Acoustic telemetry allows detailed observations of the movement behaviour of many species and as tags get smaller, smaller organisms may be tagged. The number of studies using acoustic telemetry to evaluate marine invertebrate movement is growing, but novel attachment methods include unknowns about the effects of tagging procedures on individual survival and behaviour. This study compared methods of tag attachment on green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) to determine the feasibility of using acoustic transmitters to track echinoid movement. Four tagging methods were compared in the lab and tag retention, urchin condition, and survival analysed. Two tagging methods (Dyneema® fishing line and T-bar tags) were evaluated in the field using an existing acoustic telemetry array. Urchins were tagged and the study area revisited one week and 2 months post-release by scuba divers to estimate movement and tag retention. The best methods in the lab, with high tag retention, survival, and minimal effects on urchin condition, were fishing line methods. T-bar tags, although showing high tag retention, caused significant mortality and had deleterious long-term effects on urchin condition and behaviour. After 2 months in the field, as in the lab, fishing line was a more effective tagging method. Urchins tagged with fishing line showed increased estimates of space occupancy compared to T-bar-tagged urchins and a single fishing-line tagged individual was found by divers in good health after 80 days. Combined, these laboratory and field results demonstrate the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to observe urchin movement. Results strongly suggest that surgical attachment methods that minimize injuries at the attachment site should be prioritized for echinoid tagging studies. Together, lab and field tests indicate that acoustic telemetry is a promising method to examine marine echinoid movement over ecologically relevant spatial and temporal scales.The data available includes the laboratory data (tag retention, survival, diameter, wet weight, gonad weight and condition/righting time) and the field data (metadata and acoustic telemetry detections for tagged individuals, results of diver searches and 2-day estimates of movement measured in the field). Data from the laboratory experiment and diver observations in the field have been verified and undergone a control for quality. Acoustic telemetry detections are raw detection files (unfiltered); see the published article for a description of how the data were treated for analyses (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40317-022-00309-8).

Polygons denoting concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data following an approach used by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in the Regulatory Area (NRA) on Flemish Cap and southeast Grand Banks. Kernel density analysis was used to identify high concentrations and the area occupied by successive catch weight thresholds was used to identify aggregations. These analyses were performed for each of the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel as it cuts through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while large gorgonian coral forests were found in the Eastern Arctic and on the northern Labrador continental slope. Large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges were located along the continental slopes north of the Grand Banks, while on the Scotian Shelf a unique population of the large barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi was identified. The latitude and longitude marking the positions of all tows which form these and other dense aggregations are provided along with the positions of all tows which captured black coral, a non-aggregating taxon which is long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressures.These polygons identify sponge grounds from the broader distribution of sponges in the region as sampled by Alfredo gear in the Eastern Arctic biogeographic zone. A 70 kg minimum threshold for the sponge catch was identified as the weight that separated the sponge ground habitat from the broader distribution of sponges with these research vessel tow data and gear type.

Since 1985, research surveys targeting scallops—primarily the sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) and, to a lesser extent, the Icelandic scallop (Chlamys islandica)—have been conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at one- or two-year intervals around the Magdalen Islands (fishing area 20A). The main objective of this survey is to assess the status of sea scallop stocks. The study area is situated south of the Magdalen Islands, where scallop beds are typically sampled at depths ranging from approximately 25 to 35 m. Sampling stations are randomly selected from a predetermined fixed grid, with sampling conducted along transects at these randomly assigned locations within the study area. Each station is sampled using a lined Digby scallop dredge (20 mm mesh size), towed for roughly 500 m across the seabed.This publication includes three files: the file biometriePetoncle_20, which contains detailed biometric data (species, size, weights and sex) from 1998 to 2024; the file taillePetoncle_20, which provides the size of the individuals sampled from 2009 to 2024; and the file traitPetoncle_20 which contains the abundances and densities per tow from 2009 to 2024. Data on abundances and densities per tow from 1998-2008 is available upon request.This dataset is updated every one to two years as data becomes available. A cleaning of aberrant data has been carried out. However, there is missing data in various columns of the dataset – use the data with caution. If you have any questions please contact DFO.DataManagementSAISB-GestionDonneesDAISS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or the author. 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/6529a4b0-f863-4568-ac71-1fa26cf68679- https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/71732ad5-5c70-4dbf-916d-a94e1380c53b 

