This dataset provides the results obtained by Health Canada’s Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for airborne radioactivity content at monitoring stations across Canada. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). The results provided are activity concentration, uncertainty and the minimum detectable concentration for the naturally occurring radionuclides, beryllium-7 (7Be) and lead-210 (210Pb), and the anthropogenic (originating from human activity) radionuclides, cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs), and iodine-131 (131I). The data comes from the analysis of particulates accumulated in filter media, drawn by high-volume air samplers fixed in the field. Such data is typically dominated by natural radionuclides, such as 7Be and 210Pb. 7Be is a natural cosmogenic radionuclide that is produced in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays bombard oxygen and nitrogen. 210Pb is also a natural radioisotope that results from the decay of uranium (238U) to radium (226Ra). 238U comes from the soil and eventually decays to 210Pb. Radon-222, which is a natural radioactive gas, is also a part of this decay chain. Radon moves through the soil and becomes diluted in the atmosphere. If a home is built on soil or rocks that contain uranium, radon can seep into homes and may accumulate to high levels. More information about the Health Canada radon program can be found on the Health Canada website. For all our stations, the airborne radioactivity data shows a small increase in the activity concentration of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I measured between March and May of 2011, attributable to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. It is important to note that, even at their respective peaks, the measured activity concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs and 131I represent only a small fraction of typical background exposure from natural sources of radiation. Occasionally, other small increases in activity concentration of anthropogenic radionuclides are observed. Spikes in 137Cs activity are often associated with forest fires, which can lead to the re-suspension of 137Cs already present in the environment, most likely from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing in the 1960’s. Detection of small amounts of 131I is commonly associated with its medical use by hospitals.The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Monitoring programs are an important component of Marine Protected Area (MPA) management, providing requisite information on the state of, and changes in, protected ecosystems. Monitoring is required to gauge the efficacy of MPAs towards their conservation objectives and provides information needed to evaluate the benefits provided to biodiversity from restricted access. However, in Nova Scotia’s coastal zone, there is a lack of baseline data, including fish diversity and community structure in macrophyte beds, which makes monitoring intractable. In 2017, the Eastern Shore Islands was identified as a coastal Area of Interest (AOI) for the potential establishment of an MPA. In 2018 an overview was conducted, detailing the spatial and temporal ecological attributes of the AOI. This information revealed a unique coastal ecosystem associated with a dense archipelago and relatively natural seascape. The abundance of plant and algal biogenic habitats within the area was assumed to host a diversity of juvenile fish species. The primary objective of this project is to begin development of a long-term biodiversity monitoring program in the Eastern Shore Islands and other coastal Areas of Interest for conservation planning. We propose implementing this program with the use of direct (beach seines, scuba diving, and stable isotope sampling) and indirect (environmental DNA - eDNA) sampling. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a useful tool to examine marine biodiversity in a non-invasive way, on a small spatial scale. eDNA can be easily collected and filtered and is becoming increasingly cost efficient to sequence and may be a useful marine protected area monitoring tool. While eDNA generally yields comparable results to traditional sampling techniques in terms of biodiversity captured, little is known on how eDNA signals fluctuate across years (or even days to weeks). We will compare species detections using eDNA metabarcoding to visual surveys (scuba and seine nets) to census eelgrass beds across the coastal zone, providing a baseline and time series of species diversity on which to base long-term monitoring. This project will generate inventories of eelgrass bed locations, and fish and invertebrate diversity within eelgrass beds. We additionally collect fish length distribution data to examine seasonal and inter-annual trends in size structure over time. The data generated from direct and indirect sampling will provide a comprehensive and ongoing catalog of species diversity and community structure in coastal eelgrass beds, as well as best-practices for sampling eDNA in the coastal environment.Cite this data as: Jeffery, N.W., Pettitt-Wade, H., Van Wyngaarden, M., and Stanley, R.R.E. Maritimes Coastal Biodiversity Monitoring Program – Beach Seining.Published: December 2023. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Maritimes region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth NS. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/dbbcb23a-d018-4b70-b8ec-89997aded770

This dataset provides the background radiation dose results from Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) monitoring sites. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below).This background radiation data contains both “monitoring” and “transit” dosimeters starting in 2016. The historical background radiation dose data can be found on the Open Data portal. A transit dosimeter is sent along with the monitoring dosimeter to determine if there is a significant dose recorded by the dosimeter while it is in transit to the sampling station. The transit dosimeter is shipped out with a station monitor, and shipped back with the station monitor from the previous quarter. The monitoring dosimeters are deployed over a longer time (around three months) than the transit dosimeters (around 3 weeks). This difference largely explains the lower recorded dose values for the transit dosimeter. The results provided for the monitoring and transit dosimeters are expressed as ambient dose equivalent to a cesium source, in units of millisieverts (mSv). The measured dose rate is reported in mSv/day. The external dose can be attributed almost exclusively to natural radiation (of terrestrial and cosmic origin) with fluctuations based on several factors including location, soil characteristics, and seasonal changes. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Station locations for moorings deployed as part of the Centre for Marine Applied Research's (CMAR) Coastal Monitoring Program. The moorings record high-resolution temperature, dissolved oxygen, and intermittent salinity data at various depths, typically for several months. The dataset for each county is available at https://data.novascotia.ca/browse?Detailed-Metadata_Department=Fisheries+and+Aquaculture&tags=coastal+monitoring+program For more information on CMAR and the Coastal Monitoring Program go to: https://cmar.ca/coastal-monitoring-program/

The Shorezone Biobanding Lines are a linear representation of the various types of biota (flora and fauna) and their distribution, or lack thereof, found in the shoreunit.

Locations of sampling stations for sensor strings deployed as part of the Centre for Marine Applied Research's (CMAR) Coastal Monitoring Program. Sensor strings record high-resolution temperature, dissolved oxygen, and intermittent salinity data at various depths, typically for several months. The dataset for each county is available at https://data.novascotia.ca/browse?Detailed-Metadata_Department=Fisheries+and+Aquaculture&tags=coastal+monitoring+program For more information on CMAR and the Coastal Monitoring Program go to: https://cmar.ca/reports/

The Shorezone Biobanding Polygons are an area representation of the various types of biota (flora and fauna) and their distribution, or lack thereof, found in the shoreunit.

The Aquatic Invasive Species Surveillance Database is a compilation of fish community and habitat data from DFO’s Aquatic Invasive Species and Invasive Carp Program early detection surveillance efforts in Canadian waters of the Great Lakes basin. Data includes: sampling site location, date, fish species and counts, and associated habitat information. Annual project-specific details including purpose/objectives and study methodology are often reported in the DFO Canadian manuscript report of fisheries and aquatic sciences series.

Oceanographic data from stationary moorings deployed as part of the Centre for Marine Applied Research's (CMAR) Coastal Monitoring Program.

Oceanographic data from stationary moorings deployed as part of the Centre for Marine Applied Research's (CMAR) Coastal Monitoring Program.