road Network; also includes overhead and under passes. It is a Point feature

This layer represents the seasonal distribution of St. Lawrence Estuary beluga whale population (Delphinapterus leucas). Summer distribution is based on many surveys conducted between the end of August and early September. Fall and winter distributions are based on aerial surveys conducted during mid-October, November and from December to March 1989-1990. Spring distribution is based on anecdotal reports and two aerial surveys conducted in late April and early June 1990.Beluga whale seasonal distribution can change according to sea ice cover, predation risk and food availability. This layer represents the general seasonal distribution and does not account for the sexual segregation among males and females in the St. Lawrence Estuary.This layer do not represent the beluga's critical habitat. See the data layer “Beluga whale critical habitat in the Saguenay River and the St. Lawrence Estuary” (https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/fdfef550-b94c-466c-9dcb-24c297c00e3e). Data source : Mosnier, A., Lesage, V., Gosselin, J.-F., Lemieux Lefebvre, S., Hammill, M. O., Doniol-Valcroze, T. 2010. Information relevant to the documentation of habitat use by St. Lawrence beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), and quantification of habitat quality. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec., Res. Doc. 2009/098. iv + 35 p.

In 2022, the federal government launched the second phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, a vast interdepartmental program designed to enhance marine safety in Canada by improving our ability to prevent and respond to marine incidents. For the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), this means filling gaps in our knowledge of marine and coastal bird species. In order to identify these gaps for the province of Quebec, we carried out a prioritization exercise in 2022. We concluded that major efforts needed to be made in the Nunavik marine region, since data were lacking in several sectors and for several species. Understanding the vulnerability of wildlife species over time and space will help us, among other things, to assess risks and act quickly and appropriately in the event of incidents affecting the marine environment, such as an oil spill or shipwreck. Another important objective of the Oceans Protection Plan is to implement sustainable partnerships with the Inuit in order to share our respective knowledge of migratory birds, develop joint projects and support Inuit-led marine bird projects.It is in this context that aerial inventories aimed at identifying avian diversity, counting seabirds and coastal birds and better understanding their distribution at different times of the year have been taking place in Nunavik since 2023. These inventories are particularly aimed at sites of large gatherings, such as molting and staging areas, where birds are more vulnerable. During flights, the crew scans the sea, bays, river mouths and coasts for single birds or groups of birds. When birds are spotted, the number of individuals is estimated and a formal identification is made to the most precise taxonomic level possible, usually species or genus. In some cases, particularly for species that are more difficult to identify or in the case of very large groups, high-resolution photographs are taken to confirm identifications and estimates of the number of individuals a posteriori. Where possible, individuals are identified by age and sex. For the purposes of these inventories, flight-capable birds are considered adults unless immature plumage is easily identifiable from a moving aircraft. Thus, most ducks, as well as shorebirds, are considered adults as soon as they are able to fly. Occasionally, the aircraft lands on the ground for short periods to allow the team to refine the identification of the species, genus and age of the birds. These observations are then included in the database. Observations made over land, during various trips, are also recorded opportunistically.Source to quote : Canadian Wildlife Service - Quebec Region. Aerial surveys of marine and coastal birds in Nunavik. Data collected as part of the Oceans Protection Plan. Version October 2025.

Electromagnetic anomalies represent anomalies resulting from aerial geophysical surveys.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

PURPOSE:Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) rely on sea ice as habitat throughout their life history and inhabit a broad latitudinal range with diverse sea-ice conditions. Anthropogenic climate warming is triggering poleward species redistributions, highlighting the importance of understanding how species distributions and abundance vary along latitudinal gradients. Using ringed seals as a model species, the purpose was to estimate density via aerial surveys along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern Canadian Arctic to investigate latitudinal trends in the ringed seals response to regional variation in sea-ice conditions. DESCRIPTION:Ringed seals (Pusa hispida) rely on sea ice as habitat throughout their life history and inhabit a broad latitudinal range with diverse sea-ice conditions, making them a model species to study patterns in density along a spatial-environmental gradient. We estimated the density of ringed seals from systematic aerial surveys along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern Canadian Arctic to investigate latitudinal trends in the ringed seals response to regional variation in sea-ice conditions. Ringed seals exhibited similar densities at lower and intermediate latitudes, while higher latitudes displayed an order of magnitude lower ringed seal density. This shift is concurrent with the transition in ice conditions from predominantly first-year ice at lower latitudes to primarily multiyear ice at higher latitudes. These findings indicate that the variation in icescapes across the ringed seal’s vast range influences their density. The shift in sea-ice conditions may also have consequences for biological productivity that supports their diet. Our results highlight a likely non-uniform response of ringed seals to ongoing sea-ice recession across the Arctic.

