These data sets provide information pertaining to shrimp and bycatch estimates associated with beam-trawling and trapping (2001-2002) in Clio Channel. Data sets were compiled and formatted by Meagan Mak.Abstract from report:As part of a project investigating possible modification of marine ecosystems by shrimp trawling and trapping, we enumerated beam trawl and prawn trap catches at two locations in Clio Channel, south -central coast of British Columbia. Beam trawl surveys were conducted in Bones Bay and Turnour Bay during October 2001 and January 2002, respectively, and a prawn trap survey was conducted in Turnour Bay during March 2002. Catch data from the two gear types are presented.

Greenland Sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) are estimated to have the highest longevity of any invertebrate (392 ± 120 years), making bycatch a significant concern (Nielsen et al. 2016). However, in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) region, accurate estimates of bycatch are not often available for the species (Simpson et al. 2021). To address this, species distribution models (SDMs) were generated to delineate habitat suitability for the species throughout the NL region in order to identify areas where a higher rate of bycatch is expected to occur.Observations of Greenland shark bycatch recorded by At-Sea Observers (ASOs) in NL (1983 – 2019), Spain (1999 – 2017), and by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Secretariat (2014 – 2019) were compiled to generate a presence-only dataset. Multiple environmental variables were assessed for collinearity, and non-collinear variables (Bathymetry and mean monthly bottom temperature for March and November (1990 – 2015)) were retained for use in the SDM. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) software was used to model habitat suitability because it is a presence-only modelling program that is able to account for a lack of absence data by comparing the environmental conditions at occurrence locations to those at randomly selected background points. Overall, the results indicated that habitat suitability for Greenland Shark was highest in deeper waters along the shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3OP, and the Laurentian Channel, but also extended along the edge of the Labrador shelf, the Grand Banks, and deeper areas along the continental shelf such as the Hawke Channel, Funk Island Deep, and the slopes of Saglek, Nain, and Hamilton Banks. Beyond the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and within the NAFO regulatory area (NRA), suitable habitat was also present within the Flemish Pass, and along the slope of the Flemish Cap and shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3NO (Simpson et al. 2021). More detailed information can be found in Simpson et al. 2021.References:Nielsen, J., R. B. Hedeholm, J. Heinemeier, P. G. Bushnell, J. S. Christiansen, J. Olsen, C. B. Ramsey, R. W. Brill, M. Simon, K. F. Steffensen, J. F. Steffensen. 2016. Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). Science 353 (6300):702-704Simpson, M. R., Gullage, L., Konecny, C., Ollerhead, N., Treble, M.A., Nogueira, A., González-Costas, F. 2021. Spatial-temporal variation in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) bycatch in the NAFO Regulatory Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 21/028

These data sets provide information pertaining to shrimp and bycatch estimates associated with otter-trawling and trapping (November, 2000) and beam-trawling (February, 2001) in Simoom Sound. Data sets were compiled and formatted by Meagan Mak.Abstract from report:As part of a project investigating possible modification of marine ecosystems by shrimp trawling and trapping, we obtained information on catches offish, shrimp, prawns , and bycatch organisms as well as weight, sex ratios , egg location and colIateral damage to several species of pandalids and eualids. Focusing on the humpback shrimp (Pandalus hypsinotus), we assessed damage to the rostrum, carapace, abdomen, and tail fan on specimens caught by beam trawling, otter trawling, and trapping. Data are given from a preliminary study conducted in Northumberland Channel in June 2000 and more comprehensive sampling from Simoom Sound in November 2000 and February 2001.

This project was completed by the Pelagics Section in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). As part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program, a historical research gillnet program was reinitiated in Placentia Bay. Four local fishers each set fleets of standardized nets to catch herring for 6 weeks during the spring. The data collected was used to update a time series and provide advice at the herring stock assessment in October 2022.  This program was continued in the 22/23 fiscal year. Data collected from this program included gillnet catch rates, bycatch, temperature and biological (herring) samples; from which biological metrics such as length, weight, sex, maturity and age were measured. This record contains catch data for 2018 to 2021, as well as biological data from 2018.

The purpose of the survey is to document and record habitat types and associated algae and marine invertebrate species in a variety of habitat types. Transect locations are randomly selected throughout the study area, which rotates between the north and south coasts of British Columbia on a biannual basis. Transects are laid perpendicular to the shoreline. A team of two divers swim the transect with data sheets to collect habitat, algae and marine invertebrate data as detailed below in the methods section. Data is keypunched in an MS Access database that can be queried for species observations and environmental information.This dataset includes three tables pulled from the original database containing observations by species, observations by quadrat, and additional header information for each observation. All three tables can be linked by the field HKey. Three lookup tables are included as well, one for algae, one for invertebrates, and one for substrates.

This dataset delineates areas for which registration is granted to one or more licensed trappers for the trapping of fur bearing animals under the BC Wildlife Act. Traplines are designated by a regional manager of the recreational fisheries and wildlife programs. The Wildlife Act regulates who may set a trap for, hunt, kill, take or capture a fur bearing animal within a trapline.

