The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is the largest species of sea lion with males weighing as much as 1,100 kg and females as much as 350 kg. In Canada, the Steller can be spotted along the rocky coast of British Columbia (BC). These highly mobile marine mammals typically travel alone or in small groups, but they congregate in large numbers at traditional rookeries and haul-outs during the mating and pupping season. Females generally live longer (up to 30 years) than males (usually up to 20 years). The population was severely depleted in Canada but following its protection in 1970, the size of the adult population has more than doubled.Trends in the abundance of Steller sea lions in BC have been assessed based on a series of standardized, province-wide aerial surveys conducted during the breeding season (27-June to 06-July) between 1971 and 2021. Additional ad-hoc surveys during the fall, winter, and spring periods were completed to assess sea lion distribution outside of the breeding season. Surveys targeted historically occupied rookeries and haul-out sites with nearby areas also monitored for potential shifts in distribution.Both datasets contain counts that have been collected from sightings of individuals from 1971 through 2021. The updated standard breeding season survey counts data file consolidates and extends two previous datasets – one covering 1971 through 2013 and the other covering the summer portion of the 2016/2017 surveys. The non-breeding season count data was previously limited to the fall-winter portion of the 2016/2017 surveys and the updated data covers the entire study period to date.

Historical finds of Operophtera brumata

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 

The lobster recruitment project is run by the Fishermen and Scientist Research Society (FSRS) through DFO funding. Fishermen participating in the lobster recruitment project collect information about lobster in their fishing area by fishing 2-5 scientific project traps (SPTs) (fished in fixed locations) within the regular commercial season. The SPTs used in all fishing areas are smaller than commercial traps and designed to primarily catch juvenile lobsters below the legal-size limit.These traps are additional to the vessel's legal number of commercial traps. The lobster recruitment project has more than 120 fishers participating from all LFAs along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia from LFA 27 in Cape Breton to LFA 35 in the Bay of Fundy (excluding LFA 28, who have not participated to-date).The number of fishermen per LFA and number of SPTs per fisherman are decided on by the LFA Advisory Committees. This decision considers how much additional effort they were comfortable having in the LFA (i.e. number of SPTs) and from how many traps each fisher could be reasonably expected to collect data. It is also important to have fishers dispersed enough to maximize study footprint. DFO Science consults on project design. SAMPLING METHODS: The fishers record the number, sex and length of lobsters captured in each SPT, as well as presence of eggs, tags or v-notch. Bottom temperatures are monitored by placing a temperature recorder in one of their SPTs for the entire lobster season.Cite this data as: Tibbets-Scott, S., Zisserson, B. Data of: Fishermen and Scientist Research Society (FSRS) Lobster Recruitment Trap Project. Published: November 2020. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/a88f9b4d-b59a-44f6-ae7e-d36550266940

Historical finds of Coleophora laricella

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.

Greenland Sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) are estimated to have the highest longevity of any invertebrate (392 ± 120 years), making bycatch a significant concern (Nielsen et al. 2016). However, in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) region, accurate estimates of bycatch are not often available for the species (Simpson et al. 2021). To address this, species distribution models (SDMs) were generated to delineate habitat suitability for the species throughout the NL region in order to identify areas where a higher rate of bycatch is expected to occur.Observations of Greenland shark bycatch recorded by At-Sea Observers (ASOs) in NL (1983 – 2019), Spain (1999 – 2017), and by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Secretariat (2014 – 2019) were compiled to generate a presence-only dataset. Multiple environmental variables were assessed for collinearity, and non-collinear variables (Bathymetry and mean monthly bottom temperature for March and November (1990 – 2015)) were retained for use in the SDM. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) software was used to model habitat suitability because it is a presence-only modelling program that is able to account for a lack of absence data by comparing the environmental conditions at occurrence locations to those at randomly selected background points. Overall, the results indicated that habitat suitability for Greenland Shark was highest in deeper waters along the shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3OP, and the Laurentian Channel, but also extended along the edge of the Labrador shelf, the Grand Banks, and deeper areas along the continental shelf such as the Hawke Channel, Funk Island Deep, and the slopes of Saglek, Nain, and Hamilton Banks. Beyond the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and within the NAFO regulatory area (NRA), suitable habitat was also present within the Flemish Pass, and along the slope of the Flemish Cap and shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3NO (Simpson et al. 2021). More detailed information can be found in Simpson et al. 2021.References:Nielsen, J., R. B. Hedeholm, J. Heinemeier, P. G. Bushnell, J. S. Christiansen, J. Olsen, C. B. Ramsey, R. W. Brill, M. Simon, K. F. Steffensen, J. F. Steffensen. 2016. Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). Science 353 (6300):702-704Simpson, M. R., Gullage, L., Konecny, C., Ollerhead, N., Treble, M.A., Nogueira, A., González-Costas, F. 2021. Spatial-temporal variation in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) bycatch in the NAFO Regulatory Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 21/028

Historical finds of Pristiphora erichsonii

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is mostly encountered “basking” on the surface waters and sometimes caught accidentally in commercial fisheries. One Pop-up Satellite Archival Tag (PSAT Mk10) from Wildlife Computers was applied to a single female basking shark in September 2008 on a commercial vessel to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). The basking shark was 610 cm Total Length (curved). The tag released on the pre-programmed date 125 days after deployment. 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 deployment can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Crown Game Preserves were established to prohibit or regulate the hunting and trapping of wildlife in specific areas to restore local populations.