Data were collected during aerial surveys carried out at low tides in June and August 1994-1997, 2000 and 2001. June and August are respectively pupping and moulting seasons, when the haulout sites are intensively used by seals. Features in this layer show the Grey seal distribution and mean abundance for all aerial surveys (tables 4 and 6, figures 4 and 6 from Robillard et al. 2005). In the estuary, areas of high abundance have more than 25 individuals, areas of medium abundance have between 5 and 25 individuals and areas of low abundance have fewer than 5 individuals. In the Gulf, areas of high abundance have more than 70 individuals and areas of medium to low abundance have fewer than 70 individuals.Data are valid only during summer because Grey seals in the Estuary and northern Gulf migrate to the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in the fall. These seals will spend the winter on Sable Island, on the ice shelf in the Northumberland Strait or on neighboring islands. During the summer, in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, its distribution is not uniform between the different concentration areas identified, but it is similar between June and August. However, there are some areas where Grey seals are more abundant in August than in June. Abundance classes are arbitrary but fit with the published results of haul-out sites utilization from Robillard et al. (2005). Data shown are a picture of the situation in 2005 because it is the most recent mapping available for this species.Data sources and references:Lavigueur, L., Hammill, M.O., and Asselin, S. 1993. Distribution et biologie des phoques et autres mammifères marins dans la région du parc marin du Saguenay. Rapp. manus. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 2220: vi + 40.Lesage, V., and Hammill, M.O. 2001. The status of the grey seal, Halichoerus grypus, in the Northwest Atlantic. Can. Field-Nat. 115(4): 653-662.Robillard, A., V. Lesage, and M.O. Hammill. 2005. Distribution and abundance of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1994–2001. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2613: 152 pp.

The Department of Fisheries established a survey of demersal juvenile Atlantic cod (*Gadus morhua*) in the nearshore (<10 m deep) in 1959. This survey aimed to characterize the distribution and abundance of juvenile Atlantic cod and was based upon Norway's Flodevigen sampling program which has been conducted continuously since 1919. A 25 m seine was used to sample juvenile Atlantic cod nursery locations on the Avalon Peninsula and Northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland in September and October. The survey continued until 1964 and became known as the Fleming survey, after original initiator Alistair Fleming. The survey was reinstated by Memorial University of Newfoundland from 1992 to 1997. Multiple tows were conducted at a subset of the original 55 Fleming sites located in St. Mary's Bay, Trepassey Bay, the Southern Shore, Conception Bay, Trinity Bay, Bonavista Bay, Gander Bay, New World Island, Fortune Harbour, Badger Bay, Halls Bay and Green Bay.This data set includes several different subsets, some of which span both Fleming Survey periods (1959-1964 and 1992-1997):I. JuvCodCatch60s90s:Catches of juvenile Atlantic cod (1959-1964, 1992-1997) from the first two consecutive tows at each site. This is a summary based on JuvCodLengths90s and FlemingSurveyData60s;II. JuvCodLength90s:Lengths of all individual juvenile Atlantic cod caught for each site (1992-1997);III. SiteEnvData60s90s:Station data for Fleming data 1992-1997;IV. FlemingSurveyData60s:Fleming survey data from 1959-1964 (note there are three record types pertaining to: station data "type 1"; general species catch data including juvenile Atlantic cod grouped by age class ("1+", "Zeroes", and "Total") "type 2; and juvenile Atlantic cod (species 223) listed in length bins "type 3"; andV. FlemingBycatch60s92to96:Bycatch data from 1959-1964 & 1992-1996 from first two tows at each site. This is a summary based partly on the FlemingSurveyData60s set.

The Ocean Data Inventory database is an inventory of all of the oceanographic time series data held by the Ocean Science Division at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. The data archive includes about 5800 current meter and acoustic doppler time series, 4500 coastal temperature time series from thermographs, as well as a small number (200) of tide gauges. Many of the current meters also have temperature and salinity sensors. The area for which there are data is roughly defined as the North Atlantic and Arctic from 30° - 82° N, although there are some minor amounts of data from other parts of the world. The time period is from 1960 to present. The database is updated on a regular basis.

In 1998, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published an atlas called "Traditional Fisheries Knowledge for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence". The document is composed of a series of maps that contain useful information primarily on nearshore fisheries and fish habitat in the eastern shore of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Gulf Shore of Nova Scotia. It was used as a working tool to assist in the development of integrated coastal zone management plans, resource management plans, and more.Between 1994 and 1997, data collectors and fishery officers interviewed local fishers and industry representatives. The purpose of these interviews was primarily to gain information on local fishing activities and the location of fisheries' resources and their habitats. The data and information was vetted through a process of verification with scientists, fishers, locals, industry representatives, and government officials. Maps were then compiled for 14 commercially important fish species and made publicly available to consult. These include lobster, rock crab, scallop, snow crab, toad crab, herring, mackerel, American plaice, cod, witch flounder (grey sole), hake, halibut, winter flounder, and unspecified groundfish. This data resource also includes the other 27 species originally not included in the atlas.