A literature review, focusing on oil sand products (e.g., diluted bitumen), diluents, spill-treating agents, and crude oil toxicology and ecological studies, relevant to the northeast Pacific was compiled as part of the Government of Canada’s World Class Tanker Safety program. Of the 763 references identified, 14 involved diluted bitumen and other heavy crude oils, indicating the need for further research of these products in the marine environment. Diluent research suggests relatively fast evaporation and dispersion times for this component, however high toxicities may pose a threat to marine biota. Historical studies indicate older dispersant formulations had potential ecological implications, therefore newer formulations, which have not been studied in detail, require full assessment. Consistent utilization of toxicology standards remains elusive, hindering species sensitivity analyses. Exxon Valdez literature demonstrates highly variable impacts from a single oil type and the need for baseline data, recovery status, and suitable ecological end-point determination.

The Planning for an Environmental Response (PIER) initiative falls under the umbrella of the Government of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), whose goal is preserving marine ecosystems vulnerable to increased transportation and the development of the marine industry (https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2016/11/07/canadas-oceans-protection-plan-preserving-and-restoring-canadas). The PIER was established in response to recommendations made in a 2013 report "A review of Canada's ship-source spill preparedness and response regime " by the Tanker Safety Expert Panel (https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/tanker-safety-expert-panel). One of the recommendations calls on Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to work with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to collect and compile information on sensitive species and environments for each Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) response area and make it publicly available.The PIERs’ main mandate is to acquire and update biological sensitivity data under its jurisdiction for preparation and response purposes in the event of an oil spill. With DFO-Science, PIER supports ECCC's National Environmental Emergencies Centre (NEEC) and the CCG in their preparations and responses through the sharing of data on biological sensitivities, the development of response tools and expert advice.In this vein, DFO published an analysis in 2018 that aimed to identify the most vulnerable components of the St. Lawrence in order to prioritize them during data collection if gaps were identified (Desjardins et al. 2018). This exercise highlighted the vulnerability of several biological components and important data gaps, particularly in coastal areas. As a result of this finding, the Quebec region PIEI team embarked on a collaborative project with the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) to map eelgrass beds, tidal marshes and macroalgal beds. In consultation with other DFO-Science data producers, this team has also created datasets adapted for response purposes, notably regarding bivalves and marine mammals. These layers may be used for oil spill preparedness and response by DFO-Quebec Region's Environmental Incident Coordinator, NEEC and CCG. Several of them, deemed relevant in the first 72 hours following a spill, have been transmitted to the NEEC.

Likelihood of presence of Snow Crab in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury areas. The Coastal Oceanography and Ecosystem Research section (DFO Science) reviewed science sources and local knowledge sources to estimate where Snow Crab are seasonally present and delineate these areas. As of March 2017, this dataset delineates the presence of snow crab in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury areas of Nova Scotia designated within the Area Response Planning (ARP), identified under the World Class Tanker Safety System (WCTSS) initiative, based on the Transport Canada's Response Organizations Standards.A version of this dataset was created for the National Environmental Emergency Center (NEEC) following their data model and is available for download in the Resources section.Cite this data as: Lazin, G., Hamer, A.,Corrigan, S., Bower, B., and Harvey, C. Data of: Likelihood of presence of Snow Crab in Area Response Planning pilot areas. Published: June 2018. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/edb15c7b-d901-46b0-a460-1aca22c013ea

