A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from May 2006 to May 2009 in the Bay of Ste. Marguerite near Sept-Îles, Quebec. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 79 stations, between 7 to 198 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl. The codend was lined with a small stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target duration of 15 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Bernard Sainte-Marie (Bernard.Sainte-Marie@dfo-mpo.gc.ca).For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "ScientificnameID" field of the occurrence file. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

This dataset contains two geotiff layers. The first layer (1) represents the coastwide distribution of Dungeness crab as predicted from a geostatistical model. The model predicts the mean coastwide probability of Dungeness crab detection using trap sampling gear. The second layer (2) represent the uncertainty in those predictions. Detailed descriptions of these data products can be found in Nephin et al. (2023) and the code used to produce them can be found at https://gitlab.com/dfo-msea/dungeness-sdm/.The objectives of this work was to model the habitat of Dungeness crab (_Metacarcinus magister_), a data-limited coastal marine species, to evaluate the efficacy of data integration when making predictions to geographic areas larger than the area covered by any one data source. In British Columbia, Dungeness crab are sampled regionally and sporadically with a variety of sampling gears and survey protocols, making them an ideal case study to investigate whether the integration of disparate surveys can improve habitat predictions. To that aim, we assemble data from dive, trawl, and baited-trap surveys to generate six candidate generalized linear mixed-effect models with spatial random fields. This dataset contains the mean (1) and difference (2) between the Survey-effect and Gear-effect model predictions.

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

A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from July 1 to July 17, 2018 on the Lower North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Havre-Saint-Pierre and Blanc-Sablon. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 61 stations, between 46 and 230 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl with a total width of 2.8 meters and a total height of 0.76 meters. The codend was lined with a 16 millimeter stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 10 minutes depending on seabed conditions. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The average tow distance was approximately 25 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled.The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Cedric Juillet (cedric.juillet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca).For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "ScientificIDname" field of the occurrence file. Special cases were noted in the "commentsIdentification" field and selected specimens were confirmed with field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and Worms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from July 7 to July 26, 2019 in the Estuary St. Lawrence River between Forestville, Baie-Comeau and Matane. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 66 stations, between 31 and 279 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl with a total width of 2.8 meters and a total height of 0.76 meters. The codend was lined with a 16 millimeter stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 15 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The average tow distance was approximately 25 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled.The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Cedric Juillet (cedric.juillet@dfo-mpo.gc.ca).For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "ScientificnameID" field of the occurrence file. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

Since 1992, scientific surveys have been conducted annually alternately, in the estuary and the North of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. These surveys allow DFO to monitor the population and ecosystem of the snow crab and thus understand the state of the stock and the renewal of the species.Beam trawl hauls following a systematic sampling take place every 2 years in the estuary and in the Lower North Shore. In the estuary (zone 17), a sampling of 94 stations is carried out. In the Lower North Shore (zone 13 and 14), 60 regular stations are usually sampled and 35 exploratory stations are distributed between Baie Johan Bettz and Kegaska (zone 15 and 16) but also on the south shore of zone 13 near Newfoundland. At each station, a fishing haul of 5 to 10 minutes is carried out. The harvested crabs are measured (cephalothorax width), sexed and counted. The state of the shell, sexual maturity and egg development stages are also assessed. The number of crabs caught, classified according to different size categories, allows estimating densities and thus monitoring the state and renewal of the snow crab population in the different fishing areas. This dataset on the snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) contains abundance and density data of crabs under different size classes as well as geographical and bathymetric variables by station. The dataset covers the period from 1992 to the present and is updated each year. A cleaning of aberrant data has been carried out.For certain time periods, associated species are identified and semi-quantitatively counted directly on the sorting table, and the results are presented in the following publications: - https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/8fbd81a4-ce4a-40e3-81f6-e2a5c44955de- https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/268bf29e-b9d6-4267-bc86-230f4edfb80b- https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/97dac757-2ef6-4144-b7d9-a0d8d51f8319

This project was completed by the Shellfish Section in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), in collaboration with industry partners. The Coastal Environmental Baseline program supported the Placentia Bay portion of project work for an ongoing industry-DFO collaborative post-season trap survey for Snow Crab that was initiated in 2003 and has occurred each year. This survey is conducted by Snow Crab harvesters accompanied by at-sea observers and takes place in NAFO Divisions 2J3KLNOP4R. Historically the survey focused on commercial fishing grounds but began transitioning to a partly random stratified design in 2017. Since 2018, approximately 50% of survey stations are randomly allocated while 50% remain fixed. At each station, six (for inshore stations) or ten (for offshore stations) commercial traps are set in a fleet. To gather data on non-commercial sized Snow Crab, including females, many fleets also include one small-mesh trap. The coverage of small-mesh traps has been expanding in recent years with the aim of one small-mesh trap for every station in the coming years. Biological sampling is undertaken on at least one commercial trap and the small-mesh trap at each station. The data from this survey is incorporated into the annual stock assessment for Snow Crab in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. This record contains trap locations for Placentia Bay, and information on the types of data collected. More detailed information can be found in Pantin et al. (2022).https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2023/mpo-dfo/fs70-5/Fs70-5-2022-076-eng.pdf

