A compendium of reports that provide information about aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants, soils, surface water, groundwater and their accompanying data files and maps

The Fish Pathology Program (FPP) located at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo has been assessing the health of aquatic animals since the early 1970’s. Utilizing traditional diagnostic methods, the FPP has supported internal and external clients to provide clinical data and management advice on the health of aquatic animals. The dataset contains information from diagnostic fish health cases coming from the Salmonid Enhancement Program, Research, Public and I&T submissions. Data contained in the database includes pathogen findings from submitted cases from all of the Pacific Region.The publication of The Fish Health Database will comply with public release recommendations documented in recommendation twenty two, made in volume three of the Final Report (October 2012) submitted by the Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the Decline of the Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River.

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.

The Great Lakes Fish Biodiversity Science Database is a compilation of fish community and habitat data from DFO Science surveys, primarily related to freshwater fishes of conservation concern in the Great Lakes basin. Data include: sampling site location, date, fish species and counts, and associated habitat information. Project-specific details including purpose/objectives and study methodology are often reported in the DFO Canadian data report of fisheries and aquatic sciences series.

These data consist of the Recreational Shark Fishing Tournament landings database (1993-2022 inclusive) and the Canadian Dart tag database (2006 onwards; updated annually). Both were collected by the Maritimes Science Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The landings records include biological sampling from 4266 animals and the dart tag records include 4138 tagging and 97 recapture events to date. Potential users should consult Bowlby et al. (2022) for the description, management history, and technical details pertaining to these data. Information is focused on Blue Sharks because they were the primary species captured at recreational tournaments.Cite this data as: Bowlby, H., Joyce, W. Recreational Shark Fishing Tournament Landings Data and Canadian Dart Tag Database. Published January 2023 . Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/4309f1f7-6779-416d-9660-c02f0f99b482

The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) is a contribution program that focuses on providing funding for recovery and threat mitigation activities in nine priority places and to address two marine threats to aquatic species at risk. The Priority Places and Marine Threats layer supports CNFASAR by delineating the location of the places and threats.The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) supports applicants in the design and delivery of stewardship projects. These projects support the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk. DFO has identified 2 priority marine threats and 9 priority places as the focus for projects funded by CNFASAR, these areas are included in this dataset.

Aquatic invasive species pose economic and ecological threats to Canada's coastal waters. In response, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has established monitoring programs to detect and track the spread of aquatic invasive species, including European Green Crab, in Canadian waters. Fukui traps have been deployed annually at both new and long-term monitoring locations throughout coastal British Columbia.

Aquatic Features including Falls, Cascades and springs based on the 1:50,000 scale Canadian National Topographic Series of Maps.

PURPOSE:This study is part of a two-decade series of research aimed to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of harvest and environmental change on fisheries in Great Bear Lake. The main objectives are to assess demographic traits and the current status of harvested species, with a focus on evaluating sustainable harvest levels of lake trout, a cold-adapted species with a relatively narrow thermal niche. As part of this research, trends in water quality and primary productivity are monitored to evaluate potential effects of change on fisheries. DESCRIPTION:Great Bear Lake, one of the largest lakes in North America, contains culturally and recreationally important fish species. Great Bear Lake is located in the sub-Arctic and Arctic Circle. As part of a two-decade series of research aimed to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of harvest and environmental change on fisheries in Great Bear Lake, the main objectives of this study are to assess demographic traits and the current status of harvested species, with a focus on evaluating sustainable harvest levels of lake trout, a cold-adapted species with a relatively narrow thermal niche. As part of this research, trends in water quality and primary productivity are monitored to evaluate potential effects of change on fisheries. From 2021 to 2024, surface water temperature data was collected at depths of 0.1 to 1.0 meters using an RBR Maestro3 through partnered community-led and community/Fisheries and Oceans Canada/university partner collaborative sampling. The project has strong community involvement, including youth through the Guardian Program, to facilitate capacity building and community leadership in the long-term monitoring of Great Bear Lake fisheries and the aquatic ecosystem. This data is an extension of baseline data sets on water quality on the lake. These data will contribute to a better understanding cumulative impacts of climate change on the functioning of large northern lake ecosystems and provide a benchmark for monitoring further change. This data will be important for developing effective strategies for maintaining community-led aquatic monitoring and managing natural resources, particularly fish, which are expected to be increasingly important to communities with declines in other country foods such as caribou.We acknowledge the data were collected in the Sahtú Settlement Area and are made publicly available with the agreement of the Délı̨nę Renewable Resources Council (Délı̨nę Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę (Renewable Resources Council)). Collaborators include: the Community of Délı̨nę partners (data collection), Délı̨nę Renewable Resource Council, Sahtú Renewable Resource Board, and University of Manitoba. Community of Délı̨nę partners and field workers that participated in data collection include Chris Yukon, Archie Vital, Ted Mackienzo, Daniel Baton, Lloyd Baton, Simon Neyelle, and Stanley Ferdanan.Funding and logistical support was provided by: Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring, Sahtú Renewable Resource Board, the Polar Continental Shelf Program and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

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.