Pelagic Marine Ecounits are intended to describe the sea surface and water column. Two variables were selected to derive pelagic ecounits:1. Salinity and 2. Stratification. The British Columbia Marine Ecological Classification (BCMEC) is a hierarchical classification that delineates Provincial marine areas into Ecozones, Ecoprovinces, Ecoregions and Ecosections. The classification was developed from previous Federal and Provincial marine ecological classifications which were based on 1:2,000,000 scale information. The BCMEC has been developed for marine and coastal planning, resource management and a Provincial marine protected areas strategy. A new, smaller level of classification termed ecounits developed using 1:250,000 scale depth, current, exposure, subsurface relief and substrate was created to verify the larger ecosections, and to delineate their boundaries. CRIMS is a legacy dataset of BC coastal resource data that was acquired in a systematic and synoptic manner from 1979 and was intermittently updated throughout the years. Resource information was collected in nine study areas using a peer-reviewed provincial Resource Information Standards Committee consisting of DFO Fishery Officers, First Nations, and other subject matter experts. There are currently no plans to update this legacy data.

Launched in 2017, the Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping (CEMS) initiative is part of Canada’s $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, which is providing economic opportunities to Canadians today, while protecting our coasts and waterways for future generations. The Cumulative Effects of Marine Shipping initiative is another way that the Government of Canada is protecting our coasts and waterways.https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-pollution-environmental-response/cumulative-effects-marine-shippingAs part of this initiative, Transport Canada is working with Indigenous partners and stakeholders in six pilot areas across Canada. Together, we are trying to understand the effects of marine shipping in various coastal areas. These pilot areas include:- North Coast British Columbia- South Coast British Columbia- St. Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Quebec- Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia- Placentia Bay, Newfoundland- Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

Significant climate change impacts are highly likely in all Canadian marine and freshwater basins, with effects increasing over time (DFO 2012). Climate models project that ecosystems and fisheries across Canada will be disrupted into the foreseeable future (Lotze et al. 2019; Bryndum-Buchholz et al. 2020; Tittensor et al. 2021; Boyce et al. 2024). Despite its imminence, climate change is infrequently factored into Canada’s primary marine conservation strategies, such as spatial planning (O’Regan et al. 2021) or fisheries management (Boyce et al. 2021; Pepin et al. 2022). The Climate Risk Index for Biodiversity (CRIB) was developed to assess climate risk for marine species in a quantitative, spatially explicit, and scalable manner, supporting climate-informed decision-making. It has been used to evaluate climate risks for marine life globally (Boyce et al. 2022), regionally (Lewis et al. 2023; Boyce et al. 2024; Keen et al. 2023), for fisheries (Boyce et al. 2024), and in support of spatial conservation planning (Keen et al. 2023). This dataset contains climate vulnerability and risk estimates from the CRIB framework adapted to consider warming at both the sea surface and its bottom for 145 marine species of conservation or fisheries interest across Canada’s marine territory. Climate risk is available at a 0.25-degree resolution under two contrasting emission scenarios to 2100. For each species, location, and scenario, 12 climate indexes, three vulnerability dimensions, and an overall vulnerability and risk score are provided. The accompanying report describes the data, methods, and workflow used to calculate risk. This report also guides the interpretation of these data to inform and support climate-informed decision-making in Canada.

In Canada, DFO assessments have reported a high probability of significant climate change impacts in all marine and freshwater basins, with effects increasing over time (DFO 2012a, 2012b), while climate projections indicate that ecosystems and fisheries will be disrupted into the foreseeable future (Lotze et al. 2019b; Bryndum-Buchholz et al. 2020; Tittensor et al. 2021; Boyce et al. 2022c). Despite its imminence, climate change is infrequently factored into Canada’s primary marine conservation strategies, such as spatial planning (O’Regan et al. 2021) or fisheries management (Boyce et al. 2021a; Pepin et al. 2022). The Climate Risk Index for Biodiversity was developed to assess climate risk for marine species in a quantitative, spatially explicit, and scalable way to better support climate-informed decision-making. It has been used to evaluate climate risks for marine life globally (Boyce et al. 2022a), regionally (Lewis et al. 2023), and for fisheries (Boyce et al. 2022c). These data present results from application of the CRIB framework to estimate average climate risks associated with sea surface warming across 2,959 species throughout the Canadian marine territory under contrasting future emission scenarios. In the Technical Report accompanying this data publication, we use Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) as an example to describe the approach’s data, methods, and outputs, and to transparently and tangibly show how it quantifies risk and can inform and support climate-informed decision-making in Canada. Cite this data as: Boyce, D., Greenan, B., Shackell, N. Data of:A climate risk index for marine life across the Canadian exclusive economic zone.Published: January 2024. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S.https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/2a0b3298-2bcc-49a0-a745-af56ed0462f1

