PURPOSE:From August 1st to September 11th, 2014, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a baseline survey of marine fishes and their habitats in the southern Canadian Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf as part of the Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment (BREA) called the Beaufort Sea Marine Fishes Project (BSMFP). Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at 54 stations along 14 transects. Standardized sampling was conducted at pre-determined depth stations (20-1500 m) using benthic trawling nets. The BSMFP is the first research project to use large research trawls to assess the biodiversity and abundance of offshore marine fishes in this area. In total, 42 species of fish were caught. This report contains information on fishing net deployments, catch per unit effort (CPUE), and basic biological data for all fishes caught.DESCRIPTION:Basic biological data for all fish caught during the 2014 BSMFP expedition. Includes identification, weight, length (total, fork, and, standard), liver weight, gonad weight, sex and maturity level. PARAMETERS COLLECTED:familyspeciesweighttotal lengthfork lengthstandard lengthliver weightgonad weightsexmaturitySAMPLING METHODS:Various trawl types.

PURPOSE:From August 2nd to September 9th, 2013, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a baseline survey of marine fishes and their habitats in the southern Canadian Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf as part of the Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment (BREA) called the Beaufort Sea Marine Fishes Project (BSMFP). Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at 53 stations along 8 transects. Standardized sampling was conducted using benthic trawling nets. The BSMFP is the first research project to use a large research trawls to assess the biodiversity and abundance of offshore marine fishes in this area. In total, 48 species of fish were caught, one of which was a new occurrence in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, Lycodes lavalaei. DESCRIPTION:Basic biological data for all fish caught during the 2013 BSMFP expedition. Includes identification, weight, length (total, fork, and, standard), liver weight, gonad weight, sex and maturity level. PARAMETERS COLLECTED:familyspeciesweighttotal lengthfork lengthstandard lengthliver weightgonad weightsexmaturitySAMPLING METHODS:Various trawl types.

These datasets show commercial fisheries catch weight landings of directed fisheries and bycatch from the Scotian Shelf, the Bay of Fundy, and Georges Bank from NAFO Divisions 4VWX and the Canadian portions of 5Y and 5Z. Atlantic Canadian inter-regional maps of four species (Atlantic Halibut, Bluefin Tuna, Redfish and Scallop) are also included from NAFO Divisions 4RST, 3KLMNOP, and 2GHJ. Five-year composite maps (2014–2018) that aggregate catches for each map series are publicly available. The maps aggregate catch weight (kg) per 10 km2 hexagon grid cell for selected species, species groupings and gear types to identify important fishing areas. These maps may be used for decision making in coastal and oceans management, including marine spatial planning, environmental emergency response operations and protocols, Marine Stewardship Council certification processes, marine protected area networks, and ecological risk assessment.These datasets have been filtered to comply with the Government of Canada's privacy policy. Privacy assessments were conducted to identify NAFO unit areas containing data with less than five vessel IDs, licence IDs or fisher IDs. If this threshold was not met, catch weight locations were withheld from these unit areas to protect the identity or activity of individual vessels or companies.Maps were created for the following species, species groupings and gear types:1. Groundfish (all species)2. Groundfish Bottom Trawl3. Groundfish Gillnet4. Groundfish Bottom Longline5. Groundfish (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)6. Atlantic Cod7. Atlantic Cod, Haddock and Pollock8. Flatfish9. Atlantic Halibut10. Greenland Halibut (Turbot)11. Hagfish12. Cusk13. Dogfish14. Redfish15. Red Hake16. Silver Hake17. White Hake18. Monkfish19. Sculpin20. Skate21. Wolffish22. Squid23. Herring24. Mackerel25. Large Pelagics26. Bluefin Tuna27. Other Tuna28. Swordfish29. Porbeagle, Mako and Blue Shark30. Snow Crab31. Other Crab32. Scallop33. Scallop (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)34. Offshore Clam35. Shrimp36. Offshore Lobster37. Disputed Zone Area 38B Lobster38. Whelk

The objective of this project was to gather data to develop a model of the food web of the lower trophic levels of the nearshore area of the Beaufort Sea. Sampling took place from 2005 to 2008 using the CCGS Nahidik. The multidisciplinary character of the Nahidik program produced measurements of biology/ecology (primary production, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish), chemical and physical oceanography, contaminants, geology and hydro acoustics. The data were collected in July and August of each year. The Nahidik program provided data to provide a baseline for future studies as well as an information source for environmental assessment.