A research survey on American lobster (Homarus americanus) and rock crab (Cancer irroratus) has been carried out annually on the Magdalen Islands since 1995 to assess the abundance and structure of populations in this area. The survey is carried out during the first two weeks of September and covers the southern part of the Magdalen Islands, from "Baie de Plaisance" to "Grande-Entrée", extending slightly eastwards between "Havre-aux-Maisons" and "Grande-Entrée". The survey lasts 8 to 15 days, depending of the weather conditions, and covers a maximum of 48 stations. Approximately half of the stations are surveyed in duplicate (two tows per station). The tows always cover 500 meters, with a slightly variable trawl opening (as explained above), averaging around 10 meters.The gear used is a Nephrops trawl, a benthic trawl originally developed for langoustine fishing in Brittany, but slightly modified to target lobster. The trawl is deployed from the CCGS Leim and the harvested organisms are hauled aboard and sorted. Cephalothorax length, sex and shell stage are recorded for all lobsters. This is supplemented by information on reproductive conditions for certain size classes, and dissections of 25 males and 25 females per mission. Rock crabs are also included in the survey and are counted with additional measurements of shell width, sex and shell condition that are recorded on predetermined stations. For other stations individuals data are collected depending on the time available between trawl hauls.The publication contains 4 files; the "Information_stations" file which contains the data of the stations, the "Data_homard_lobster_survey" file which contains the measurements of each lobster, the "Nombre_crabe_crab_number" file which contains the count of rock crabs, the "Mesure_crabe_crab_measurement" file contains the characteristics measured for each crab. Each of the files can be linked by the "date", "st", "tr" columns. The “bat” column notes the boat code, because the gear is not deployed in the same way on each boat.*This record consist of raw data and quality has not been verifiedAssociated species are identified and semi-quantitatively counted directly on the sorting table, and the results are presented in the following publication: https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/99cb7034-f3d5-4da4-a5bc-e81315cfb8eb

In 1998, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published an atlas called "Traditional Fisheries Knowledge for the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence". The document is composed of a series of maps that contain useful information primarily on nearshore fisheries and fish habitat in the eastern shore of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Gulf Shore of Nova Scotia. It was used as a working tool to assist in the development of integrated coastal zone management plans, resource management plans, and more.Between 1994 and 1997, data collectors and fishery officers interviewed local fishers and industry representatives. The purpose of these interviews was primarily to gain information on local fishing activities and the location of fisheries' resources and their habitats. The data and information was vetted through a process of verification with scientists, fishers, locals, industry representatives, and government officials. Maps were then compiled for 14 commercially important fish species and made publicly available to consult. These include lobster, rock crab, scallop, snow crab, toad crab, herring, mackerel, American plaice, cod, witch flounder (grey sole), hake, halibut, winter flounder, and unspecified groundfish. This data resource also includes the other 27 species originally not included in the atlas.

The European Green Crab (EGC) is a high-risk global invader that can devastate coastal marine ecosystems by displacing native species, degrading and disturbing native habitats (including eelgrass), and altering food webs. EGC has recently been detected in the Canadian portion of the Salish Sea. As EGC continue to establish in the region, identifying locations on which to focus limited monitoring resources is an ongoing problem given the vast amount of coastal habitat that could be occupied by the species. A variety of methods can be used to identify highly suitable habitats for EGC at a range of spatial scales. However, none have been evaluated in the context of informing EGC management, nor for the Canadian portion of the Salish Sea. Here we evaluate five individual methods developed to assess habitat suitability for EGC (i.e., MaxEnt, stochastic gradient boosted linear and logistic regression models, a rapid site selection tool, and a qualitative site assessment and ranking tool) and five derived models generated by multiplying the outputs of these individual models. Each model relied on slightly different environmental and habitat input variables affecting EGC invasion success. Thus, rather than identifying a single preferred model, we used a multi-model ensemble approach to identify sites that are expected to be most suitable for the species. The ensemble approach likely increases predictive power by including both environmental and habitat characteristics when identifying priority sites for early detection/monitoring for EGC in the Canadian waters of the Salish Sea. Finally, we describe how the models evaluated here, alone or in combination, could be used to identify additional sites either within the Salish Sea or into new areas.This dataset contains predicted habitat suitability from five models for European Green Crab at beaches in the Salish Sea (British Columbia, Pacific Region).