An exploratory fishery was carried out in the Mackenzie River Delta between 1989 and 1993 at the request of the Inuvik Hunters and Trappers Committee to assess the commercial fishery potential in this area. Data collected during this exploratory fishery was used in two technical reports. Broad whitefish were the target species of this fishery (DFO Technical Report 2180), however other species such as northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish were also harvested (DFO Technical Report 2330).Biological data from broad whitefish (fork length, age, gonadosomatic index and instantaneous mortality) were analyzed to assess the impact of an exploratory fishery in the Mackenzie River Delta. The data were collected using variable mesh experimental gill nets and commercial harvesters' 139 mm (5.5”) mesh gill nets. The data suggest that the broad whitefish population might be separated, with larger mature spawners gathering in the main channels prior to spawning and smaller, immature or resting fish staying in side channels away from strong currents. From this analysis we conclude that the size and structure of the broad whitefish population(s) found in this area are stable at the current level of total harvest (commercial and subsistence combined) There may be room for increased harvests but to what level is uncertain.Biological data from northern pike, inconnu, and lake whitefish were analyzed to assess the impact of the fishery on population abundance and structure. All three by catch species support subsistence fisheries in the Mackenzie Delta. lnconnu and lake whitefish migrate substantial distances, crossing land claim borders and are likely fished by a variety of user groups. Northern pike, on the other hand tend to be non-migratory with localized populations that are mainly fished by people living in the near vicinity. A concern was that commercial fishing pressure might reduce the numbers of fish available to subsistence users. Based on trends in size and age frequency, age at maturity, sex ratio, growth rates, and mortality rates, we conclude that inconnu and lake whitefish populations in the Mackenzie Delta have remained healthy and stable at the current harvest levels, however northern pike populations showed a decrease in the proportion of older fish, possibly indicating over-fishing of local stocks. lnconnu and lake whitefish may be able to withstand increased harvest, but to what extent is unknown, given that little reliable information is available on subsistence harvest levels in this region. Increasing harvest levels of pike may be risky and we suggest that a reduction of current commercial harvest quotas be considered.

This record contains data on beluga whale locations in the Mackenzie estuary reported in Harwood, L.A. and P. Norton (1996). Aerial survey data from the southeast Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie River estuary and west. Amundsen Gulf, July 1992. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 964

This dataset contains digital data files on transects flown and reported in Harwood, L.A. and P. Norton (1996). Aerial survey data from the southeast Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie River estuary and west. Amundsen Gulf, July 1992. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 964

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS ) is one of the most sophisticated sensors that is used in a wide range of applications related to land, ocean and atmosphere. It has 36 spectral channels with spatial resolution varying between 250 m and 1 km at nadir. MODIS channels 1 (B1, visible) and 2 (B2, near infrared) are available at 250 m spatial resolution, an additional five channels for terrestrial applications (bands B3 to B7) are available at 500 m spatial resolution, the other twenty-nine channels not included in this data set capture images with a spatial resolution of 1 km. The MODIS record begins in March 2000 and extends to present with daily measurements over the globe. This level 3 product for Canada was created from the following original Level 1 (1B) MODIS data (collection 5): a) MOD02QKM - Level 1B 250 m swath data, 5 min granules; b ) MOD02HKM - level 1B , 500 m swath data, 5 min granules; c) MOD03 - level 1 geolocation information, 1 km swath data, 5 min granules. All these data are available from the DAAC Earth Observing System Data Gateway (NASA http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/data/search.html). The terrestrial channels MODIS (B3 to B7) at 500 m spatial resolution were reduced to 250 m with an adaptive regression system and normalization described in Trishchenko et al. (2006, 2009), and the data were mapped using a Lambert Conformal Conic (LCC ) projection (Khlopenkov et al., 2008). These data were combined to form pan-Canadian images using a technique for detection of clear sky, clouds and cloud shadows with a maximum interval of 10 days (Luo et al., 2008). Atmospheric and sun-sensor geometry corrections have not been applied. For each date, data include forward and backward scattering observations as separate files. This allows data to be optimized for a given application. For general use, data from either forward or backward scattering or both should be used. Future release of the MODIS time series will correct the forward and backward scattering geometry to provide a single best observation for each pixel.

The Canadian long term satellite data record (LTDR) derived from 1-km resolution Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data was produced by the Canada Center for Remote Sensing (CCRS). Processing included: geolocation, calibration, and compositing using Earth Observation Data Manager (Latifovic et al. 2005), cloud screening (Khlopenkov and Trishchenko, 2006), BRDF correction (Latifovic et. al., 2003), atmosphere and other corrections as described in Cihlar et. al. (2004). For temporal analysis of vegetation cross-sensor correction of Latifovic et al. (2012) is advised. Data collected by the AVHRR instrument on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 9,11,14,16,17,18 and 19 satellites were used to generate Canada-wide 1-km 10-day AVHRR composites. Data are available starting in 1985. It is important to note that there are three types of AVHRR sensors: (i) AVHRR-1 flown onboard TIROS-N, NOAA-6, NOAA-8, and NOAA-10; (ii) AVHRR-2 flown onboard NOAA-7, NOAA-9, NOAA-11, NOAA-12, and NOAA-14; and (iii) AVHRR-3 currently operational onboard NOAA-15, NOAA-16, NOAA-17, NOAA-18 and NOAA-19. The AVHRR-1 has four channels, AVHRR-2 has five channels and the AVHRR-3 has six channels, although only five channels of AVHRR-3 can be operational at any one time. As such, channels 3A (1.6 m) and 3B (3.7 m) work interchangeably. The processing procedure was designed to minimize artefacts in AVHRR composite images. There are thirty six 10-day image composites per year. The following three processing levels are provided: P1) top of atmosphere reflectance and brightness temperature, P2) reflectance at surface and surface temperature and P3) reflectance at surface normalized to a common viewing geometry (BRDF normalization). The processing level P1 and P2 are provided for all 36 composites while level P3 is provided for 21 composites from April – October.