This shapefile dataset was designed using polygons extracted from the Cartography of Coastal Ecosystems of Maritime Quebec geodatabase (2022, Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Management of Coastal Zones, Fisheries and Oceans Canada), described in the paragraph below. It consists of polygons with eelgrass and incorporates attributes describing the vegetation cover, the composition of the seagrass beds, the associated ecosystem name, the imagery data that allowed photo-interpretation and the presence or absence of field data. A unique sequence number associated with each polygon makes it possible to trace the paired polygon of the geodatabase of coastal ecosystems to attribute values not detailed in this shapefile. The study area includes all of the estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec, with the exception of certain sectors, including most of the Lower North Shore and Anticosti Island, with the exception of villages of Kegaska, la Romaine, Chevery, Blanc-Sablon and Port-Menier. Some islands off the estuary and gulf coasts are part of the region covered, such as Île d'Orléans, Isle-aux-Coudres, Île Verte and Île Bonaventure.The Mapping of Coastal Ecosystems of Maritime Quebec was carried out jointly by the Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (LDGIZC) of the University of Quebec at Rimouski as part of the Coastal Resilience Project; and by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada team, as part of the Integrated Marine Response Planning Program (IMRP). A classification of coastal ecosystems was carried out on more than 4,200 km of coastal corridor, focusing on estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec located between the limit of the upper foreshore and the shallow infralittoral (about 10m deep). The mapping method developed is based on semi-automated segmentation and a photo-interpretation of coastal ecosystems, using very high resolution multispectral photographs (RBVI) acquired between 2015 and 2020 by DFO. The classification of polygons is based on the assignment of predefined value classes for the biological and physical attributes under study (e.g., substrates, plant type, vegetation cover, geosystem, etc. ). Helicopter-born oblique photographs and field data helped to reduce the uncertainty associated with photo-interpretation. UQAR and DFO conducted field sampling campaigns targeting the mediolittoral (4,390 stations) and the lower mediolittoral and infralittoral zones (2,959 stations), respectively , which validated some of the attributes identified by photo-interpretation and provided detailed information on community structure . The geodatabase of the Mapping of coastal ecosystems is hosted and managed by UQAR on their SIGEC-Web cartographic platform: https://ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/sigecwebCredits © DFO (2023, Fisheries and Oceans Canada)Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L., Pitre, L.D., Grégoire, B. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Cartographie des macrophytes estuariens et marins du Québec. Rapp. Tech. Can. Sci. halieut. Aquat. 3617 : v + 99 p.Grégoire, B., Pitre, L.D., Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Distribution d’organismes marins de la zone côtière peu profonde du Québec recensés par imagerie sous-marine de 2017 à 2021. Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 3616 : v + 78 p.Grégoire, B. 2022. Biodiversité du relevé côtier Planification pour une intervention environnementale intégrée dans l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent (2017–2021). Observatoire global du Saint-Laurent. [Jeu de données]Jobin, A., Marquis, G., Provencher-Nolet, L., Gabaj Castrillo. M. J., Trubiano C., Drouet, M., Eustache-Létourneau, D., Drejza, S. Fraser, C. Marie, G. et P. Bernatchez (2021) Cartographie des écosystèmes côtiers du Québec maritime — Rapport méthodologique. Chaire de recherche en géoscience côtière, Laboratoire de dynamique et de gestion intégrée des zones côtières, Université du Québec à Rimouski. Rapport remis au ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, septembre 2021, 98 p.

The Planning for an Environmental Response (PIER) initiative falls under the umbrella of the Government of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), whose goal is preserving marine ecosystems vulnerable to increased transportation and the development of the marine industry (https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/backgrounders/2016/11/07/canadas-oceans-protection-plan-preserving-and-restoring-canadas). The PIER was established in response to recommendations made in a 2013 report "A review of Canada's ship-source spill preparedness and response regime " by the Tanker Safety Expert Panel (https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-transportation/marine-safety/tanker-safety-expert-panel). One of the recommendations calls on Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to work with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to collect and compile information on sensitive species and environments for each Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) response area and make it publicly available.The PIERs’ main mandate is to acquire and update biological sensitivity data under its jurisdiction for preparation and response purposes in the event of an oil spill. With DFO-Science, PIER supports ECCC's National Environmental Emergencies Centre (NEEC) and the CCG in their preparations and responses through the sharing of data on biological sensitivities, the development of response tools and expert advice.In this vein, DFO published an analysis in 2018 that aimed to identify the most vulnerable components of the St. Lawrence in order to prioritize them during data collection if gaps were identified (Desjardins et al. 2018). This exercise highlighted the vulnerability of several biological components and important data gaps, particularly in coastal areas. As a result of this finding, the Quebec region PIEI team embarked on a collaborative project with the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) to map eelgrass beds, tidal marshes and macroalgal beds. In consultation with other DFO-Science data producers, this team has also created datasets adapted for response purposes, notably regarding bivalves and marine mammals. These layers may be used for oil spill preparedness and response by DFO-Quebec Region's Environmental Incident Coordinator, NEEC and CCG. Several of them, deemed relevant in the first 72 hours following a spill, have been transmitted to the NEEC.

