The excessive input of nitrogen derived from human land-use activities remains a major cause of the eutrophication of coastal ecosystems around the world. However, little data exist on rates of nutrient pollution or its potential impacts to coastal ecosystems in Atlantic Canada. To fill this knowledge gap, a Nitrogen Loading Model (NLM) framework was applied to determine the Total Nitrogen Load (kg TN / yr) from point and non-point source inputs (wastewater, atmospheric deposition, land use, fertilizer applications, and regional industries) in 109 coastal watersheds bordering the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf. To evaluate the potential impact of nitrogen loading, two indicators were calculated for 40 coastal embayments: (1) ∆N, a measure of nitrogen residency that predicts dissolved oxygen problems; and (2) the estuary loading rate, a predictor of the potential for loss of submerged aquatic vegetation. This project was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada through a Strategic Program for Ecosystem-based Research and Advice (SPERA) grant. This research has been published in the scientific literature (Kelly et al. 2021). Kelly, N.E., Guijarro-Sabaniel, J. and Zimmerman, R., 2021. Anthropogenic nitrogen loading and risk of eutrophication in the coastal zone of Atlantic Canada. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 263, p.107630. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107630Cite this data as: Kelly, N.E., Guijarro-Sabaniel, J. and Zimmerman, R. Data of: Estimates of anthropogenic nitrogen loading and eutrophication indicators for the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf. Published: February 2022. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/08746031-1970-4bf6-b6d4-3de2715c8634

This record contains results from chemical analysis including suspended nitrogen (mg/g), suspended carbon (mg/g), and phosphorus (mg/g) based on dry weight sediment samples collected in the Beaufort Sea.

This dataset includes water chemistry data collected from five of the six lakes as part of the Northwestern Ontario Size Series project in 1987 and 1990 including species of nitrogen and phosphorus, carbon, chlorophyll a, conductivity, soluble reactive silica, chloride, sulphate, conductivity, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, pH, alkalinity and organic acids

The Agri-Environmental Indicator Residual Soil Nitrogen (RSN) dataset estimates the amount of nitrogen remaining in the soil at the end of the growing season (after harvest) on Canadian agricultural lands annually.

The Indicator of Risk of Water Contamination by nitrogen (IROWC-N) estimates the risk of water contamination by nitrogen leaching on agricultural lands in Canada from 1981 to 2021. High nitrate level ( > 10 mg N/L) in drinking water may lead to various health impacts including methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. High nitrate levels in surface waters can also contribute to algal growth and eutrophication.

PURPOSE:In this study, we examined the structure and function of the Southampton Island marine food web across 149 species of benthic and pelagic invertebrates, fishes, marine mammals and seabirds collected from 2016 to 2019, to provide a baseline for future studies that aim to quantify temporal changes in food web structuring. More specifically,we used a multi-biomarker approach combining stable isotopes and HBIs to: (i) determine the vertical trophic structure of the marine food web, (ii) investigate the contribution of benthic and pelagic-derived prey to the higher trophic level species of the Arctic food web, and (iii) determine the role of ice algae and phytoplankton carbon source use across different trophic levels and compartments (pelagic and benthic). By shedding new light on the functioning of the Southampton Island food web and specifically how the contribution of ice algae and benthic habitat shapes its structure, these results will be relevant to adaptive management and conservation initiatives implemented in response to anthropogenic stressors and climate change. DESCRIPTION:Climate-driven alterations of the marine environment are most rapid in Arctic and subarctic regions, including Hudson Bay in northern Canada, where declining sea ice, warming surface waters and ocean acidification are occurring at alarming rates. These changes are altering primary production patterns that will ultimately cascade up through the food web. Here, we investigated (i) the vertical trophic structure of the Southampton Island marine ecosystem in northern Hudson Bay, (ii) the contribution of benthic and pelagic-derived prey to the higher trophic level species, and (iii) the relative contribution of ice algae and phytoplankton derived carbon in sustaining this ecosystem. For this purpose, we measured bulk stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios as well as highly branched isoprenoids in samples belonging to 149 taxa, including invertebrates, fishes, seabirds and marine mammals. We found that the benthic invertebrates occupied 4 trophic levels and that the overall trophic system went up to an average trophic position of 4.8. The average δ34S signature of pelagic organisms indicated that they exploit both benthic and pelagic food sources, suggesting there are many interconnections between these compartments in this coastal area. The relatively high sympagic carbon dependence of Arctic marine mammals (53.3 ± 22.2 %) through their consumption of benthic invertebrate prey, confirms the important role of the benthic subweb for sustaining higher trophic level consumers in the coastal pelagic environment. Therefore, a potential decrease in the productivity of ice algae could lead to a profound alteration of the benthic food web and a cascading effect on this Arctic ecosystem.Collaborators:Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - R´emi Amiraux, C.J. Mundy, Jens K. Ehn, Z.A. Kuzyk.Quebec-Ocean, Sentinel North and Takuvik, Biology Department, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada - Marie Pierrejean.Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, UK - Thomas A. Brown.Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada - Kyle H. Elliott.Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Steven H. Ferguson, Cory J.D. Matthews, Cortney A. Watt, David J. Yurkowski.School of the Environment, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Aaron T. Fisk.Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Grant Gilchrist.College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA - Katrin Iken.Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada - Audrey Limoges.Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Oliver P. Love, Wesley R. Ogloff.Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway - Janne E. Søreide.

