Identification of ecological and biological significant areas (EBSA) in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence according to six groups of the food chain : primary production (Lavoie et al, 2007), secondary production (Plourde et McQuinn, 2010), meroplankton (Ouellet, 2007), benthic invertebrates (Chabot et al, 2007), demersal fishes (Castonguay et Valois, 2007) and pelagic fishes (McQuinn et al, 2012). The distribution area of each group has been evaluated using five criteria in order to determine the EBSA (DFO, 2004):1. Uniqueness: Ranked from areas whose characteristics are unique, rare, distinct, and for which alternatives do not exist to areas whose characteristics are widespread with many areas which are similar.2. Aggregation: Ranked from areas where most individuals of a species are aggregated to areas where individuals of the species are widespread3. Fitness consequence: Ranked from areas where the life history activity(ies) undertaken make a major contribution to the fitness of the population or species present to areas where the life history activity(ies) undertaken make only marginal contributions to fitness.4. Resilience: Ranked from areas where the habitat structures or species are highly sensitive, easily perturbed, and slow to recover to areas where the habitat structures or species are robust, resistant to perturbation, or readily return to the pre-perturbation state.5. Naturalness: Ranked from areas which are pristine and characterized by native species to areas which are highly perturbed by anthropogenic activities and/or with high abundances of introduced or cultured species.Castonguay, M. and Valois, S. 2007. Zones d’importance écologique et biologique pour les poissons démersaux dans le nord du Golfe du Saint-Laurent. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/014. iii + 34 p.Chabot, D., Rondeau A., Sainte-Marie B., Savard L., Surette T. et Archambault P. 2007. Distribution des invertébrés benthiques dans l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/018. iii + 118 p.DFO, 2004. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2004/006. Lavoie, D., Starr, M., Zakardjian, B. and Larouche, P. 2007. Identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSA) in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence: Primary production. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/079. iii + 29 p. McQuinn, I.H., Bourassa, M-N., Tournois, C., Grégoire, F., and Baril, D. 2012. Ecologically and biologically significant areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence: small pelagic fishes. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2012/087. iii + 76 p.Ouellet P. 2007. Contribution à l’identification de zones d’importance écologique et biologique (ZIEB) pour l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent : La couche des oeufs et des larves de poissons et de crustacés décapodes. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/011. iii + 76 p. (Mise à jour novembre 2010)Plourde, S. et McQuinn, I.A. 2010. Zones d’importance écologique et biologique dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent : zooplancton et production secondaire. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2009/104. iv + 27 p.

Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) are areas within Canada's oceans that have been identified through formal scientific assessments as having special biological or ecological significance when compared with the surrounding marine ecosystem.Failure to define an area as an EBSA does not mean that it is unimportant ecologically. All areas serve ecological functions to some extent and require sustainable management. Rather, areas identified as EBSAs should be viewed as the most important areas where, with existing knowledge, regulators and marine users should be particularly risk averse to ensure ecosystems remain healthy and productive.Why are EBSAs identified?EBSA information is used to inform marine planning, including environmental assessment and the siting of marine-based activities, by:- Informing and guiding project-specific or regional environmental assessments;- Informing and guiding industries and regulators in their planning and operations, for example: EBSAs have been acknowledged and referred to (often as "Special Areas" or "Potentially Sensitive Areas") in oil and gas related assessments;- EBSA information has been provided to proponents of submarine cable projects to be used for route planning purposes;- Informing and guiding Integrated Oceans Management (IOM) process within five Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMAs) and twelve marine bioregions;- Serving as a basis for the identification of Areas of Interest (AOIs) and of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (individually and in the context of planning bioregional networks of MPAs).How are EBSAs identified?The process used to identify EBSAs is generally comprised of two phases. The first phase involves compiling scientific data and knowledge of a marine area's ecosystems - notably fish species, marine mammals, sea birds, marine flora, marine productivity, physical and chemical conditions and geology. "Knowledge" includes experiential knowledge of long-time uses of the areas. In some cases (e.g., in the Arctic), substantial efforts are taken to collect traditional knowledge on ecosystems and environmental conditions from community members, fish harvests, hunters and individuals whose knowledge of the study area complement often helps fill scientific data gaps.In the second phase, the available information for a marine area (e.g. a bioregion) is assessed against five nationally-established science-based criteria including:- Uniqueness: How distinct is the ecosystem of an area compared to surrounding ones?- Aggregation: Whether or not species populate or convene to the study area?- Fitness consequence: How critical the area is to the life history of the species that use it (e.g. is it a spawning or feeding ground)?- Naturalness: How pristine or disturbed by human activities is the study area?- Resilience: What is the ability of the ecosystem to bounce back if it is disturbed?Progress to date and next stepsEBSAs have been identified for large portions of Canada's Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as most of the Arctic oceans. EBSAs will continue to be identified in priority areas as resources become available to carry out the process. The boundaries or locations of existing EBSAs may be modified to reflect both new knowledge and changing environmental conditions.