Polygons denoting concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data following an approach used by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in the Regulatory Area (NRA) on Flemish Cap and southeast Grand Banks. Kernel density analysis was used to identify high concentrations and the area occupied by successive catch weight thresholds was used to identify aggregations. These analyses were performed for each of the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel as it cuts through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while large gorgonian coral forests were found in the Eastern Arctic and on the northern Labrador continental slope. Large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges were located along the continental slopes north of the Grand Banks, while on the Scotian Shelf a unique population of the large barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi was identified. The latitude and longitude marking the positions of all tows which form these and other dense aggregations are provided along with the positions of all tows which captured black coral, a non-aggregating taxon which is long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressures.These polygons identify sea pen fields from the broader distribution of seapens in the region as sampled by Alfredo trawl gear in the Eastern Arctic biogeographic zone. A 0.25 kg minimum threshold for the sea pen catch was identified as the weight that separated the sea pen field habitat from the broader distribution of sea pens with these research vessel tow data and gear type.

Zooplankton samples were collected at Ocean Station "P" (50.0000, -145.0000) from 1956 to 1980, and were analyzed to various levels of taxonomic resolution over the years. Although summaries of these data have been previously published ((LeBrasseur 1965) and (Fulton 1978, 1983)) the detailed species data have never been published. This detailed dataset contains total zooplankton wet weights/m3 for the whole period of 1956 to 1980, as well as densities (numbers/m3) for five major taxa (copepods, chaetognaths, euphausiids, amphipods, and Aglantha) from 1964 to 1967, species identifications, counts and lengths for many samples collected between 1968 to 1980. The attached supporting document (Ocean Station "Papa" detailed zooplankton data: 1956 – 1980) contains information on the methods used to collect and process the data along with descriptions of a number of fairly minor points about the data that were not resolved. It also describes, in detail, the format of the original data files, the corrections/changes that were made to these files in creating this version, and how these errors affect what was published in Fulton (1983).The purpose of this record is to make the detailed data available to the scientific community in an electronic format and to provide a convenient reference for citing the detailed data. Waddell, Brenda J., and Skip McKinnell. 1995. Ocean Station "Papa" detailed zooplankton data:1956 - 1980. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2056: 21 p.

Funded under DFO's Marine Conservation Targets Program in partnership with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC), this diver-based imagery and sample collection benthic survey documents the occurrence of sponges at 42 dive sites in the Eastern Shore Islands (ESI) Area of Interest (AOI, ~2089 km2) off the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada from dive surveys conducted in summer 2021 and 2022. Water quality, species occurrences and counts, habitat, slope, and substrate characteristics were catalogued through diver log sheets, camera imagery, specimen vouchers, and high-resolution bathymetric data. A total of 54 dives to depths from 11 to 33 m (below sea level), collecting up to 147 still images, one-hour of video, and 17 specimen samples per site, resulted in 220 observations for 27 different sponge taxa. This included three new records for Canada (Hymedesmia stellifera, Plocamionida arndti, Hymedesmia jecusculum) and a range extension for a species new to science (Crellomima mehqisinpekonuta) which was recently described from the Bay of Fundy. There were also four species which may seem to be new to science (Halichondria sp., Hymedesmia sp., Protosuberires sp., and Sphaerotylus sp.). Sponges were found to occupy a diversity of micro-habitats, often several different ones in proximity. A total of eight distinct habitat classes were defined, based on varying abundances and diversity of sponges and associated benthic species. These are likely widely distributed among the many complex submerged seabed features within this AOI. Collected specimens were preserved and are stored at the Atlantic Reference Centre (ARC) in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick.Cite this data as: Goodwin, C., Cooper, J.A., Lawton, P., Teed, L.L. 2025. Sponge occurrence and associated species and habitat descriptions derived from the 2021 and 2022 SCUBA diving surveys in the Eastern Shore Islands Area of Interest, Nova Scotia. Version 1.4. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=eastern_shore_islands_sponge_survey_2021_2022&v=1.4

