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.

Dataset contains information regarding shipwrecks in waters off Nova Scotia including wreck name, date and type of event, and approximate location.

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.

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.

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.

The Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment-Marine Fishes Project (2012-2014) and Canadian Beaufort Sea-Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA, 2017-present) conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada provide offshore surveys of marine fishes and ecosystems on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and slope in August and early September. The projects focus on integrating oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings and spatial and inter-annual variability, within the context of ongoing climate-driven change including enhanced Ocean Acidification. Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at stations along transects spanning 20-1000 m. Zooplankton was collected using a bongo or multi-net system in conjunction with oceanographic and biogeochemical sampling.

As part of the Musquash Marine Protected Area (MPA) Monitoring Plan, this project was implemented to establish a baseline for infaunal biodiversity for this area. Data collection began in 2010 and contributed monitoring information for productivity, biodiversity, and habitat indicators within the Musquash Harbour. A 1500 cubic centimetre ponar benthic grab was deployed at 30 random stations distributed over three strata (channel, intertidal and subtidal). Samples were to be collected up to three times per year to account for seasonality and annual variation. Once collected the benthic samples were analyzed for changes in grain size, carbon content (Loss on ignition), species abundance/diversity and biomass.Cite this data as: Cooper, J.A., and Blanchard, M. Musquash Benthic Infauna. Published in September 2023. Coastal Ecosystem Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, NB.For additional information please see:Cooper, A., Abbott, M., Allard, K., Chang,, B., Courtenay, S., Doherty, P., Greenlaw, M., Ipsen, E., Koropatnick, T., Law, B., Losier, R., Martin, J., Methven, D., and Page, F. 2014. Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA): Data Assessment. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2014/001. v + 57 p.Cooper, J.A., Jones, O. and Blanchard, M. 2023. Review of Baseline Monitoring within the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2023/028. viii + 56 p.Oceans and Coastal Management Division (OCMD). 2015. Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area Ecosystem Monitoring Plan (2014-2019). Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish Aquat. Sci. 3077: v+17 pp.DFO. 2022. 2021 Review of Musquash Marine Protected Area Monitoring. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2022/016.

This dataset contains spatial and attribute data for local government Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) established for heritage conservation purposes in British Columbia, as tracked by BC Heritage Branch. Under the Local Government Act, a local government may designate a HCA within its Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP may include a schedule of properties located within a Heritage Conservation Area that are considered to be protected heritage property. This is a multi-part polygon layer.

This data set is a generalized characterization of the offshore and inshore environments of Canada’s Pacific Ocean. Compiled from various sources to depict the biogenic habitats, pelagic habitats, and general bottom types such as offshore and inshore by depth strata.

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.