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.

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

Zooplankton samples were collected at Ocean Station "P" (50.0000, -145.0000) from 1956 to 1980, and were analyzed to various levels of taxonomic resolution over the years. Although summaries of these data have been previously published ((LeBrasseur 1965) and (Fulton 1978, 1983)) the detailed species data have never been published. This detailed dataset contains total zooplankton wet weights/m3 for the whole period of 1956 to 1980, as well as densities (numbers/m3) for five major taxa (copepods, chaetognaths, euphausiids, amphipods, and Aglantha) from 1964 to 1967, species identifications, counts and lengths for many samples collected between 1968 to 1980. The attached supporting document (Ocean Station "Papa" detailed zooplankton data: 1956 – 1980) contains information on the methods used to collect and process the data along with descriptions of a number of fairly minor points about the data that were not resolved. It also describes, in detail, the format of the original data files, the corrections/changes that were made to these files in creating this version, and how these errors affect what was published in Fulton (1983).The purpose of this record is to make the detailed data available to the scientific community in an electronic format and to provide a convenient reference for citing the detailed data. Waddell, Brenda J., and Skip McKinnell. 1995. Ocean Station "Papa" detailed zooplankton data:1956 - 1980. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2056: 21 p.

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.

Since 1985, research surveys targeting scallops—primarily the sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) and, to a lesser extent, the Icelandic scallop (Chlamys islandica)—have been conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at one- or two-year intervals around the Magdalen Islands (fishing area 20A). The main objective of this survey is to assess the status of sea scallop stocks. The study area is situated south of the Magdalen Islands, where scallop beds are typically sampled at depths ranging from approximately 25 to 35 m. Sampling stations are randomly selected from a predetermined fixed grid, with sampling conducted along transects at these randomly assigned locations within the study area. Each station is sampled using a lined Digby scallop dredge (20 mm mesh size), towed for roughly 500 m across the seabed.This publication includes three files: the file biometriePetoncle_20, which contains detailed biometric data (species, size, weights and sex) from 1998 to 2024; the file taillePetoncle_20, which provides the size of the individuals sampled from 2009 to 2024; and the file traitPetoncle_20 which contains the abundances and densities per tow from 2009 to 2024. Data on abundances and densities per tow from 1998-2008 is available upon request.This dataset is updated every one to two years as data becomes available. A cleaning of aberrant data has been carried out. However, there is missing data in various columns of the dataset – use the data with caution. If you have any questions please contact DFO.DataManagementSAISB-GestionDonneesDAISS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or the author. For certain time periods, associated species are identified and semi-quantitatively counted directly on the sorting table, and the results are presented in the following publications: - https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/6529a4b0-f863-4568-ac71-1fa26cf68679- https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/71732ad5-5c70-4dbf-916d-a94e1380c53b 

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.

Acoustic telemetry allows detailed observations of the movement behaviour of many species and as tags get smaller, smaller organisms may be tagged. The number of studies using acoustic telemetry to evaluate marine invertebrate movement is growing, but novel attachment methods include unknowns about the effects of tagging procedures on individual survival and behaviour. This study compared methods of tag attachment on green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) to determine the feasibility of using acoustic transmitters to track echinoid movement. Four tagging methods were compared in the lab and tag retention, urchin condition, and survival analysed. Two tagging methods (Dyneema® fishing line and T-bar tags) were evaluated in the field using an existing acoustic telemetry array. Urchins were tagged and the study area revisited one week and 2 months post-release by scuba divers to estimate movement and tag retention. The best methods in the lab, with high tag retention, survival, and minimal effects on urchin condition, were fishing line methods. T-bar tags, although showing high tag retention, caused significant mortality and had deleterious long-term effects on urchin condition and behaviour. After 2 months in the field, as in the lab, fishing line was a more effective tagging method. Urchins tagged with fishing line showed increased estimates of space occupancy compared to T-bar-tagged urchins and a single fishing-line tagged individual was found by divers in good health after 80 days. Combined, these laboratory and field results demonstrate the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to observe urchin movement. Results strongly suggest that surgical attachment methods that minimize injuries at the attachment site should be prioritized for echinoid tagging studies. Together, lab and field tests indicate that acoustic telemetry is a promising method to examine marine echinoid movement over ecologically relevant spatial and temporal scales.The data available includes the laboratory data (tag retention, survival, diameter, wet weight, gonad weight and condition/righting time) and the field data (metadata and acoustic telemetry detections for tagged individuals, results of diver searches and 2-day estimates of movement measured in the field). Data from the laboratory experiment and diver observations in the field have been verified and undergone a control for quality. Acoustic telemetry detections are raw detection files (unfiltered); see the published article for a description of how the data were treated for analyses (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-022-00309-8).

A novel, bay – scale (i.e. tens of km) survey method was employed to examine algal populations on the southwestern shore of Cape Breton, Canada, for the purposes of potential economic exploitation. Since traditional remote sensing methods were unlikely to be successful in these waters, underwater video and acoustic methods were applied. A transponder positioned towfish housing video camera and sidescan sonar was hauled along predetermined transects perpendicular to shore to provide information on bottom type and algal cover. The towfish data were used to ground truth echosounder data (bottom type and macrophyte canopy height) collected along 5, 10 and 20 m depth contours. The survey area was divided into six zones comprising a range of exposure, depth and bottom types. Destructive quadrat samples were collected at each depth plus shore stations to provide biomass estimates. Over thirty five taxa were enumerated, indicating depths and zones of common occurrence. Ascophyllum was abundant at some of the shore stations. The genera Chondrus, Cystoclonium, Desmarestia, Fucus, Phyllophora, Polysiphonia, and Saccharina were common at 5 m. Desmarestia and Saccharina dominated at 10 m with wet weights sometimes over 1 kg·m-2. Agarum dominated at 20 m. The towfish / echosounder grid sampling system was relatively coarse in order to cover the 140 km2 survey area within 12 days. As a result, the survey did not produce spatially detailed information. However, adequate information was gathered to describe the general characteristics of bottom type and algal cover by zone and for focusing further exploration--Abstract, p. vi.Cite this data as: Vandermeulen H. Data of: A Novel Video and Acoustic Survey of the Seaweeds of Isle Madame. Published: August 2021. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/ebdd8f91-9131-45f0-8aec-aba9f65e3fae

Zooplankton and ichthyoplankton data are archived in the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS) Zooplankton Database. The data available spans from 1980 to 2018 and is an extraction of vertical net hauls as biomass by major taxa collected during surveys conducted in the oceanic and coastal waters of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. The majority of vertical net hauls in this data set were collected from 10 metres above the sea floor or an approximate maximum depth of 250 metres. For further data requests, please use the contact information provided.

Polygons denoting concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data following an approach used by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in the Regulatory Area (NRA) on Flemish Cap and southeast Grand Banks. Kernel density analysis was used to identify high concentrations and the area occupied by successive catch weight thresholds was used to identify aggregations. These analyses were performed for each of the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel as it cuts through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while large gorgonian coral forests were found in the Eastern Arctic and on the northern Labrador continental slope. Large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges were located along the continental slopes north of the Grand Banks, while on the Scotian Shelf a unique population of the large barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi was identified. The latitude and longitude marking the positions of all tows which form these and other dense aggregations are provided along with the positions of all tows which captured black coral, a non-aggregating taxon which is long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressures.These polygons identify sponge grounds from the broader distribution of sponges in the region as sampled by Alfredo gear in the Eastern Arctic biogeographic zone. A 70 kg minimum threshold for the sponge catch was identified as the weight that separated the sponge ground habitat from the broader distribution of sponges with these research vessel tow data and gear type.