An exploratory project on the taxonomic and genetic diversity of decapods in three ocean subregions (Northeast Pacific, Canadian Arctic, and Northwest Atlantic), which were sampled in 2022, was undertaken by the Arctic Working Group under the Canada-U.S. Fisheries and Climate Collaboration between Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This collaboration framework aims to pool Canadian and U.S. data to explore the impacts of broad-scale climate change on marine biodiversity. In early summer 2022, a sampling protocol with the selection of targeted decapods was provided to DFO and NOAA collaborators. Targeted genera were collected from a total of 10 research programs across three ocean subregions and four marine regions. The Northeast Pacific samples were collected in the Bering Sea during the Northern Bering Sea Ecosystem and Surface Trawl Survey, and the Eastern and Northern Bering Sea Continental Shelf Bottom Trawl Survey of Groundfish and Invertebrate Fauna onboard the F/V Northwest Explorer, F/V Alaska Knight and F/V Vesteraalen. In the Western Canadian Arctic (mainly from Beaufort Sea and Amundsen Gulf), specimens were collected during DFO’s Canadian Beaufort Sea – Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA) survey onboard the F/V Frosti. In Eastern Canadian Arctic (mainly from Baffin Bay and Davis Strait), specimens were collected during DFO’s Knowledge and Ecosystem-Based Approach in Baffin Bay (KEBABB) survey onboard the CCGS Amundsen and DFO’s North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Subarea 0B survey onboard the R/V Tarajoq. In the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL), specimens were collected from coastal surveys (scallops, sea cucumber, snow crab, and whelk surveys) onboard the CCGS Leim and offshore during the Ecosystemic Survey onboard the CCGS Teleost. Decapods were collected from various sampling gears (benthic beam trawl, modified Atlantic Western IIA otter trawl, Bacalao trawl, shrimp trawl, Digby scallop dredge, or modified sea cucumber dredge) and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and photographed, when possible. All specimens were frozen at sea (n = 995). In the lab, the identifications were validated or refined with the photos and the frozen specimens. DNA was extracted for 87 specimens and a section of COI gene was amplified in order to be sequenced using Sanger method. Sequences were compared with existing data using The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) in the National Center for Bio-technology Information Nucleotide database (NCBI-nt, including the GenBank database) to compare scientific names, where available.The present dataset includes 391 decapod species occurrences. DNA was extracted for a subset of 87 specimens (COI gene); sequences are publicly available on BOLD data portal under project code DDAO (see supporting document "citations_references.csv" for more information).The data are presented in Darwin Core format and are separated in three files:The "Activité_décapodes_DDAO_decapods_event_en" file contains information about missions, stations and deployments, which are presented under a hierarchical activity structure.The "Occurrence_décapodes_DDAO_decapods_en" file contains the taxonomic occurrences.The "ADN_décapodes_DDAO_decapods_DNA_en" file contains the DNA derived data.For further details, please refer to the technical report available in the supporting document named "citations_references.csv". USE LIMITATION:To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered in commercial and recreational fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to porbeagle sharks from 2005 to 2021 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada and the Faroe Islands on commercial, recreational and scientific charters, typically in summer and fall but some over winter when the porbeagle commercial fishery was active in Canada. A variety of tag models were deployed: PAT 4 (n=1), Mk10 (N=41), and MiniPAT (N=15) and 51 of 57 tags reported. One individual shark was recaptured and the physical tag was returned. The porbeagle sharks tagged ranged in size from 76 cm to 249 cm Fork Length (curved); 42 were female, 15 were male. Time at liberty ranged from 4 – 356 days and 14 tags remained on for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

The greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is occasionally encountered in commercial fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to greenland sharks from 2006 to 2009 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial vessels throughout the year and in Cumberland Sound (Pangirtung) on a scientific expedition in April 2008. A variety of tag models were deployed: PAT 4 (n=1) and Mk10 (N=15) and 14 of 16 tags reported. Greenland sharks tagged ranged in size from 250 cm to 549 cm Total Length (curved); 3 were female, 9 were male, and 4 were of unknown sex. Time at liberty ranged from 48 – 350 days and 9 tags remained on the sharks for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