The Beaufort Sea and Mackenzie Delta dataset comes from the Petroleum and Environmental Management Tool (PEMT). The online tool was decommissioned in 2019 and the data was transferred to Open Data in order to preserve it.The PEMT was originally developed in 2009 to help guide development in the Canadian Arctic by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). The online tool mapped the sensitivities of a variety of Arctic features, ranging from whales to traditional harvesting, across the Arctic. The tool was intended to aid government, oil and gas companies, Aboriginal groups, resource managers and public stakeholders in better understanding the geographic distribution of areas which are sensitive for environmental and socio-economic reasons. The study area and analytical resolution was defined using the oil and gas leasing grid within the Beaufort Sea. The study area has been the scene of oil and gas exploration activity since 1957. Oil was first discovered at Atkinson Point in 1969 and major gas fields in the early 1970s. Such finds spurred the proposal of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline in 1974 and the addition of exploration and investment offshore. Exploration and drilling continued both onshore and offshore until the mid-1970s with the release of the Berger Report, which recommended a 10-year moratorium on the construction of the pipeline. After the release of the Berger Report, the pace of onshore activity declined but offshore exploration escalated in the 1980s. Offshore exploration was facilitated with innovative operating techniques and new offshore platforms that extended the ability to operate in the short open-water season and ice. With the minor exception of the small onshore gas field at Ikhil, no oil or gas has been commercially produced in the area.DISCLAIMER: Please refer to the PEMT Disclaimer document or the Resource Constraints - Use Limitation in the Additional Information section below.Note: This is one of the 3 (three) datasets included in the PEMT application which includes the High Arctic and Eastern Arctic datasets.

Situated in the Gwich’in settlement Area (GSA), the Rat River is inhabited by anadromous Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma malma) that are harvested by both Gwich’in and Inuvialuit beneficiaries. The harvest of Dolly Varden from the Rat River occurs during the summer at feeding areas along the coast (by the Inuvialuit) and during upstream migration in the Mackenzie Delta (by both Gwich’in and Inuvialuit). Dolly Varden stocks are co-managed under an Integrated Fisheries Management Plan (IFMP) whose signatories include Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board, Fisheries Joint Management Committee, and Parks Canada Agency. The Rat River Working Group, the co-management body that makes recommendations for harvest levels for Dolly Varden stocks in the GSA, has supported research activities that facilitate implementation of the IFMP, including studies to monitor harvest levels and assess population status. Population studies (e.g., abundance estimates, biological and genetic sampling) and coastal harvest monitoring activities allow for a comprehensive assessment of this stock. The data are used to inform co-management partners on the status of Dolly Varden from the Rat River.

This dataset shows the location of Mackenzie diabase dykes for the Province of Saskatchewan.This dataset shows the Mackenzie diabase dykes for the Province of Saskatchewan. Mapping in support of the dataset includes years of field observations which were then compiled and integrated into this dataset. The data was created as a file geodatabase feature class and output for public distribution.  **Please Note – All published Saskatchewan Geological Survey datasets, including those available through the Saskatchewan Mining and Petroleum GeoAtlas, are sourced from the Enterprise GIS Data Warehouse. They are therefore identical and share the same refresh schedule.

This record contains data on bowhead whale locations reported in Harwood, L.A. and P. Norton. 1996. Aerial survey data from the southeast Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie River estuary and west. Amundsen Gulf, July 1992. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 964

With the changing climate conditions, marine traffic along Canada’s coastal regions has increased over the past couple of decades and the need to improve our state of preparedness for oil-spill-related emergencies is critical. Baseline coastal information, such as shoreline form, substrate, and vegetation type, is required for prioritizing operations, coordinating onsite spill response activities (i.e. Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique [SCAT]), and providing information for wildlife and ecosystem management. Between 2010 and 2016, georeferenced high-definition videography and photos were collected for various study sites along the north coast of Canada. The study areas include Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie Delta channels and Banks Island in the western Canadian Arctic and James Bay, Hudson Bay, Nunavik, Resolute Bay, Victoria Strait, Baffin Island and Coronation Gulf in the eastern Canadian Arctic.Data was collected during ice-free and low tide conditions (where applicable) between July and September. Low-altitude helicopter surveys were conducted at each study site to capture video of the shoreline characteristics. In addition to acquiring videography, ground-based observations were recorded in several locations for validation.Shoreline segmentation was then carried out by manual interpretation of the oblique videography and the photos aided by ancillary data. This involved splitting and classifying the shoreline vectors based on homogeneity of the upper intertidal zone. Detailed geomorphological information (i.e. shoreline type, substrate, slope, height, accessibility etc.) describing the upper intertidal, lower intertidal, supratidal and backshore zones was extracted from the video and entered into a geospatial database using a customized data collection form. In addition, biological characteristics like biobands, water features, fauna, human use etc. observed along the coast were recorded.The data was also validated through ground observations (when available) and a second interpreter QA (quality analysis) was performed on each dataset (excluding Nunavik) to ensure high quality and consistency. The final dataset contains segments ranging in length from 150 metres to 2500 metres. In total, from 2010 to 2016, within the 8 study sites, about 16,800 km of shoreline were segmented.