PURPOSE:This Archer fiord data is associated with a larger program ArcticCORE, which was created to fulfill knowledge gaps and develop long term protection in the extremely remote Tuvaijuittuq region. The main objectives of this expedition were to improve our comprehension of the key drivers for productive capacity, diversity and ecosystem structure in areas connected to Baffin Bay and Tuvaijuittuq, including Archer fiord.DESCRIPTION:ArcticCORE is a 5-year broader program aiming to characterize Tuvaijuittuq’s unique ecosystem and its influence and connectivity with the adjacent ecosystems to inform sustainable management and conservation initiatives in Tuvaijuittuq and the eastern Arctic. In an Arctic Ocean with rapidly declining sea ice, Tuvaijuittuq area retains the oldest and thickest sea ice, and can act as a refuge for ice-dependent species. This program aims to characterize the Arctic marine ecosystem and establish baseline measurements for future comparisons in the region. From 2023, water collection was carried out at four stations throughout Archer Fiord and analyzed for primary productivity, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton flow cytometry and phytoplankton taxonomy down to the lowest identifiable level. These data will contribute to a better understanding of the key drivers for productive capacity, diversity and ecosystem structure in Archer fiord. Characterization of these upstream areas are relevant for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in Baffin Bay, a priority for DFO and an intrinsic part of mandated activities, as they influence the ecosystem and fisheries resources downstream.

This dataset provides a Canada-wide map of vegetation height and the delineation of the northern forest limit. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). Vegetation height estimates were derived from ICESat-2 LiDAR observations, integrated with Landsat time series and topographic variables to model spatial patterns. The northern forest limit represents the transition between boreal forest and tundra, an ecologically significant zone for monitoring climate change impacts and biodiversity. Vegetation height was modeled for six time-periods including 1985-1995, 1990-2000, 1995-2005, 2000-2010, 2005-2015 and 2010-2021. Predictions for each time period represent the median conditions for that period. Predictions of height and the probability of canopy presence were generated using Random Forests models trained on spaceborne-lidar data collected by ICESat-2 from 2019-2021 and overlapping Landsat satellite imagery from 2010-2021. These Random Forests models were then applied to the entire archive of Landsat imagery, representing a period of ~35 years. This dataset provides spatially explicit prediction of vegetation height (m) along the Canadian northern forest limit at 30 m spatial resolution. Pixels with a low (< 50 %) probability of containing a vegetation canopy have been assigned a height of 0 m. The science and methods for this dataset were the result of a collaboration between the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada, partnered with the Integrated Remote Sensing Studio (IRSS) in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia. When using this data, please cite: Travers-Smith, H., Coops, N. C., Mulverhill, C., Wulder, M. A., Ignace, D., Lantz, T. C. (2024). Mapping vegetation height and identifying the northern forest limit across Canada using ICESat-2, Landsat time series and topographic data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 305, 114097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114097 (Travers-Smith et al. 2024). Additional details outlining application of the model to the time-series of Landsat data can be found here: Travers-Smith, H., Coops, N., Mulverhill, C., Wulder, M. A., Lantz, T. C., Ignace, D. (2025). Satellite observations reveal stable forest limits and shrub expansion across the Canadian forest-tundra ecotone. Environmental Research Letters, 20(10). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/adfc7f (Travers-Smith et al. 2025).

Basic biological data for all fish caught during the 2012 BSMFP expedition. Includes identification, weight, length (total, fork, and, standard), liver weight, gonad weight, sex and maturity level.

