Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one among a number of spatial management tools, and are defined as areas that are established for the long-term, and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.Currently, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a number of MPAs designated under the Oceans Act and Areas of Interest for new MPAs at various stages of progress towards designation. These areas are ecologically significant, with species and/or features that require special management consideration.  An Oceans Act MPA can be established for any of the six conservation purposes outlined in the Act:• The conservation and protection of commercial and non-commercial fishery resources, including marine mammals, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of endangered or threatened marine species, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of unique habitats;  • The conservation and protection of marine areas of high biodiversity or biological productivity; • The conservation and protection of any other marine resource or habitat as is necessary to fulfill the mandate of the Minister; and• The conservation and protection of marine areas for the purposes of maintaining ecological integrity

To ensure informed decision-making, management, and conservation of marine ecosystems along the British Columbia (BC) coastline, a comprehensive understanding of marine communities and habitats is necessary. Marine planning initiatives, including environmental incident response planning and the development of a marine protected area network, have long been challenged by significant gaps in our knowledge of the distribution of many nearshore marine species. This lack of critical information can impede our ability to effectively manage and protect vulnerable species and ecosystems.   We developed a set of species distribution models (single-SDMs) using data collected from the benthic habitat mapping survey. These models correlate species occurrence data with environmental variables. We used these models to make predictions of the probability of occurrence of each species across the entire BC coast. A cluster analysis of the single-SDM predictions was then used to determine biotopes, which are distinct combinations of physical and chemical water properties and associated biological communities.   We defined and mapped the spatial distribution and probability of nine nearshore macrofauna epibenthic biotopes along with three physiotopes based on environmental conditions. The definition of the biotopes includes correlated species, the type of substrate, and range of environmental conditions (slope, depth, current, temperature, salinity, and tidal current) occurring within each biotope. The biotopes defined here are a first, but important, step in quantitative bioregionalization for the Pacific region as the resolution of nearshore marine community information has been lacking in BC and has hindered marine spatial initiatives.  This dataset contains 71 of the 72 single-SDMs (which excludes Northern abalone, an endangered species), the spatial distribution of 9 biotopes and 3 physiotopes, and the species richness calculated as the sum of occurrence probabilities across all 72 species.

Marine classification schemes based on abiotic surrogates often inform regional marine conservation planning in lieu of detailed biological data. However, theses chemes may poorly represent ecologically relevant biological patterns required for effective design and management strategies. We used a community-level modeling approach to characterize and delineate representative mesoscale (tens to thousands of kilometers) assemblages of demersal fish and benthic invertebrates in the North-west Atlantic. Hierarchical clustering of species occurrence data from four regional annual multispecies trawl surveys revealed three to six groupings (predominant assemblage types) in each survey region, broadly associated with geomorphic and oceanographic features. Indicator analyses identified 3–34 emblematic taxa of each assemblage type. Random forest classifications accurately predicted assemblage dis-tributions from environmental covariates (AUC > 0.95) and identified thermal limits (annual minimum and maximum bottom temperatures) as important pre-dictors of distribution in each region. Using forecasted oceanographic conditions for the year 2075 and a regional classification model, we projected assemblage dis-tributions in the southernmost bioregion (Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy) under ahigh emissions climate scenario (RCP 8.5). Range expansions to the north eastare projected for assemblages associated with warmer and shallower waters of the Western Scotian Shelf over the 21st century as thermal habitat on the rela-tively cooler Eastern Scotian Shelf becomes more favorable. Community-level modeling provides a biotic-informed approach for identifying broadscale ecolog-ical structure required for the design and management of ecologically coherent, representative, well-connected networks of Marine Protected Areas. When com-bined with oceanographic forecasts, this modeling approach provides a spatial tool for assessing sensitivity and resilience to climate change, which can improve conservation planning, monitoring, and adaptive management.Cite this data as: O'Brien, J.M., Stanley, R.R.E., Jeffery, N.W., Heaslip, S.W., DiBacco, C., and Wang, Z. Demersal fish and benthic invertebrate assemblages in the Northwest Atlantic.Published: December 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Maritimes region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth NS.https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/14d55ea5-b17d-478c-b9ee-6a7c04439d2b

Pelagic Marine Ecounits are intended to describe the sea surface and water column. Two variables were selected to derive pelagic ecounits:1. Salinity and 2. Stratification. The British Columbia Marine Ecological Classification (BCMEC) is a hierarchical classification that delineates Provincial marine areas into Ecozones, Ecoprovinces, Ecoregions and Ecosections. The classification was developed from previous Federal and Provincial marine ecological classifications which were based on 1:2,000,000 scale information. The BCMEC has been developed for marine and coastal planning, resource management and a Provincial marine protected areas strategy. A new, smaller level of classification termed ecounits developed using 1:250,000 scale depth, current, exposure, subsurface relief and substrate was created to verify the larger ecosections, and to delineate their boundaries. 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.