The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is an aquatic biomonitoring program for assessing the health of fresh water ecosystems in Canada. Benthic macroinvertebrates are collected at a site location and their counts are used as an indicator of the health of that water body. CABIN is based on the network of networks approach that promotes inter-agency collaboration and data-sharing to achieve consistent and comparable reporting on fresh water quality and aquatic ecosystem conditions in Canada. The program is maintained by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to support the collection, assessment, reporting and distribution of biological monitoring information. A set of nationally standardized CABIN protocols are used for field collection, laboratory work, and analysis of biological monitoring data. A training program is available to certify participants in the standard protocols. There are two types of sites in the CABIN database (reference and test). Reference sites represent habitats that are closest to “natural” before any human impact. The data from reference sites are used to create reference models that CABIN partners use to evaluate their test sites in an approach known as the Reference Condition Approach (RCA). Using the RCA models, CABIN partners match their test sites to groups of reference sites on similar habitats and compare the observed macroinvertebrate communities. The extent of the differences between the test site communities and the reference site communities allows CABIN partners to estimate the severity of the impacts at those locations. CABIN samples have been collected since 1987 and are organized in the database by study (partner project). The data is delineated by the 11 major drainage areas (MDA) found in Canada and each one has a corresponding study, habitat and benthic invertebrate data file. Links to auxiliary water quality data are provided when available. Visits may be conducted at the same location over time with repeat site visits being identified by identical study name / site code with different dates. All data collected by the federal government is available on Open Data and more partners are adding their data continually. The csv files are updated monthly. Contact the CABIN study authority to request permission to access non open data.

Sexual reproduction is critical to the resilience of seagrass beds impacted by habitat degradation or environmental changes, as robust seed banks allow new shoots to establish each year. Reproductive strategies of seagrass beds range on a continuum from strictly annual to perennial, driven by local environmental conditions. We examined the reproductive dynamics of Zostera marina beds at six sites on the Atlantic coast of Canada to characterize how life history strategies are shaped by the surrounding environment. Sites were categorized as wave protected and wave exposed, where protected sites were warm, shallow, with little water movement and muddy sediments, and exposed sites were either shallow or deep, with cooler water and sandy sediments. While mixed life history strategies were evident at all sites, protected eelgrass beds exhibited both the highest and lowest sexual reproductive effort relative to exposed beds. These beds regularly experienced thermal stress, with higher temperature range and extended warm water events relative to exposed beds. The development of reproductive shoots were similar across sites with comparable Growing Degree-days at the beginning and end of anthesis, but the First Flowering Date was earlier at the protected warmer sites relative to exposed sites. With different reproductive shoot density among sites, seed production, seed retention, and seedling recruitment also varied strongly. Only one site, located in a warm, shallow and protected lagoon, contained a mixed life history population with a high reproductive effort (33.7%), strong seed bank, and high seedling establishment. However, a primarily perennial population with the lowest reproductive effort (0.5%) was identified at the warmest site, suggesting that conditions here could not support high sexual reproduction. Robustness of seed banks was strongly linked to reproductive shoot density, although the role of seed retention, germination and seedling survival require further investigation. Our study provides insights into one key aspect of seagrass resilience, and suggests that resilience assessments should include reproductive shoot density to inform their management and conservation.Cite this data: Vercaemer B. and Wong M. Reproductive ecology of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) across varying environmental conditions. Published: May 2022. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/56cfea6f-aeca-47ed-94ab-c519d9e63c91

Description:Seasonal mean dissolved inorganic carbon concentration from the British Columbia continental margin model (BCCM) were averaged over the 1993 to 2020 period to create seasonal mean climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone.Methods:Dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations at up to forty-six linearly interpolated vertical levels from surface to 2400 m and at the sea bottom are included. Spring months were defined as April to June, summer months were defined as July to September, fall months were defined as October to December, and winter months were defined as January to March. The data available here contain raster layers of seasonal dissolved inorganic carbon concentration climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone at 3 km spatial resolution and 47 vertical levels.Uncertainties:Model results have been extensively evaluated against observations (e.g. altimetry, CTD and nutrient profiles, observed geostrophic currents), which showed the model can reproduce with reasonable accuracy the main oceanographic features of the region including salient features of the seasonal cycle and the vertical and cross-shore gradient of water properties. However, the model resolution is too coarse to allow for an adequate representation of inlets, nearshore areas, and the Strait of Georgia.

