Human activities occurring on land can impact marine coastal ecosystems. Baseline information on the locations and intensity of these activities are critical components of any impact assessment or spatial planning approach seeking to mitigate stress and protect or restore coastal ecosystems. As part of a wider project, land use maps were created for 109 coastal watersheds draining into the Scotian Shelf Bioregion – a biophysical subdivision of Canada’s marine waters in the Maritimes Region of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Information was compiled from various national and provincial publicly available spatial data sources. Each map provides basic statistics on areal values of different land cover types (such as forested areas, pervious or impervious surfaces, agricultural areas, peatlands, parks and protected areas, wetlands and freshwater bodies), human population density, building locations, and locations of major riverine pour points. This project was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada through a Strategic Program for Ecosystem-based Research and Advice (SPERA) grant. Source Guijarro-Sabaniel, J., Kelly, N.E. 2022. Land Use Atlas for Coastal Watersheds in the Maritimes Region. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3494: viii + 135 p. Associated publication Kelly, N.E., Guijarro-Sabaniel, J. and Zimmerman, R., 2021. Anthropogenic nitrogen loading and risk of eutrophication in the coastal zone of Atlantic Canada. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 263, p.107630. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107630Cite this data as: Guijarro-Sabaniel, J. Kelly, N.E. Land use atlas for coastal watersheds in the Maritimes Region. Published May 2022. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S.

The objective of this project was to locate the mixing zones in the coastal environment on the north shore of the lower estuary, which are caused by the friction of the waters on the bottom and measure the effects of these mixing zones on the modification of the water bodies and the productivity potential of adjacent areas, using phytoplankton biomass and size structure as an indicator of productivity. Temperature and salinity profiles were measured using CTD and water sampling was done with a Niskin bottle to try to detect the signature of the mixture and to determine if nutrient salts and/or productivity are greater in adjacent areas.Sampling took place in 3 outings from 3 stations organized in a 100 NN transect which were carried out at the start of the season (June 30), mid-season (August 16) and end of the season (October 9). The transects were each composed of three stations ranging from 10 m depth near the coast to 50 and 75 m, depending on the transect, moving away from the coast. Samples were collected for nutrients and phytoplankton biomass (> 0.7 µm and > 5 µm) analysis at depths of 1, 10, 25 and 50 m. The optical transparency of water was also measured by Secchi disk. The first file provided “donnees_profils_data” is a summary of the CTD profils of every station. The second file “donnees_discretes_discret_data” contains the results of the water sample analysis. The file “Identification_station_identification” describe the repartition of consecutives among stations.This project was funded by DFO Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. This initiative aims to acquire environmental baseline data contributing to the characterization of important coastal areas and to support evidence-based assessments and management decisions for preserving marine ecosystems.

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 a series of sites across Canada, to build a better understanding of existing marine ecological conditions. The program began data collection in 2019, and with the onset of Phase 2 in 2023, the Maritimes region study area was expanded and renamed ‘Northwest Fundy Shores’. A physical oceanography program was designed to align with the oceanographic interests and data needs of local interest holders. Starting in 2023, oceanographic parameters including water temperature, salinity, depth and turbidity have been monitored at a series of locations in Passamaquoddy Bay, the St. Croix River, and along the Bay of Fundy coast, including the Musquash estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA). This dataset includes seasonal CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) and turbidity data starting in spring 2023. Instruments are maintained through the winter months at a limited number of sites. Data collection methods are primarily moored instruments on the bottom in water depths of 5-90 meters, and a few buoyant surface floats. Overall, this dataset captures seasonal dynamics in near-shore marine environments in Passamaquoddy Bay, the St Croix River, the Bay of Fundy and the Musquash MPA. Cite this data as: Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (Maritimes Region), Northwest Fundy Shores conductivity, temperature and depth data. Published in May 2025. Coastal Environmental Baseline Program. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B. 14-02-2025

This dataset was collected in support of a Competitive Science and Research Fund project (21-CC-05-06 Impacts of coastal acidification and climate change stressors on the Atlantic sea scallop: larval supply, recruitment and adaptive capacity to multiple global change drivers) lead by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The objective of this research is to characterize coastal environmental conditions associated with scallop spawning and larval drift in Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick. This dataset includes temperature, conductivity, salinity, sigma-theta, sea pressure, and depth information taken at weekly intervals at the sampling stations. In total, this dataset represents a total of 62 CTD profiles collected across 3 sampling stations over 22 sampling days from June to October 2022. Sampling stations were selected to compare scallop recruitment signals from Chamcook Harbour, a decommissioned scallop aquaculture site in Big Bay (MS-1077) and in the middle of Passamaquoddy Bay. Data were processed in accordance with instrumentation manufacturer guidelines and DFO Ocean Data and Information Section QAQC procedures. Cite this data as: Miller, E., Quinn, B., Azetsu-Scott, K., Childs, D., Gabriel, C-E., Newhook, M. 2025. Impacts of coastal acidification and climate change stressors on the Atlantic sea scallop. Published October 2025. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B

Likelihood of Presence of Soft Shelled Clams in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury Area Response Plan. The Coastal Oceanography and Ecosystem Research section (DFO Science) reviewed reported Clam harvest and study areas as well utilized local knowledge of the areas to estimate clam flats. 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 Soft Shelled Clam 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/59121e8f-0acc-411a-99cb-54980df10ba6

Modeled data showing the likely distribution of steller sealions. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Modeled data showing the likely distribution of harbour seals. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Modeled data showing the likely distribution of harbour porpoises. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Layer that includes the known information on coastal presence for lumpfish in the St. Lawrence River and Estuary according to a literature review of documents produced between 1987 and 1999.Additional InformationLumpfish's coastal presence was produced according to a literature review of the following documents:Association Québécoise des Techniciens(nes) en Aménagement Cynégétique et Halieutique (AQTACH). 1987. Suivi des captures de cinq pêches à fascines de la rive nord du Saint-Laurent. Document présenté au ministère du Loisir, de la Chasse et de la Pêche – Direction régionale de la Côte-Nord. 50 p.Bérubé, S. Lambert, J.-D. 1999. Communautés ichtyennes côtières de l'estuaire du Saint-Laurent en 1996 et 1997 : suite du suivi ichtyologique (1986-1995). Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat., 2281, 62 p.Naturam Environnement. 1997. Acquisition de connaissances et mise en valeur des habitats du poisson du complexe Baie Verte/Baie Laval, phase 3 : rapport final. Document réalisé par la Corporation de développpement de la Baie Verte avec l'aide du MPO dans le cadre du Plan d'action pour l'habitat du poisson.

The objective of this project was to gather data to develop a model of the food web of the lower trophic levels of the nearshore area of the Beaufort Sea. Sampling took place from 2005 to 2008 using the CCGS Nahidik. The multidisciplinary character of the Nahidik program produced measurements of biology/ecology (primary production, phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthos, fish), chemical and physical oceanography, contaminants, geology and hydro acoustics. The data were collected in July and August of each year. The Nahidik program provided data to provide a baseline for future studies as well as an information source for environmental assessment.