Catch, effort, location (latitude, longitude), relative abundance indices, and associated biological data from groundfish multi-species bottom trawl surveys in Strait of Georgia.IntroductionThe Strait of Georgia (SOG) synoptic bottom trawl survey was conducted in 2012 and 2015. This survey is one of a set of long-term and coordinated surveys that together cover the continental shelf and upper slope of most of the British Columbia coast. The other surveys are the Queen Charlotte Sound (QCS) survey, the Hecate Strait (HS) survey, the West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) survey and the West Coast Haida Gwaii (WCHG) survey. The survey was not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of these surveys are to provide fishery independent abundance indices of all demersal fish species available to bottom trawling and to collect biological samples of selected species. The surveys follow a random depth-stratified design and the sampling units are 2 km by 2 km blocks. The synoptic bottom trawl surveys are conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in collaboration with the Canadian Groundfish Research and Conservation Society (CGRCS), a non-profit society composed of participants in the British Columbia commercial groundfish trawl fishery. The Queen Charlotte Sound and West Coast Haida Gwaii surveys are conducted under collaborative agreements, with the CGRCS providing chartered commercial fishing vessels and field technicians, while DFO provides in-kind contributions for running the surveys including personnel and equipment. The Hecate Strait, West Coast Vancouver Island, and Strait of Georgia surveys are conducted by DFO and have typically taken place on a Canadian Coast Guard research vessel. Until 2016 this vessel was the CCGS W.E. Ricker. From 2021 onwards, this vessel was the CCGS Sir John Franklin. In years when a coast guard vessel has not been available, the Hecate Strait, West Coast Vancouver Island, and Strait of Georgia surveys have taken place on chartered industry vessels. Data from these surveys are also presented in the groundfish data synopsis report (Anderson et al. 2019).EffortThis table contains information about the survey trips and fishing events (trawl tows/sets) that are part of this survey series. Trip-level information includes the year the survey took place, a unique trip identifier, the vessel that conducted the survey, and the trip start and end dates (the dates the vessel was away from the dock conducting the survey). Set-level information includes the date, time, location, and depth that fishing took place, as well as information that can be used to calculate fishing effort (duration) and swept area. All successful fishing events are included, regardless of what was caught.CatchThis table contains the catch information from successful fishing events. Catches are identified to species or to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Most catches are weighed, but some are too small (“trace” amounts) or too large (e.g. very large Big Skate). The unique trip identifier and set number are included so that catches can be related to the fishing event information (including capture location).BiologyThis table contains the available biological data for catches which were sampled. Data may include any or all of length, sex, weight, age. Different length types are measured depending on the species. Age structures are collected when possible for species where validated aging methods exist and are archived until required for an assessment; therefore, all existing structures have not been aged at this time. The unique trip identifier and set number are included so that samples can be related to the fishing event and catch information.BiomassThis table contains relative biomass indices of species that have been captured in every survey of the time series. The coefficient of variation and bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals are provided for each index. The groundfish data synopsis report (Anderson et al. 2019) provides an explanation of how the relative biomass indices are derived.

Zooplankton data collected during surveys conducted in the central and northern Strait of Georgia, 1996-2018.

In this dataset, we share maps of annual dominant tree species (also known as leading tree species) from 1984-2022 covering the entirety of Canada's 650 Mha forested ecosystems using Landsat time-series imagery at a 30-m spatial resolution. It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). Classifications are based on regionally representative Random Forests model using local training samples from Canada's National Forest Inventory (Hermosilla et al., 2024). Descriptive metrics provide information on spectral, geographic, climatic, and topographic characteristics. Initial annual tree species classifications were subjected to a time series post-classification process using the forward-backward Hidden Markov Model to improve the temporal consistency of tree species transitions within the time series. Assessment of the annual species maps using independent validation data resulted in an overall accuracy of 86.1% ± 0.14% (95%-confidence interval). These data allow consistent comparison of trends and rates of change in tree species composition nationally and across regions using a common time frame, spatial resolution, and analytical approach.Hermosilla, T., Wulder, M.A., White, J.C., Coops, N.C., Bater, C.W., Hobart, G.W., 2024. Characterizing long-term tree species dynamics in Canada's forested ecosystems using annual time series remote sensing data. Forest Ecology and Management, 122313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122313 (Hermosilla et al. 2024)