Considered the "king" of sea lions, the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is the biggest of all sea lions and enjoys a lifespan of up to thirty years. In Canada, the Steller can be spotted along the rocky coast of British Columbia. This hefty mammal usually travels alone or in a small group, but wisely, it joins others for protection during the mating and birthing season. Little is known about its oceanic lifestyle; however, the good news for this sea-loving mammal is that since the Steller sea lion first became protected in 1970, the size of the adult population has more than doubled. Recent trends in the abundance of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in British Columbia were assessed based on a series of thirteen province-wide aerial surveys conducted during the breeding season (27-June to 06-July) between 1971 and 2013.

The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) is the largest of all sea lions and enjoys a lifespan of up to thirty years. In Canada, the Steller can be spotted along the rocky coast of British Columbia. These highly mobile marine mammals typically travel alone or in small groups, but they congregate in large numbers at traditional rookeries and haul-outs during the mating and pupping season. The population was severely depleted in Canada but following its protection in 1970, the size of the adult population has more than doubled.The survey targeted Steller sea lions and sites were chosen based on knowledge of historically occupied rookeries and haul-out sites with nearby areas monitored for potential shifts in distribution. This dataset contains counts that have been collected from sightings of individuals in the 2016/2017 survey season.

Historical finds of Fenusa pumila

Historical finds of Adelges abietis

Effective conservation planning relies on understanding population connectivity which can be informed by genomic data. This is particularly important for sessile species like the horse mussel (Modiolus modiolus), a key habitat-forming species and conservation priority in Atlantic Canada), yet little genomic information is available to describe horse mussel connectivity patterns. We used more than 8000 restriction-site associated DNA sequencing-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms and a panel of 8 microsatellites to examine genomic connectivity among horse mussel populations in the Bay of Fundy, along the Scotian Shelf, and in the broader northwestern Atlantic extending to Newfoundland. Despite phenotypic differences between sampling locations, we found an overall lack of genetic diversity and population structure in horse mussels in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. All sampled locations had low heterozygosity, very low FST, elevated inbreeding coefficients, and deviated from Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, highlighting generally low genetic diversity across all metrics. Principal components analysis, Admixture analysis, pairwise FST calculations, and analysis of outlier loci (potentially under selection) all showed no independent genomic clusters within the data, and an analysis of molecular variance showed that less than 1% of the variation within the SNP dataset was found between sampling locations. Our results suggest that connectivity is high among horse mussel populations in the Northwest Atlantic, and coupled with large effective population sizes, this has resulted in minimal genomic divergence across the region. These results can inform conservation design considerations in the Bay of Fundy and support further integration into the broader regional conservation network.Cite this data as: Van Wyngaarden, Mallory et al. (2024). Widespread genetic similarity between Northwest Atlantic populations of the horse mussel, Modiolus modiolus. Published: May 2025. Coastal Ecosystem Science Division, Maritimes Region, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, NS.

EMR Natural Resource SubdistrictsDistributed from [GeoYukon](https://yukon.ca/geoyukon) by the [Government of Yukon](https://yukon.ca/maps) . Discover more digital map data and interactive maps from Yukon's digital map data collection.For more information: [geomatics.help@yukon.ca](mailto:geomatics.help@yukon.ca)

The United States population of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) range from southeast Alaska to the Pacific coast of central Mexico. While this population does not breed in Canada, some sub-adult and adult males migrate northwards to British Columbia during the non-breeding season with an arrival in August-October and a departure in April-May. The population in coastal BC has not been fully assessed since 1985. However, opportunistic counts suggest that California Sea Lions overwintering in BC increased in abundance from approximately 1,000 animals in the mid-2000s to several thousand individuals in more recent years.The survey targeted Steller sea lions and sites were chosen based on knowledge of historically occupied rookeries and haul-out sites with nearby areas monitored for potential shifts in distribution. The presence of California Sea Lions are based on incidental observations while surveying sites for Steller sea lion counts. This dataset contains counts that have been collected from sightings of individuals in the 2016/2017 survey season.

Rideau Canal Skateway - Ice condition by sectionEach winter, the NCC transforms the historic Rideau Canal into the world’s largest skating rink. The Rideau Canal Skateway winds its way through the heart of the National Capital over a total length of 7.8 km. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal in winter becomes a treasure that is the pride of the National Capital and a signature destination.The skating season typically runs from January to early March, but it is weather-dependent. When open, the Skateway is free and accessible 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.When the Skateway is open, ice conditions are monitored by section twice daily, at approximately 8 am and 4 pm.

Historical finds of Operophtera brumata

Historical finds of Coleophora serratella