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.

Spiny dogfish (Squlaus acanthias), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered mostly in commercial fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to spiny dogfish from 2008 to 2009 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial fishing vessels from August to October. Wildlife Computers PSAT Mk10 (N=6) were used and 3 of 6 tags reported. One tag was found washed up on shore and was returned. The spiny dogfish tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 96 cm Fork Length (curved); all 6 were female. Time at liberty ranged from 75 – 234 days and the 43 tags that reported remained on the sharks for the programmed duration. 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 deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

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 

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.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Science Branch has designed a multispecies dive survey protocol to provide unbiased, coast wide monitoring of benthic invertebrate stocks (as may be required under the updated Fisheries Act) and associated habitat information for a suite of benthic marine invertebrate species (Green (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), Purple (S. purpuratus) and Red Sea Urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus), Geoduck (Panopea generosa), Giant Red Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus), Northern Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), and Sunflower Sea Star (Pycnopodia helianthoides)). Based on information available at this time, the proposed survey design can provide estimates of coast wide stock status for Red Sea Urchin and Giant Red Sea Cucumber, and relative abundance indices for Geoduck, Green Sea Urchin, Purple Sea Urchin, Northern Abalone and Sunflower Sea Star.The new protocol was tested through a series of pilot surveys conducted on a subset of areas of the BC coast each September from 2016-2021. Design of the pilot surveys was based on previous dive survey data and experience and demonstrated the practical feasibility of the protocol, while also gathering preliminary information to guide recommendations about the statistical design of the survey.The dataset consists of a relational database containing tables representing each component of the survey methodology. The primary component of the survey is a transect location. Along each transect, systematically spaced quadrats are sampled, and on each quadrat, substrate observations are recorded, multiple species of algae are recorded, and multiple individual invertebrates are measured or counted. The tables are linked by transect number and quadrat number.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) holds discrete oceanographic, biological, and chemical data collected throughout the St. Lawrence Estuary, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Saguenay Fjord, as well as data gathered outside of these zones during non-routine surveys (collected by the Quebec region). These data come from samples taken at different depths in the water column (surface, bottom, and intermediate depths), mainly during annual scientific missions such as:- weekly monitoring at fixed stations (Rimouski, Shediac Valley)- annual multispecies surveys (Northern and Southern Gulf)- spring and fall missions of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring ProgramThis dataset presents the variables most frequently sampled for the period 1990 to two years prior to the present, namely, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll-a concentration, nutrient concentrations (nitrite, nitrate, silicate, phosphate), pH and alkalinity. These measurements are often accompanied by data from CTD profiles (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth/Pressure) and auxiliary sensors (fluorescence, turbidity, pH).Annual synthesis of the chemical and biological oceanographic conditions of the study area have been published since 2011, and reports on zonal conditions of the four Atlantic regions of DFO are also available for certain years: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/data-donnees/azmp-pmza/index-eng.htmlThis record is updated annually as new data become available. To obtain access to earlier data, less frequently sampled variables, or specifications regarding laboratory analyses (analytical methods, preservation, and storage), please contact the data management team at: gddaiss-dmsaisb@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.Notes: This publication contains data extracted from the national BioChem database (Biological and Chemical Marine Data: DFO.BioChemDatabase-BasededonneesBioChem.MPO@DFO-MPO.GC.CA). When replicate samples were present, the values were averaged, and values were grouped by variable regardless of the analysis method, preservation method, or storage method.The grouping of variables collected at the same station is based on spatial and temporal metadata: LATITUDE, LONGITUDE, DATE, and TIME.

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).

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 small gorgonian coral fields from the broader distribution of small gorgonian corals in the region as sampled by Campelen trawl gear in the Newfoundland - Labrador Shelves biogeographic zone. A 0.3 kg minimum threshold for the small gorgonian coral catch was identified as the weight that separated the small gorgonian field habitat from the broader distribution of small gorgonian corals with these research vessel tow data and gear type.

Research surveys targeting Icelandic scallops (Chlamys islandica) have been conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at one- or two-year intervals in the Mingan Archipelago (since 1990 in fishing area 16E and since 2004 in fishing area 16F). The main objective of this survey is to assess the status of Icelandic scallop stocks. The study area is situated around the Mingan Archipelago, where scallop beds are sampled at depths ranging from approximately 8 to 136 m, but typically around 40 to 60 m. Sampling is conducted along transects at fixed stations in the study area. Each station is sampled using a lined Digby scallop dredge (20 mm mesh size), towed for roughly 150 m across the seabed.This publication includes three files: the file biometriePetoncle_16, which contains detailed biometric data (species, size, weights and sex) from 2001 to 2025; the file taillePetoncle_16, which provides the size of the individuals sampled from 2010 to 2024; and the file traitPetoncle_16 which contains the abundances and densities per tow from 2004 to 2024. Data on abundances and densities per tow from 2001-2003 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 publication: - https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/7d29bdb1-7e39-43ee-9fb1-bbf33cc9c9b9

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 sea pen fields from the broader distribution of sea pens in the region as sampled by Campelen trawl gear in the Newfoundland - Labrador Shelves biogeographic zone. A 0.4 kg minimum threshold for the sea pen catch was identified as the weight that separated the sea pen field habitat from the broader distribution of sea pens with these research vessel tow data and gear type.