This dataset provides results obtained by Health Canada’s Canadian Radiological Monitoring Network (CRMN) for 90Sr activity in milk samples originating from various locations across Canada. More information about the CRMN network can be found on the Health Canada website (see link below). From 1984 to 1993, data was collected from 20 locations. After 1993, routine milk analysis for radio-strontium activity was discontinued for all monitoring stations, except the Ottawa location. The results provided here are 90Sr activity concentrations in units of becquerels per litre (Bq/L). Milk is an important matrix for environmental radioactivity assessment since many radionuclides of health concern exhibit efficient soil to milk uptake pathways. As such, the surveillance of milk provides a very good indication as to the severity of environmental impact following a nuclear event. Strontium-90 (90Sr) is a radionuclide of particular concern because it has a long radiological and biological half-life coupled with a high affinity for incorporation into human bone and teeth. Nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents have released such long-lived radionuclides into the atmosphere, which in turn have entered the biological life cycle. Nevertheless, a steady decline in the activity concentration of 90Sr in milk can be seen since most of the nuclear weapon testing was halted in the 1960s. The map shows the approximate sampling location for each monitoring station. Stations are found within the associated location range.

Daily sea surface temperature and salinity observations have been carried out at several locations on the coast of British Columbia since the early part of the 20th century. Observations started at the Pacific Biological Station (Departure Bay) in 1914; 11 stations were added in the mid-1930s and several more in the 1960s. The number of stations reporting at any given time has varied as sampling has been discontinued at some stations and started or resumed at others.Presently termed the British Columbia Shore Station Oceanographic Program (BCSOP), there are 12 active participating stations. Most of the stations are at lighthouses staffed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, but three (Race Rocks, Amphitrite Point, and Active Pass) are sampled by contracted observers.Observations are made daily using seawater collected in a bucket lowered into the surface water at or near the daytime high tide. This sampling method was designed long ago by Dr. John P. Tully and has not been changed in the interests of a homogeneous data set. This means, for example, that if an observer starts sampling one day at 6 a.m., and continues to sample at the daytime high tide on the second day the sample will be taken at about 06:50 the next day, 07:40 the day after etc. When the daytime high-tide gets close to 6 p.m. the observer will then begin again to sample early in the morning, and the cycle continues. Since there is a day/night variation in the sea surface temperatures the daily time series will show a signal that varies with the14-day tidal cycle. This artifact does not affect the monthly sea surface temperature data.

A Conservation Unit (CU) is a group of wild Pacific salmon sufficiently isolated from other groups that, if extirpated, is very unlikely to recolonize naturally within an acceptable timeframe, such as a human lifetime or a specified number of salmon generations.Holtby and Ciruna (2007) provided a framework for aggregating the five species of salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) found on Canada’s Pacific coast into species-specific CUs based on three primary characteristics: ecotypology, life history and genetics. The first stage in the description of the Conservation Units is based solely on ecology. The ecotypologies used in this framework include a combined characterization of both freshwater and near-shore marine environments, and is termed “joint adaptive zone”. The second stage of the description involves the use of life history, molecular genetics, and further ecological characterizations to group and partition the first stage units into the final Conservation Units. The result is CUs that are described through the joint application of all three axes. It is important to note that CUs are distinct from other aggregates of Pacific salmon, such as designatable units (DUs) under the Species at Risk Act or management units (MUs).CU Counting Sites:Salmon spawner enumeration data in the Pacific Region is stored and managed in the New Salmon Escapement Database (NuSEDS). The term “escapement” is used to refer to the group of mature salmon that have ‘escaped’ from various sources of exploitation, and returned to freshwater to spawn and reproduce. This data is assigned to a “Counting Site”, which may be a complete watercourse with a marine terminus, a tributary to a larger watercourse, or a defined reach within a watercourse that may or may not encompass the entire population but represents an index of the abundance of that population. CU Status:CUs form the basic unit for assessment under Canada’s Policy for the Conservation of Wild Salmon Policy (WSP) (DFO 2005). The biological status of a CU is evaluated using a number of metrics (Holt et al. 2009; Holt 2009), which indicate a WSP status zone: Red (poor status), Amber (marginal status), or Green (healthy status). A final step then incorporates all metric and status-related information into a final integrated status for each CU, along with expert commentary to support the final status determination (e.g., DFO 2012; DFO 2016). This information is used as inputs to fisheries management processes to help prioritize assessment activities and management actions.Note: CU boundaries were reviewed in 2020-2021 and have been updated from the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:50,000 scale to the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:20,000 scale. The CU boundaries were last updated in March 2023. Please be aware that CUs may be reviewed and are subject to change without notice. Please refer to Conservation Unit Review Requests-Form and Summary for a list of CU review requests that are ongoing or have been finalized.