In 2009, DFO defined 12 marine bioregions across the three oceans bordering Canada to support its marine planning efforts, such as the establishment of networks of marine protected areas. However, these bioregions cover vast areas and exhibit significant ecological heterogeneity, especially along the coasts. Yet, this heterogeneity in coastal ecosystems often needs to be considered at the local scale, particularly for management and conservation purposes.The objective of this exercise is to subdivide the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) bioregion for the province of Quebec into coastal sub-bioregions to better reflect local and regional coastal characteristics. The coastal classification presented in this report is based on the integration of four existing classification systems for the EGSL, which were not specifically designed for classifying coastal ecosystems. Integrating these classification systems into a single approach allowed us to define 13 coastal sub-bioregions for the EGSL. Data presented here are the limit of the 13 ecoregions made from this work. A technical report is available for more details. See supporting documents:Gendreau, Y., Narancic, B. et Bourassa, M-N. 2025. Classification écologique du territoire côtier de l’estuaire et du golfe du Saint-Laurent au Québec. Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 0000 :v + 22p.

A literature review, focusing on oil sand products (e.g., diluted bitumen), diluents, spill-treating agents, and crude oil toxicology and ecological studies, relevant to the northeast Pacific was compiled as part of the Government of Canada’s World Class Tanker Safety program. Of the 763 references identified, 14 involved diluted bitumen and other heavy crude oils, indicating the need for further research of these products in the marine environment. Diluent research suggests relatively fast evaporation and dispersion times for this component, however high toxicities may pose a threat to marine biota. Historical studies indicate older dispersant formulations had potential ecological implications, therefore newer formulations, which have not been studied in detail, require full assessment. Consistent utilization of toxicology standards remains elusive, hindering species sensitivity analyses. Exxon Valdez literature demonstrates highly variable impacts from a single oil type and the need for baseline data, recovery status, and suitable ecological end-point determination.

In 2016-17, DFO Maritimes Region undertook a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network analysis for the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion. The analysis considered available bioregional-scale ecological and human use data in an effort to identify a draft MPA network design that would protect biodiversity while minimizing any potential impacts on commercial fishing and other industries. The data layers used for the offshore component of the MPA network analysis are provided here. These layers are not presented in their original forms and were modified (e.g. clipped, reclassified, etc.) specifically for use in the MPA network analysis. They should not be used for any other purpose. Please see Serdynska et al. 2021 for details on how each layer was created.Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. 2021. Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3382: xi + 100 p. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/mpo-dfo/Fs97-6-3382-eng.pdfCite this data as: Serdynska, A.R., Pardy, G.S., and King, M.C. Data of: Offshore Ecological and Human Use Information considered in Marine Protected Area Network Design in the Scotian Shelf Bioregion. Published: January 2022. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/2d9cce9a-d634-4b49-879f-87c40c52acf2

The Planning for an Environmental Response (PIER) initiative falls under the umbrella of the Government of Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), whose goal is preserving marine ecosystems vulnerable to increased transportation and the development of the marine industry. The PIERs’ main mandate is to acquire and update biological sensitivity data under its jurisdiction for preparation and response purposes in the event of an oil spill.This dataset contains all observations of marine organisms noted during the analysis of 2959 underwater images sampled over a large extent of the coastal zone (≤10 m) of the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Quebec region). The dataset includes 21 490 occurrences of 150 taxa and informal categories including macroalgae, invertebrates and fish. Underwater images were collected between 2017 and 2021 according to a directed sampling protocol whose primary goal was to map large seaweed and eelgrass beds. Images were normally recorded as videos using a GoPro Hero camera installed on a pole and placed near the seabed from a small boat. The collected data served primarily as ground-truth data to validate coasting zone mapping based on aerial photographs within the framework of the PIER's initiative.The two 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 "taxon_occurrence" file includes the original identifiers of the observed organisms (verbatimIdentification field), identification remarks and their taxonomy.Taxonomic names were verified on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match has been put in the scientificNameID field in the occurrence file. Data quality control was performed using the R packages obistools and worrms. All sampling locations were plotted on a map to perform a visual check confirming that the latitude and longitude coordinates were within the described sampling area.A visual dictionary was developed as an identification aid and accompanies this dataset (unilingual french only, the English version will be published soon). More data, including a visibility index, estimated macroalgae and eelgrass cover, substrate type and dominant macroalgae and animals were recorded but not included in this dataset. These data may be made available upon request.CreditsProvencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L., Pitre, L.D., Grégoire, B. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Cartographie des macrophytes estuariens et marins du Québec. Rapp. Tech. Can. Sci. halieut. Aquat. 3617 : v + 99 p.Grégoire, B., Pitre, L.D., Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Distribution d’organismes marins de la zone côtière peu profonde du Québec recensés par imagerie sous-marine de 2017 à 2021. Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 3616 : v + 78 p.