The objective of this project was to gather data to develop a model of the food web of the lower trophic levels of the nearshore area of the Beaufort Sea. Sampling took place from 2005 to 2008 using the CCGS Nahidik. The multidisciplinary character of the Nahidik program produced measurements of biology/ecology (primary production, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish), chemical and physical oceanography, contaminants, geology and hydro acoustics. The data were collected in July and August of each year. The Nahidik program provided data to provide a baseline for future studies as well as an information source for environmental assessment.This record contains water chemistry data collected as part of this project including suspended nitrogen, dissolved nitrogen, suspended phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, suspended carbon, chlorophyll a, and suspended silicon.

This data layer presents the results of a modeling of net anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus (NANI/NAPI) carried out by Professor Roxane Maranger and Stéphanie Shousha from the University of Montreal as part of a partnership with the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP). The modeling was carried out using the Net Anthropogenic Nitrogen/Phosphorus Input method applied for the first time in Quebec by ([Goyette et al., 2016]) (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fagupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2F10.1002%2F2016GB005384&data=05%7C02%7CAntoine.Prince%40environnement.gouv.qc.ca%7Ce9a3e849691c4a3f9bc008de4e23f624%7C4262d4ec5a674957abb6bf78aca6a6f5%7C0%7C0%7C639034113587157844%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C 0% 7C%7C%7C&sdata=a7ktxc6ea9u4thdsbor9ojrkspdjgwno%2Fbaizkkkuaq%3D&reserved=0)) then refined in ([Shousha & Maranger, 2024] (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbesjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1111%2F1365-2664.14733&data=05%7C02%7CAntoine.Prince%40environnement.gouv.qc.ca%7Ce9a3e849691c4a3f9bc008de4e23f624%7C4262d4ec5a674957abb6bf78aca6a6f5%7C0%7C0%7C639034113587193473%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AdT31R8 IHMEEYRZZ1HGMTRTUAEE8XMRMAQBRNAUJDN 4% 3D&reserved=0)). The model is based on the premise that a region imports nitrogen and phosphorus to support its population and agricultural activities.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

These datasets provide information pertaining to sediment grain size, porosity, organic content, total carbon and nitrogen concentrations, trace element concentrations, chlorophyll and phaeopigment concentrations, and meiofauna and macrofaunal abundance in Simoom Sound between November, 2000, and February, 2001. Data formatting of files were performed by Meagan Mak.Sutherland et al (2023) covers the benthic component of a broader project investigating potential modification of marine ecosystems by shrimp trawling and trapping on the central coast of British Columbia. Sediment and infaunal samples were collected before and after fishing with commercial fishing gear consisting of otter-trawl, beam-trawl, and trap-lines. Simoom Sound was sampled in November 2000 and February 2001. Tabulated data of sediment characteristics that include sediment grain size, porosity, carbon and nitrogen content, trace-element, and chlorophyll concentrations are presented in this report. In addition, the infaunal data are comprised of both macrofaunal and meiofaunal communities.

Moored instrument time series data include current velocity, temperature, salinity, oxygen, fluorescence, transmissivity, turbidity, and particle capture of carbon, nitrogen, and silicon as well as sediment trap, ice drift and ice draft data.These data were collected by researchers from the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC, from locations ranging from the North Pacific, the Beaufort Sea, and across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to Baffin Bay.