This dataset is a locational record of the meteorological input files publically available on Saskatchewan GeoHub that can be used with the Environmental Protection Agency approved Regulatory Model (AERMOD). Each file represents the meteorology over an area of the province while minimizing the influences of local terrain on air flow. Additional attribute information for each location includes coordinates and a link to download the AERMOD data as a zip file.The Air Quality Section of the Ministry of Environment uses air quality modelling to simulate how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere in order to help manage the air quality in the province. The models are used to estimate the impact of air pollutants emitted from emission sources, and are typically employed to determine whether existing or new proposed industrial facilities are or will be in compliance with the ambient air quality standards outlined in Table 20 of the province's Environmental Code, June 1, 2015 under The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010.  The information needed to run dispersion models consists primarily of emissions and meteorological data. Five years (2012-2016) of preprocessed meteorological datasets in an AERMOD ready format is publicly available. This file is contained in the downloadable zipped file. The zipped file contains five files: the SFC and PFL files are the AERMOD ready files required to run AERMOD (i.e., data, sensible heat flux, frictional velocity, potential temperature gradient, vertical velocity, mixing height, monin-obukhov length, surface roughness, Bowen ratio, albedo, scalar wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, precipitation, precipitation rate, relative humidity, surface pressure, and total cloud amounts); the DAT file contains the land use information (i.e., Surface roughness, Bowen ratio and albedo) chosen for each month in the SFC file; the KMZ file contains the wind rose for that location which can be used on Google Earth; and the PNG file contains various graphs of monthly or diurnal meteorological distribution (i.e., temperature, wind speed, daytime mixing heights and sensible heat flux, and stability) which can be used to help determine if that location is representative of the area proposed for modelling.  Please note: Since this data is newly developed, it is possible there may be issues with the data as it gets used in more applications. Ongoing changes, edits and updates may be made by the Air Quality Section of the Ministry of Environment. Is is recommended for any future modelling to download the latest version of the input files and not archive any input files on your own server for future use, unless this notification no longer exists. If there are any issues discovered with data in the zipped file, please contact Dennis Fudge at dennis.fudge@gov.sk.ca or at 306-519-7105. Your support will be greatly appreciated.  There may be times you feel that the input files are not representative of the proposed modelling domain due to the surrounding features (i.e., forest/agricultural or rural/urban) being different than those used to generate the input files. If that is the case, the modeler can generate the input modelling files themselves. The relevant files to generate these input files are available upon request. Please contact Dennis Fudge at dennis.fudge@gov.sk.ca or at 306-519-7105. 

Coastline segments indicating herring spawing sites along the coastline of British Columbia. Attribute information includes relative importance, spawing frequency and spawn index. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

An annual trawl survey is conducted in Southwestern Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy to assess the lobster stocks in the area. The survey is conducted with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center Ecosystem Survey Trawl (NEST), a small mesh trawl with a cod end liner, which ensures the capture of various sizes of lobster. The dimensions and location of the trawl are monitored and recorded throughout the tow using an electronic trawl mensuration system. In addition, water temperature and depth are also monitored. The target tow length is 1 kilometer which is tracked using an Olex marine charting system. Vessel crew, DFO science staff and a contracted at sea observer work together to perform required tasks and collect all relevant data. Catch from each tow is separated by species, weighed and counted. Length frequency data is collected on select groundfish and crab species and detailed morphometric data is collected on each lobster.PARAMETERS COLLECTED:Set information and profile - includes set date, time depth and locationCatch summary - weight and number caught of each speciesLength Freqeuncies - completed for up to 100 fish for selected speciesLobster Morphological Data - detailed data collected on each lobsterBottom TemperatureTrawl MetricsNOTES ON QUALITY CONTROL:Data is visually verified and double keypunched. On loading to Oracle, data is run through rigorous automated checks to verify data accuracy and integrity.SAMPLING METHODS:The target tow length is 1 kilometer which is tracked using an Olex marine charting system. Vessel crew, DFO science staff and a contracted at sea observer work together to perform required tasks and collect all relevant data. Catch from each tow is separated by species, weighed and counted. Length frequency data is collected on select groundfish and crab species, detailed morphometric data is collected on each lobster. Bottom temperature and trawl metrics are collected for each tow.CITATION LIST:Denton, Cheryl M.. 2020. Maritimes Region Inshore Lobster Trawl Survey Technical Description. Canadian technical reports of fisheries and aquatic sciences (DFO) 3376.

Plankton (zooplankton and large phytoplankton) are collected using the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) in the Northwest (NW) Atlantic along tracks transited by container ships from Reykjavik (Iceland) to St. John’s, NL (the Z line), and between St. John’s and the New England Coast, along the Scotian Shelf (the E and MD lines). The CPR Survey is the longest running, most geographically extensive marine ecological survey in the world, providing comparable data on the geographical distribution, seasonal cycles and year-to-year changes in abundance of plankton over a large spatial area. The first northwest Atlantic samples were collected in the Irminger Sea in 1957, and sampling was extended farther west to the Scotian Shelf a few years later. Sampling has continued to the present with some interruptions during the late 1970s and 1980s. Sampling is nominally once per month along the E, MD, and Z lines. DFO Sample collection and analysis are led by the Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey program at the Marine Biological Association of the UK. DFO provides partial support for the northwest Atlantic survey carried out on the E, MD, and Z lines and incorporates CPR data in Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program ocean environmental status reporting.