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

Greenland Sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) are estimated to have the highest longevity of any invertebrate (392 ± 120 years), making bycatch a significant concern (Nielsen et al. 2016). However, in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) region, accurate estimates of bycatch are not often available for the species (Simpson et al. 2021). To address this, species distribution models (SDMs) were generated to delineate habitat suitability for the species throughout the NL region in order to identify areas where a higher rate of bycatch is expected to occur.Observations of Greenland shark bycatch recorded by At-Sea Observers (ASOs) in NL (1983 – 2019), Spain (1999 – 2017), and by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Secretariat (2014 – 2019) were compiled to generate a presence-only dataset. Multiple environmental variables were assessed for collinearity, and non-collinear variables (Bathymetry and mean monthly bottom temperature for March and November (1990 – 2015)) were retained for use in the SDM. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) software was used to model habitat suitability because it is a presence-only modelling program that is able to account for a lack of absence data by comparing the environmental conditions at occurrence locations to those at randomly selected background points. Overall, the results indicated that habitat suitability for Greenland Shark was highest in deeper waters along the shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3OP, and the Laurentian Channel, but also extended along the edge of the Labrador shelf, the Grand Banks, and deeper areas along the continental shelf such as the Hawke Channel, Funk Island Deep, and the slopes of Saglek, Nain, and Hamilton Banks. Beyond the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and within the NAFO regulatory area (NRA), suitable habitat was also present within the Flemish Pass, and along the slope of the Flemish Cap and shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3NO (Simpson et al. 2021). More detailed information can be found in Simpson et al. 2021.References:Nielsen, J., R. B. Hedeholm, J. Heinemeier, P. G. Bushnell, J. S. Christiansen, J. Olsen, C. B. Ramsey, R. W. Brill, M. Simon, K. F. Steffensen, J. F. Steffensen. 2016. Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). Science 353 (6300):702-704Simpson, M. R., Gullage, L., Konecny, C., Ollerhead, N., Treble, M.A., Nogueira, A., González-Costas, F. 2021. Spatial-temporal variation in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) bycatch in the NAFO Regulatory Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 21/028

The North Shore of the Lower Estuary (Upper North Shore, Quebec) is a productive coastal system where many commercial species of benthic invertebrates are fished in the infralittoral (10-20 m) and circalittoral (20-50 m) zone. However, little data exist on the biodiversity of non-commercial species and the environmental characteristics of the benthic habitat in this area. Two scientific surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2019 to address this knowledge gap by developing a framework of biodiversity and environmental (water column and seafloor) data taking that will be used to determine the baseline state of the benthic ecosystem in this region.Surveys were conducted in 2018 (August 11-14) and 2019 (July 30-August 5) in the Upper North Shore region (between the towns of Forestville and Godbout). Surveys followed a fixed sampling design of eight transects perpendicular to bathymetry with stations at 10 m depth intervals in a bathymetry range of 10-50 m for a total of approximately 40 stations per survey. Specimens were collected with a beam trawl with an opening of 2.8 m. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 7 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library of R. The average tow distance was approximately 425 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled. The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes generic event information, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes sample size, sampling protocol and sampling effort, among others. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. For abundance and biomass estimates, contact Virginie Roy (virginie.roy@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. Special cases were noted in "identificationRemarks" and selected specimens were confirmed using field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.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.

PURPOSE:This Archer fiord data is associated with a larger program ArcticCORE, which was created to fulfill knowledge gaps and develop long term protection in the extremely remote Tuvaijuittuq region. The main objectives of this expedition were to improve our comprehension of the key drivers for productive capacity, diversity and ecosystem structure in areas connected to Baffin Bay and Tuvaijuittuq, including Archer fiord.DESCRIPTION:ArcticCORE is a 5-year broader program aiming to characterize Tuvaijuittuq’s unique ecosystem and its influence and connectivity with the adjacent ecosystems to inform sustainable management and conservation initiatives in Tuvaijuittuq and the eastern Arctic. In an Arctic Ocean with rapidly declining sea ice, Tuvaijuittuq area retains the oldest and thickest sea ice, and can act as a refuge for ice-dependent species. This program aims to characterize the Arctic marine ecosystem and establish baseline measurements for future comparisons in the region. From 2023, water collection was carried out at four stations throughout Archer Fiord and analyzed for primary productivity, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton flow cytometry and phytoplankton taxonomy down to the lowest identifiable level. These data will contribute to a better understanding of the key drivers for productive capacity, diversity and ecosystem structure in Archer fiord. Characterization of these upstream areas are relevant for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in Baffin Bay, a priority for DFO and an intrinsic part of mandated activities, as they influence the ecosystem and fisheries resources downstream.