A Conservation Unit (CU) is a group of wild Pacific salmon sufficiently isolated from other groups that, if extirpated, is very unlikely to recolonize naturally within an acceptable timeframe, such as a human lifetime or a specified number of salmon generations.Holtby and Ciruna (2007) provided a framework for aggregating the five species of salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) found on Canada’s Pacific coast into species-specific CUs based on three primary characteristics: ecotypology, life history and genetics. The first stage in the description of the Conservation Units is based solely on ecology. The ecotypologies used in this framework include a combined characterization of both freshwater and near-shore marine environments, and is termed “joint adaptive zone”. The second stage of the description involves the use of life history, molecular genetics, and further ecological characterizations to group and partition the first stage units into the final Conservation Units. The result is CUs that are described through the joint application of all three axes. It is important to note that CUs are distinct from other aggregates of Pacific salmon, such as designatable units (DUs) under the Species at Risk Act or management units (MUs).CU Counting Sites:Salmon spawner enumeration data in the Pacific Region is stored and managed in the New Salmon Escapement Database (NuSEDS). The term “escapement” is used to refer to the group of mature salmon that have ‘escaped’ from various sources of exploitation, and returned to freshwater to spawn and reproduce. This data is assigned to a “Counting Site”, which may be a complete watercourse with a marine terminus, a tributary to a larger watercourse, or a defined reach within a watercourse that may or may not encompass the entire population but represents an index of the abundance of that population. CU Status:CUs form the basic unit for assessment under Canada’s Policy for the Conservation of Wild Salmon Policy (WSP) (DFO 2005). The biological status of a CU is evaluated using a number of metrics (Holt et al. 2009; Holt 2009), which indicate a WSP status zone: Red (poor status), Amber (marginal status), or Green (healthy status). A final step then incorporates all metric and status-related information into a final integrated status for each CU, along with expert commentary to support the final status determination (e.g., DFO 2012; DFO 2016). This information is used as inputs to fisheries management processes to help prioritize assessment activities and management actions.Note: CU boundaries were reviewed in 2020-2021 and have been updated from the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:50,000 scale to the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:20,000 scale. The CU boundaries were last updated in March 2023. Please be aware that CUs may be reviewed and are subject to change without notice.Please refer to Conservation Unit Review Requests-Form and Summary for a list of CU review requests that are ongoing or have been finalized.

A Conservation Unit (CU) is a group of wild Pacific salmon sufficiently isolated from other groups that, if extirpated, is very unlikely to recolonize naturally within an acceptable timeframe, such as a human lifetime or a specified number of salmon generations. Holtby and Ciruna (2007) provided a framework for aggregating the five species of salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) found on Canada’s Pacific coast into species-specific CUs based on three primary characteristics: ecotypology, life history and genetics. The first stage in the description of the Conservation Units is based solely on ecology. The ecotypologies used in this framework include a combined characterization of both freshwater and near-shore marine environments, and is termed “joint adaptive zone”. The second stage of the description involves the use of life history, molecular genetics, and further ecological characterizations to group and partition the first stage units into the final Conservation Units. The result is CUs that are described through the joint application of all three axes. It is important to note that CUs are distinct from other aggregates of Pacific salmon, such as designatable units (DUs) under the Species at Risk Act or management units (MUs).CU Counting Sites: Salmon spawner enumeration data in the Pacific Region is stored and managed in the New Salmon Escapement Database (NuSEDS). The term “escapement” is used to refer to the group of mature salmon that have ‘escaped’ from various sources of exploitation, and returned to freshwater to spawn and reproduce. This data is assigned to a “Counting Site”, which may be a complete watercourse with a marine terminus, a tributary to a larger watercourse, or a defined reach within a watercourse that may or may not encompass the entire population but represents an index of the abundance of that population. CU Status:CUs form the basic unit for assessment under Canada’s Policy for the Conservation of Wild Salmon Policy (WSP) (DFO 2005). The biological status of a CU is evaluated using a number of metrics (Holt et al. 2009; Holt 2009), which indicate a WSP status zone: Red (poor status), Amber (marginal status), or Green (healthy status). A final step then incorporates all metric and status-related information into a final integrated status for each CU, along with expert commentary to support the final status determination (e.g., DFO 2012; DFO 2016). This information is used as inputs to fisheries management processes to help prioritize assessment activities and management actions.Note: CU boundaries were reviewed in 2020-2021 and have been updated from the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:50,000 scale to the BC Freshwater Atlas 1:20,000 scale. The CU boundaries were last updated in March 2023. Please be aware that CUs may be reviewed and are subject to change without notice.Please refer to Conservation Unit Review Requests-Form and Summary for a list of CU review requests that are ongoing or have been finalized.