This dataset is comprised of the spatial boundaries for the Port Hawkesbury and Saint John pilot areas within the Oceans Protection Plan - Area Response Plan (ARP) project.

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.

Identification of a potential spawning site for lumpfish during an ichtyofauna inventory conducted in the eelgrass in Sept-Îles bay by Calderón (1996).Purpose:The 1996 document by par Isabel Calderón has been achieved by the "Corporation de protection de l'environnement de Sept-Îles" with the support of Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) as part of the "Biodiversity" program, St. Lawrence Vision 2000 (Canada).Source:Calderón, I. 1996. Caractérisation des habitats du poisson de la baie de Sept-Îles - Phase II. Corporation de protection de l'environnement de Sept-Îles. 37 pages.

The selection of an Area of Interest (AOI) marks the beginning of the Oceans Act Marine Protected Area (MPA) establishment process led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The process includes completing detailed ecological and socioeconomic assessments, setting conservation objectives, determining boundaries and management measures, and eventually developing the regulations under section 35 of the Oceans Act. Collaboration, consultation, and engagement occurs with stakeholders and partners throughout each step of this process.

In 2022, the federal government launched the second phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, a vast interdepartmental program designed to enhance marine safety in Canada by improving our ability to prevent and respond to marine incidents. For the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), this means filling gaps in our knowledge of marine and coastal bird species. In order to identify these gaps for the province of Quebec, we carried out a prioritization exercise in 2022. We concluded that major efforts needed to be made in the Nunavik marine region, since data were lacking in several sectors and for several species. Understanding the vulnerability of wildlife species over time and space will help us, among other things, to assess risks and act quickly and appropriately in the event of incidents affecting the marine environment, such as an oil spill or shipwreck. Another important objective of the Oceans Protection Plan is to implement sustainable partnerships with the Inuit in order to share our respective knowledge of migratory birds, develop joint projects and support Inuit-led marine bird projects.It is in this context that aerial inventories aimed at identifying avian diversity, counting seabirds and coastal birds and better understanding their distribution at different times of the year have been taking place in Nunavik since 2023. These inventories are particularly aimed at sites of large gatherings, such as molting and staging areas, where birds are more vulnerable. During flights, the crew scans the sea, bays, river mouths and coasts for single birds or groups of birds. When birds are spotted, the number of individuals is estimated and a formal identification is made to the most precise taxonomic level possible, usually species or genus. In some cases, particularly for species that are more difficult to identify or in the case of very large groups, high-resolution photographs are taken to confirm identifications and estimates of the number of individuals a posteriori. Where possible, individuals are identified by age and sex. For the purposes of these inventories, flight-capable birds are considered adults unless immature plumage is easily identifiable from a moving aircraft. Thus, most ducks, as well as shorebirds, are considered adults as soon as they are able to fly. Occasionally, the aircraft lands on the ground for short periods to allow the team to refine the identification of the species, genus and age of the birds. These observations are then included in the database. Observations made over land, during various trips, are also recorded opportunistically.Source to quote : Canadian Wildlife Service - Quebec Region. Aerial surveys of marine and coastal birds in Nunavik. Data collected as part of the Oceans Protection Plan. Version October 2025.

Depicts the internal boundaries of the Niagara Escarpment Plan area. The 7 land use designations are: * escarpment natural area * escarpment protection area * escarpment rural area * [minor urban centre](/dataset/minor-urban-centres-in-the-niagara-escarpment-plan) * urban area * escarpment recreation area * mineral resource extraction area The land use designations represent the internal boundaries between designations within the Niagara Escarpment Plan. These internal boundaries are not intended to be site-specific and should not be used for accurate measurements. The exact delineation of designation boundaries on specific sites will be done by the implementing body through the application of the designation criteria as outlined in Part 1 of the Niagara Escarpment Plan, utilizing the most detailed or up-to-date information available and site inspection. [More information](http://www.escarpment.org)