Marsh inventory in the Chaleur Bay, the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence according to a literature review of documents produced between 1985 and 2002.Additional InformationThe marsh inventory was produced according to a literature review of the following documents:Bolduc, F. et P. Kaltenback. 1995. Caractérisation de l'habitat du poisson du banc de Portneuf et avenues de mise en valeur. Rapport présenté par Pro Faune à la Corporation de développement touristique de Rivière-Portneuf. 13 pages et annexes.Comité ZIP Baie des Chaleurs, 2002. Données numériques acquises suite à la cartographie de milieux humides Baie des Chaleurs pour le comité ZIP (printemps 2002).Comité ZIP Côte-Nord du Golfe. 2001. Inventaire du potentiel côtier et marin de la Basse-Côte-Nord. Version préliminaire de rapport sous forme de CD-ROM, Sept-Îles, mars 2001.Kedney, G. et P. Kaltenback. 1996. Acquisition de connaissances et mise en valeur des habitats du banc de Portneuf. Document réalisé par la firme Pro Faune pour le Comité touristique de Rivière-Portneuf. 50 pages et 5 annexes.Labrecque, J., G. Lavoie et F. Boudreau. 1995. Les plantes susceptibles d'être désignées menacées ou vulnérables du barachois de la rivière Malbaie, Barachois-Ouest, Gaspésie. Gouvernement du Québec, ministère de l'Environnement et de la Faune, Direction de la conservation et du patrimoine écologique, Québec. 20 p.Lemieux, C. 1995. Acquisition de connaissances des habitats côtiers dans la région de Rimouski (1995). Rapport du Groupe-Conseil GENIVAR présenté au Ministère des Pêches et des Océans du Canada, Division de la Gestion de l’Habitat du Poisson, 52 pages + 2 annexes.Lemieux, C. 2001. Projet de projection et de mise en valeur de la baie au Chêne et d'habitats côtiers de la région de Pointe-à-la-Croix (Gaspésie). Rapport du Groupe conseil Génivar inc. Présenté au Comité ZIP Baie des Chaleurs et au ministère de l'Environnement du Québec, direction du patrimoine écologique et du développement durable. 76 p. + 8 annexes.Lemieux, C. et R. Lalumière. 1995. Acquisition de connaissances des habitats côtiers du barachois de Saint-Omer. Rap. du Groupe conseil Genivar inc. pour la DGHP, MPO, 44 pages + 3 ann.Les consultants en environnement Argus inc. 1995a. Caractérisation physico-chimique et biologique de l'habitat du poisson du barachois de Malbaie: automne 1994. Rapport présenté au Club des ornithologues de la Gaspésie dans le cadre du programme Saint-Laurent Vision 2000. 62 p. + ann.Les consultants en environnement Argus inc. 1995b. Barachois de Malbaie: étude d'avant-projet de conservation et de mise en valeur. Rapport présenté au Club des ornithologues de la Gaspésie dans le cadre du programme Saint-Laurent Vision 2000. 71 p. + ann.Les consultants en environnement Argus inc. 1995c. Étude biophysique complémentaire de conservation et mise en valeur de la baie des Capucins. Rapport présenté à la corporation de développement de Les Capucins. 48 p. + ann.Les consultants en environnement Argus inc. 1998. Perspectives d'aménagement et de restauration des marais à spartine du Québec. Rapport final. En collaboration avec le Service canadien de la Faune (Environnement Canada), Pêches et Océans Canada, le Ministère des Transports du Québec et Canards Illimités inc. 123 pages + annexes et index cartographique.Létourneau, G. et M. Jean. 1996. Cartographie des marais, marécages et herbiers aquatiques le long du Saint-Laurent par télédétection aéroportée. Environnement Canada – Région du Québec, Conservation de l’environnement, Centre Saint-Laurent, Montréal. 101 pagesLétourneau, Guy. 1991. Milieux humides, Base de données Létourneau 1991 (de Cornwall à Trois-Pistoles et les Îles-de-la-Madeleine.Logimer. 1985. Développement d'un programme de conservation et de reconstitution des habitats lagunaires gaspésiens. Rapport présenté à Pêches et Océans Canada, section Habitat du poisson. 306 p. et annexes.Procéan inc. 1996. Caractérisation du milieu physique et inventaire biologique du barachois de New Richmond : rapport final. Présenté à la Division de la gestion de l'habitat du poisson, Pêches et Océans Canada par Procéan inc.Vaillancourt, M.-A. et C. Lafontaine. 1999. Caractérisation de la Baie Mitis. Jardins de Métis et Pêches et Océans Canada. Grand-Métis. 185 p.

Offshore Oil and Gias exporation Potential

DFO’s Oceans and Coastal Management Division (OCMD) in the Maritimes Region has updated its fisheries landings maps for 2010–2014. These maps will be used for decision making in coastal and oceans management, including mitigating human use conflicts, informing environmental emergency response operations and protocols, informing Marine Stewardship Council certification processes, planning marine protected area networks, assessing ecological risks, and monitoring compliance and threats in coral and sponge closures and Marine Protected Areas. Fisheries maps were created to identify important fishing areas using aggregate landed weight (kg) per 2 x 2-minute grid cell for selected species/gear types.This dataset has been filtered to comply with the Government of Canada's privacy policy. Privacy assessments were conducted to identify NAFO unit areas containing data with less than five vessel IDs, license IDs and fisher IDs. If this threshold was not met, catch weight locations were withheld from these unit areas to protect the identity or activity of individual vessels or companies.Maps were created for the following species/gear types: 1. Atlantic Halibut2. Bluefin Tuna3. Bottom Longline Groundfish4. Bottom Trawl Groundfish5. Cod6. Cod, Haddock, Pollock7. Cusk8. Dogfish9. Flatfish10. Gillnet Groundfish11. Greenland Halibut12. Groundfish 13. Groundfish (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)14. Hagfish15. Herring16. Large Pelagics17. Mackerel18. Monkfish19. Offshore Clam20. Offshore Lobster21. Grey Zone Lobster22. Other Crab23. Other Tuna24. Pollock25. Porbeagle, Mako and Blue Shark26. Red Hake27. Redfish28. Scallop29. Scallop (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)30. Sculpin31. Sea Urchin32. Shrimp33. Silver Hake34. Skate35. Snow Crab36. Squid37. Swordfish38. White Hake39. Wolffish