This resource documents a dataset of epifauna occurrences collected in 2021 during The Knowledge and Ecosystem-Based Approach in Baffin Bay (KEBABB) program developed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in collaboration with university partners. The overall objective of KEBABB is to characterize the variability and trends in physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic conditions and food webs supporting fisheries in the connected ecosystems of western Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound. In 2021, DFO expanded the KEBABB program to Barrow Strait (KEBABS-Knowledge and Ecosystem-Based Approach in Barrow Strait), a key productive area of the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area. The study took place in the Eastern Canadian Arctic (mainly in Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and Barrow Strait). Sampling is done along transects at fixed stations in the study area. Catches are collected with a 1.5 m Agassiz trawl (5 mm mesh net) for 3 minutes bottom-contact time at a target speed of 1.5 knots and with a 3 m benthic beam trawl (6.4 mm mesh net) for 15 minutes bottom-contact time at a target speed of 3 knots. A total of 16 stations were sampled for epifauna in 2021 between 85-850 m depth. Epibenthic invertebrates are identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and photographed. All unknown specimens are frozen. In the lab, the identifications are validated or refined with the photos and the frozen specimens.The data are presented in Darwin Core and are separated in two files:The “Activité_épifaune_KEBABB_epifauna_event_en” file which contains information about missions, stations and deployments, which are presented under a hierarchical activity structure.The “Occurrence_épifaune_KEBABB_epifauna_en” file that contains the taxonomic occurrences.Further details on sampling can be found in the following report: Pućko, M., Charette, J., Tremblay P., Brulotte S., St-Denis B., Ciastek S., Hedges, K., Kuzyk, Z., Roy V., and Michel, C. 2022. An ecosystem-based approach in the eastern Arctic: KEBABB/S (Knowledge and Ecosystem-Based Approach in Baffin Bay/Barrow Strait) 2021 expedition report. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3250: viii + 58 p. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2022/mpo-dfo/Fs97-4-3250-eng.pdfUSE LIMITATION:To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

Records of marine mammal sightings (N = 5,324) collected by ASOs and submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) between 1979-2024, across three DFO regions: the Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Maritimes. Methods for initial data compilation are provided in the associated technical report "Marine mammal records collected by the at-sea observer (ASO) program in Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Maritimes regions: a summary of challenges and opportunities for future research." Cite this data as: Feyrer, L.J., Colbourne, N., Lawson, J.W., Moors-Murphy, H.B., Ferguson, S. Dataset update to Marine mammal records collected by the At-Sea Observer program in Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador and Maritimes regions. Published: February 2025. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S.

Funded under DFO's Marine Conservation Targets Program in partnership with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC), this diver-based imagery and sample collection benthic survey documents the occurrence of sponges at 42 dive sites in the Eastern Shore Islands (ESI) Area of Interest (AOI, ~2089 km2) off the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada from dive surveys conducted in summer 2021 and 2022. Water quality, species occurrences and counts, habitat, slope, and substrate characteristics were catalogued through diver log sheets, camera imagery, specimen vouchers, and high-resolution bathymetric data. A total of 54 dives to depths from 11 to 33 m (below sea level), collecting up to 147 still images, one-hour of video, and 17 specimen samples per site, resulted in 220 observations for 27 different sponge taxa. This included three new records for Canada (Hymedesmia stellifera, Plocamionida arndti, Hymedesmia jecusculum) and a range extension for a species new to science (Crellomima mehqisinpekonuta) which was recently described from the Bay of Fundy. There were also four species which may seem to be new to science (Halichondria sp., Hymedesmia sp., Protosuberires sp., and Sphaerotylus sp.). Sponges were found to occupy a diversity of micro-habitats, often several different ones in proximity. A total of eight distinct habitat classes were defined, based on varying abundances and diversity of sponges and associated benthic species. These are likely widely distributed among the many complex submerged seabed features within this AOI. Collected specimens were preserved and are stored at the Atlantic Reference Centre (ARC) in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick.Cite this data as: Goodwin, C., Cooper, J.A., Lawton, P., Teed, L.L. 2025. Sponge occurrence and associated species and habitat descriptions derived from the 2021 and 2022 SCUBA diving surveys in the Eastern Shore Islands Area of Interest, Nova Scotia. Version 1.4. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=eastern_shore_islands_sponge_survey_2021_2022&v=1.4

The mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered in commercial and recreational fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to mako sharks from 2011 to 2013 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial vessels, typically in summer and fall from July to October. Two types of tag models were deployed: Mk10 (N=28), and MiniPAT (N=9) and 28 of 37 tags reported (one female shark was recaptured). The mako sharks tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 229 cm Fork Length (curved); 13 were female, 17 were male, and 7 were unknown sex. Time at liberty ranged from 0 – 185 days and 6 tags remained on for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

This project was completed by the Productive Capacity group (Coastal and Freshwater Ecology Section) in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). American lobster (Homarus americanus) is a commercially important decapod crustacean species along the east coast of North America, ranging from the Labrador coast south to Cape Hatteras. Juvenile lobster < 40 mm CL (carapace length) recruitment has been studied extensively in the southern portions of their range. However, investigations of settlement habitat association and recruitment of juvenile lobster in the northern extremes along the Newfoundland coast have been largely unsuccessful. We investigated juvenile lobster density, habitat, and depth associations in three areas of Newfoundland, using scuba – Port Saunders area, 8 dives conducted 28 September - 2 October 2017, and Burin Peninsula 10 dives (7 Placentia Bay, 3 Fortune Bay) conducted 30 September - 4 October 2018 over a total seabed area of 9,138 m2, within 200 meters of shore. Port Saunders and Fortune Bay had relatively higher lobster density (0.09 and 0.40 m-2, respectively); >65% were juveniles, in contrast to Placentia Bay where lobster densities of all size groups were low (mean 0.01 m-2) and no juvenile lobsters were observed at all. Where observed all juvenile lobster were significantly associated with shallow (<6 m) habitat and showed no overlap with distribution of adults (>82.5 mm CL) which we observed at depths 6 to 17 m. Our sites were dominated by varying mixes of cobble and pebble (77%); rock/bedrock (12%) and mud/sand/small pebble (11%) substrates interspersed with overlying kelp (32%) and eelgrass (11%) vegetation. We observed no significant associations with substrate or vegetation. This record contains the geographic locations of the 7 Placentia Bay sites surveyed, and information on the timing and type of data collected at each site, which was one component supported by Coastal Environmental Baseline Program of a larger collaborative project.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Science Branch has designed a multispecies dive survey protocol to provide unbiased, coast wide monitoring of benthic invertebrate stocks (as may be required under the updated Fisheries Act) and associated habitat information for a suite of benthic marine invertebrate species (Green (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), Purple (S. purpuratus) and Red Sea Urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus), Geoduck (Panopea generosa), Giant Red Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus), Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), and Sunflower Sea Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)). Based on information available at this time, the proposed survey design can provide estimates of coast wide stock status for Red Sea Urchin and Giant Red Sea Cucumber, and relative abundance indices for Geoduck, Green Sea Urchin, Purple Sea Urchin, Northern Abalone and Sunflower Sea Star.The new protocol was tested through a series of pilot surveys conducted on a subset of areas of the BC coast each September from 2016-2021. Design of the pilot surveys was based on previous dive survey data and experience and demonstrated the practical feasibility of the protocol, while also gathering preliminary information to guide recommendations about the statistical design of the survey.The dataset consists of a relational database containing tables representing each component of the survey methodology. The primary component of the survey is a transect location. Along each transect, systematically spaced quadrats are sampled, and on each quadrat, substrate observations are recorded, multiple species of algae are recorded, and multiple individual invertebrates are measured or counted. The tables are linked by transect number and quadrat number.

Spiny dogfish (Squlaus acanthias), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered mostly in commercial fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to spiny dogfish from 2008 to 2009 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial fishing vessels from August to October. Wildlife Computers PSAT Mk10 (N=6) were used and 3 of 6 tags reported. One tag was found washed up on shore and was returned. The spiny dogfish tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 96 cm Fork Length (curved); all 6 were female. Time at liberty ranged from 75 – 234 days and the 43 tags that reported remained on the sharks for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.