Marine Protected Areas require comprehensive monitoring to ensure objectives are achieved; however, monitoring natural ecosystems at scale is challenged by the biodiversity it aims to measure. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding holds promise to address this monitoring challenge. We conducted paired sampling at 54 sites for fish and invertebrate assemblages in the Northwest Atlantic using groundfish trawls and eDNA metabarcoding of benthic seawater using four genetic markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and CO1). Compared to trawling, eDNA detected similar patterns of species turnover, larger estimates of gamma diversity, and smaller estimates of alpha diversity. A total of 63.6% (42/66) of fish species captured by trawling were detected by eDNA, along with an additional 26 species. Of the 24 missed detections by eDNA, 12 were inevitable as they lacked reference sequences. Excluding taxa assigned to higher than species level and those without a species name, 23.6% (17/72) of invertebrate species captured by trawling were detected by CO1, which detected an additional 98 species. We demonstrate that eDNA is capable of detecting patterns of community assemblage and species turnover in an offshore environment, emphasizing its strong potential for a non-invasive, comprehensive, and scalable tool for biodiversity monitoring supporting marine conservation programmes.Cite this data as: Jeffery, N., Rubidge, E., Abbott, C., Westfall, K., Stanley, R. (2024): Data of: eDNA metabarcoding enriches traditional trawl survey data for monitoring biodiversity in the marine environment.Published: August 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/43a91ba7-8025-4330-88db-db14022d729d

Funded under DFO's Marine Conservation Targets Program, this optical imagery benthic survey captured 73 drift-camera transects from September 21, 2022 to October 3, 2024 in the Fundy Isles region of the lower, western Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. The survey area includes the 'Head Harbour/West Isles Archipelago/The Passages' Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (ESBA, ~113 km2), the Wolves Islands and Grand Manan Island. High-resolution still images (n=5081) were taken periodically throughout each transect, while continuous high-definition downward- and forward-facing video (~30 hours of each) was collected simultaneously. Distance travelled and distance between still images (m) was calculated using ArcGIS tools. Field of view (FOV) was estimated by measuring the length and width of a subset of still images (n=863) in ImageJ2, using 10-cm lasers for scale. FOV was standardized for each reported altitude. Transects ranged from 133 m to 2.6 km in length (~47 km surveyed in total), collecting imagery continuously for 3 minutes to more than 1 hour at a time, surveying depths from 15 to 188 m below chart datum. Transect locations were selected based on unique bathymetric features, areas previously predicted to have high habitat suitability for vulnerable marine ecosystem species, as well as proposed areas for inclusion in the regional marine conservation network plan.Additional information and imagery pertaining specifically to the 2022 datasets can be found at the following link in the Open Government Portal: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/8ea6c28a-3d6c-47ef-8cf7-56790ee0c7f5Cite this data as: Lawton P, Teed L. Near-seafloor drift transect video and high-resolution digital still imagery from a three-year survey in the Fundy Isles region of the lower, western Bay of Fundy. Published November 2025. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B.

We evaluated an autonomous environmental DNA sampler produced by Dartmouth Ocean Technologies Inc (Dartmouth, Canada) compared to time-at-sample filtration in the laboratory to determine the performance of moored samplers for monitoring in the marine world. We deployed three autonomous samplers from DOT in the Bedford Basin (Canada) over a nine-week period in summer/fall 2023. The samplers filtered seawater in situ at programmed interviews over this time period, and we collected contemporaneous samples with a standard vacuum pump during each sampling period. Both eDNA sample types captured similar fish diversity, including typical diversity for the Northwest Atlantic. The invertebrate community detected using the COI marker was different between each sample type, likely due to differences in filter pore size. We found biofouling on the moored samplers was minimal over the study period, even in a high-traffic area such as the Bedford Basin, likely due to the relatively short experimental period, and copper screening covering in the inlet and outlet valves of the instruments. Overall, our results show promise to deploy autonomous eDNA samplers in marine conservation areas to contribute to monitoring in the temperate ocean, but further testing over longer periods of time is needed to determine if DNA remains well-preserved in the autonomous samplers at ambient ocean temperatures.Cite this data as: Jeffery, N.W., Van Wyngaarden, M., and Stanley, R.R.E. Evaluating an Autonomous eDNA Sampler for Marine Environmental Monitoring: Short- and Long-Term Applications. Published: December 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Maritimes Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth NS.

To assess the current distribution of kelp beds and other macroalgae in Nova Scotia and Southwest New Brunswick, subtidal drop camera surveys were performed from 2022-2023 at 140 sites. For each site, a GoPro HERO 10 camera was towed along a deep (7-12m) and shallow (3-5m) depth contour until 20 images were acquired per depth. Where possible, species were identified from photos, with particular care given to kelps (defined here as orders Laminariales and Tilopteridales) and fucoids (order Fucales). Crust-forming algae was not counted. Percent cover was calculated using a 10x10 point grid overlaid on each image and recording the dominant cover type at each point. The depth (in meters) of each photo after correcting for tide height ranged from ~0.5m to ~12m. Depths were corrected to chart datum (lowest astronomical tide) using tide predictions from the nearest tide station, taken from tides.gc.ca. Sampling was performed between July and October. Cite this data as: Krumhansl K, Brooks C, Lowen B, DiBacco C, (2025). Camera Surveys of the Subtidal Flora of Nova Scotia and Southwest New Brunswick 2022-2023. Version 1.7. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=camera_surveys_of_the_subtidal_flora_of_nova_scotia_2022-2023&v=1.7For additional information please see:Krumhansl K.A., Brooks C.M., Lowen B., O’Brien J., Wong M., DiBacco C. Loss, resilience and recovery of kelp forests in a region of rapid ocean warming. Annals of Botany 2024 Mar 8; 133(1):73-92. Brooks C.M., Krumhansl K.A. 2023. First record of the Asian Antithamnion sparsum Tokida, 1932 (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) in Nova Scotia, Canada. BioInvasions Records 12(3):745-725.

Includes: * National Parks * National Marine Conservation Areas * heritage canals * National Wildlife Areas * Other Federal Protected areas This dataset is provided by the federal government, and may not include all Federal protected lands.

This line layer describes hiking trails for which Parks Canada has a responsibility. This includes trails found in national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas.Data is not necessarily complete - updates will occur weekly.