Likelihood of Presence of Harbour Seal in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury Area Response Plan. The Coastal Oceanography and Ecosystem Research section (DFO Science) reviewed science sources and local knowledge sources to estimate where Harbour seals are seasonally present and delineate these areas. As of March 2017, this dataset delineates the presence of Harbour seals in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury areas of Nova Scotia designated within the Area Response Planning (ARP), identified under the World Class Tanker Safety System (WCTSS) initiative, based on the Transport Canada Response Organizations Standards.A version of this dataset was created for the National Environmental Emergency Center (NEEC) following their data model and is available for download in the Resources section.Cite this data as: Lazin, G., Hamer, A.,Corrigan, S., Bower, B., and Harvey, C. Data of: Likelihood of presence of Harbour Seal in Area Response Planning pilot areas. Published: June 2018. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/5bbc1575-4267-44fa-ae35-ee08cc2af8fb

PURPOSE:This data relates to the Canadian Science Advice Secretariat (CSAS) Regional Science Advisory Process from the Limit Reference Point and Population Model Review of the Southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence Sea Scallop peer review meeting held on November 1-2, 2023. The SFAs 22 and 24 have been identified as the core scallop habitat within the sGSL for this process. Associated publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available. DESCRIPTION:Data on landings, fishing efforts, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) used in the stock assessment for southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) sea scallop (_Placopecten magellanicus_) stock assessments and the limit reference point.The dataset contains corrected information from the following data sources:- DFO annual historic reports on landings and efforts- published documents about population assessments and surveys- logbooks, produced by DFO’s regional statistics- purchase slips, produced by DFO’s regional statistics- Catch per unit effort calculated by DFO's Science BranchPrior to 1947, data represents the combined landings that cannot be attributed to individual Scallop Fishing Areas (SFAs). USE LIMITATION:To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

The Coastal Environmental Baseline Program is a multi-year Fisheries and Oceans Canada initiative designed to work with Indigenous and local communities and other key parties to collect coastal environmental data at six pilot sites across Canada (Port of Vancouver, Port of Prince Rupert, Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, Port of Saint John, Placentia Bay, and Iqaluit). The goal of the Program is to gather local information in these areas in effort to build a better understanding of marine ecological conditions. The Maritimes region has developed a habitat classification program to align with the oceanographic interests and data needs of local communities and stakeholders, with the goal of sharing this information via open data. In 2020, a habitat survey in the lower Musquash Marine Protected Area (MPA) was undertaken to further develop this project, using an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) equipped with high-frequency (450 kHz) side scan sonar to build a habitat map of the MPA. This dataset includes mosaicked series of sonar images (raw & position-corrected versions), covering roughly 6 km2 of marine and intertidal areas in the Musquash MPA. Doppler Velocity logs and mission-specific files for each survey are also included, along with detailed methodological documentation. These data were generated from 17 separate survey missions that were completed in August, September and October 2020.

The Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta dataset comes from the Petroleum and Environmental Management Tool (PEMT). The online tool was decommissioned in 2019 and the data was transferred to Open Data in order to preserve it.The PEMT was originally developed in 2009 to help guide development in the Canadian Arctic by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The online tool mapped the sensitivities of a variety of Arctic features, ranging from whales to traditional harvesting, across the Arctic. The tool was intended to aid government, oil and gas companies, Aboriginal groups, resource managers and public stakeholders in better understanding the geographic distribution of areas which are sensitive for environmental and socio-economic reasons. The study area and analytical resolution was defined using the oil and gas leasing grid within the Beaufort Sea. The study area has been the scene of oil and gas exploration activity since 1957. Oil was first discovered at Atkinson Point in 1969 and major gas fields in the early 1970s. Such finds spurred the proposal of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline in 1974 and the addition of exploration and investment offshore. Exploration and drilling continued both onshore and offshore until the mid-1970s with the release of the Berger Report, which recommended a 10-year moratorium on the construction of the pipeline. After the release of the Berger Report, the pace of onshore activity declined but offshore exploration escalated in the 1980s. Offshore exploration was facilitated with innovative operating techniques and new offshore platforms that extended the ability to operate in the short open-water season and ice. With the minor exception of the small onshore gas field at Ikhil, no oil or gas has been commercially produced in the area.DISCLAIMER: Please refer to the PEMT Disclaimer document or the Resource Constraints - Use Limitation in the Additional Information section below.Note: This is one of the 3 (three) datasets included in the PEMT application which includes the High Arctic and Eastern Arctic datasets.