This boundary is used in the management of watershed-based planning by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA). It is used to support the Lake Simcoe Protection Act (LSPA). Instructions for downloading this dataset: * select the link below and scroll down the metadata record page until you find **Transfer Options** in the **Distribution Information** section * select the link beside the **Data for download** label * you must provide your name, organization and email address in order to access the dataset This product requires the use of GIS software. *[LSPA]: Lake Simcoe Protection Act *[GIS]: geographic information system *[LSRCA]: Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one among a number of spatial management tools, and are defined as areas that are established for the long-term, and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.Currently, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a number of MPAs designated under the Oceans Act and Areas of Interest for new MPAs at various stages of progress towards designation. These areas are ecologically significant, with species and/or features that require special management consideration.  An Oceans Act MPA can be established for any of the six conservation purposes outlined in the Act:• The conservation and protection of commercial and non-commercial fishery resources, including marine mammals, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of endangered or threatened marine species, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of unique habitats;  • The conservation and protection of marine areas of high biodiversity or biological productivity; • The conservation and protection of any other marine resource or habitat as is necessary to fulfill the mandate of the Minister; and• The conservation and protection of marine areas for the purposes of maintaining ecological integrity

Species characterization by environmental DNA (eDNA) is a method that allows the use of DNA released into the environment by organisms from various sources (secretions, faeces, gametes, tissues, etc.). It is a complementary tool to standard sampling methods for the identification of biodiversity. This project provides a list of invertebrates species whose DNA has been detected in water samples collected at 2018 using the marker COI.The surveys were carried out in the summer of 2018 from August 11 to 14, between Forestville and Godbout (Haute-Côte-Nord). Sampling was carried out between 9-52 meters depth in 40 stations with one sample par station. Two liters of water were filtered through a 1.2 µm fiberglass filter. DNA extractions were performed with the DNeasy Blood and Tissue extraction kit (Qiagen). Negative field, extraction and PCR controls were added at the different stages of the protocol. Libraries at the COI locus were prepared by Genome Quebec and sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq PE250 system. The bioinformatics analysis of the sequences obtained was carried out using an in-house analysis pipeline as reported in Bourret et al. 2022. A first step made it possible to obtain a molecular operational taxonomic unit table (MOTU) using the cutadapt software for the removal of the adapters and the DADA2 R package for the filtration, fusion, chimera removal and data compilation. The MOTUs table was subsequently corrected by taking into account the negative controls, where the number of observations in the latter was removed from the linked samples. Singleton MOTUs have also been removed. Finally, the taxonomic assignments were carried out on the MOTUs using the IDTAXA classifier (present in the DECIPHIER R package) using a training set trained on the COI reference bank for Golf St-Laurent (GSL-rl v1.0, https://github.com/GenomicsMLI-DFO/MLI_GSL-rl) and a threshold of 40. Detections with an “Unreliable due to gaps” category were reported at the genus level only.The file provided includes generic activity information, including site, station name, date, marker type, assignment types used for taxa identification, and a list of taxa or species. The list of taxa has been verified by a biodiversity expert from the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute.This project was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Coastal Environmental Baseline Data Program under the Oceans Protection Plan. This initiative aims to acquire baseline environmental data that contributes to the characterization of significant coastal areas and supports evidence-based assessments and management decisions to preserve marine ecosystems.Data are also available on SLGO platform : https://doi.org/10.26071/ogsl-cd4c205b-f63b

Temporary Protection Orders (TPOs) are ministerial orders that can be implemented to curtail water users during times of water scarcity to protect streamflow availability fish populations and the aquatic ecosystem. TPOs were implemented under Section 9 of the Fish Protection Act prior to 2016, but are now implemented under Section 86, 87 and 88 of the Water Sustainability Act. This dataset is a compilation of data hosted on TPOs to date across British Columbia and is maintained by the Watershed Stewardship and Security Branch within the Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship. The purpose of the dataset is to communicate to water users when and where TPOs are/were in effect at the watershed scale. For specific details on which water users are affected by a TPO, please refer to the official Ministerial Order document referenced in the dataset.