A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from July 7 to July 26, 2019 in the Estuary St. Lawrence River between Forestville, Baie-Comeau and Matane. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 66 stations, between 31 and 279 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl with a total width of 2.8 meters and a total height of 0.76 meters. The codend was lined with a 16 millimeter stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 15 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The average tow distance was approximately 25 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled.The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Cedric Juillet (cedric.juillet@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. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

This dataset documents the infauna occurrences collected from 2021 to 2023 during the Canadian Beaufort Sea Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA) conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). This scientific program focuses on the integration of oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings, and spatial and interannual variabilities.The program also aims to expand the baseline coverage of species diversity, abundances, and habitat associations in previously unstudied areas of the Beaufort Sea and Western Canadian Archipelago. The study took place mainly in the Canadian Beaufort Sea and the Amundsen Gulf. Sampling is done along transects at fixed stations in the study area. Catches are collected using a 50 x 50 cm box-corer. 2 or 3 box core is collected per station to obtain replicates. A total of 29 stations were sampled for infauna in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 25 in 2023 between 10-653 m depth. Half of the box corer (0.125 m2) is sampled for infauna taxonomy. The first 20 cm of sediment are collected and sieved through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve. The samples are preserved in seawater-formaldehyde solution (10 % v/v). In the lab, infauna is identified to the lowest taxon level possible.The data are presented in two files:The "Activité_endofaune_CBSMEA_infauna_event_en" file which contains information about missions, stations and deployments, which are presented under a hierarchical activity structure.The "Occurrence_endofaune_CBSMEA_infauna_en" file that contains the taxonomic occurrences.

A Crown land reservation is a tool under Section 18(c) of the Public Lands Act, to identify a management intent that will inform and provide direction to potential land users and regulatory bodies as authorized under the Public Lands Act. A reservation is not a disposition, does not grant any rights to public land or rights to access or occupy public land or rights to the resources on the land or under it. The Crown Land Reservations dataset displays reservations under application or active with their associated data attributes allowing users to view and access existing or proposed reservation information that could influence their application if a proposed activity intersects. More information can be found at www.alberta.ca/land-use-reservation-program.aspx

A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from July 1 to July 17, 2018 on the Lower North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Havre-Saint-Pierre and Blanc-Sablon. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 61 stations, between 46 and 230 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl with a total width of 2.8 meters and a total height of 0.76 meters. The codend was lined with a 16 millimeter stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 10 minutes depending on seabed conditions. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The average tow distance was approximately 25 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled.The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Cedric Juillet (cedric.juillet@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 "ScientificIDname" field of the occurrence file. Special cases were noted in the "commentsIdentification" field and selected specimens were confirmed with field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and Worms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

A research survey on snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) was conducted from May 2006 to May 2009 in the Bay of Ste. Marguerite near Sept-Îles, Quebec. The main objective of this survey was to assess the abundance of snow crab and benthic species associated with snow crab habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with snow crab habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a fixed station sampling design consisting of 79 stations, between 7 to 198 meters depth. Specimens were collected using a beam trawl. The codend was lined with a small stretched mesh net in order to harvest the small individuals. The hauls were made at a target duration of 15 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library in R. The two files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "Activity_Information" file includes generic activity information, including date and location. The "occurrence_taxon" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. To obtain the abundance and biomass assessment, contact Bernard Sainte-Marie (Bernard.Sainte-Marie@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. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

A benthic imagery survey was conducted along the Eastern Scotian Slope in June 2018 to collect data in support of a Strategic Program for Ecosystem-Based Research and Advice project to evaluate the effectiveness of the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area and identify new areas of importance for benthic species that may qualify for protection under Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2009 Policy for Managing the Impact of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. Linear video and photographic transects from ~200 to 1000 m depth were collected at 10 stations between the Gully Marine Protected Area and the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area using the video and photographic camera system Campod and the ‘4K Camera’ drop camera system. Here we present a quantitative assessment of the corals and sponges observed at each of these 10 stations. Patterns in distribution by transect and depth are presented, as well as the relationship between coral distribution and groundfish fishing effort. We highlight the importance of the slope outside the canyons for the distribution of corals and sponges, where nearly 25 taxa were recorded between 167 – 970 m depth. Diversity and abundance appeared to show a west-to-east gradient across the study area, being highest on those stations adjacent to the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area. Groundfish fishing activity overlapped the distribution of corals and sponges in some parts of the study area, particularly between 200 and 500 m where the large branching corals Paragorgia arborea and Primnoa resedaeformis were observed, and also suggested that fishing may have taken place within the boundaries of the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area since its implementation in 2004. An extension of the boundaries of this closure may ensure its continued effectiveness and provide protection for the diverse and abundant coral and sponge communities that reside beyond its boundaries.Cite this data as: Beazley, Lindsay; Lirette, Camille; Guijarro, Javier (2019). Characterization of the Corals and Sponges of the Eastern Scotian Slope from a Benthic Imagery Survey. Published July 2023. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/b6567b77-4fda-4fcf-b059-fcfeb4dcc2fb

The purpose of the survey is to document and record habitat types and associated algae and marine invertebrate species in a variety of habitat types. Transect locations are randomly selected throughout the study area, which rotates between the north and south coasts of British Columbia on a biannual basis. Transects are laid perpendicular to the shoreline. A team of two divers swim the transect with data sheets to collect habitat, algae and marine invertebrate data as detailed below in the methods section. Data is keypunched in an MS Access database that can be queried for species observations and environmental information.This dataset includes three tables pulled from the original database containing observations by species, observations by quadrat, and additional header information for each observation. All three tables can be linked by the field HKey. Three lookup tables are included as well, one for algae, one for invertebrates, and one for substrates.

The bedrock geologic units designate units of the same types of rock which composed the solid rock exposed at ground surface (as outcrop) or which underlies unconsolidated surficial sediments. This dataset represents a general description of the stratigraphy and geology, including geologic unit thickness, morphology, age and rank. It features a list of the geologic unit names and types of rock (lithology) in the hydrogeological unit, from a controlled vocabulary. While the preferred format to deliver this data is by using a shapefile and its linked attributes, this dataset can be delivered also by providing link to external data which should have at least the same properties or also by joining a georeferenced image of the map.

Distribution of clam beds in coastal Beds in British Columbia showing relative abundance (RA) and aboriginal, biological, commercial and recreational relative importance (RI) and overall RI. RI is based on project region and not on the province as a whole. and productivity. Other attributes include season dates, productivity and species. 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.

Significant Benthic Areas are defined in DFO's Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (ERAF) as "significant areas of cold-water corals and sponge dominated communities", where significance is determined "through guidance provided by DFO-lead processes based on current knowledge of such species, communities and ecosystems". Here we provide maps of the location of significant concentrations of corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada produced through quantitative analyses of research vessel trawl survey data, supplemented with other data sources where available. We have conducted those analyses following a bio-regionalization approach in order to facilitate modelling of similar species, given that many of the multispecies surveys do not record coral and sponge catch at species level resolution. The taxa analyzed are sponges (Porifera), large and small gorgonian corals (Alcyonacea), and sea pens (Pennatulacea). We applied kernel density estimation (KDE) to create a modelled biomass surface for each of those taxa, and applied an aerial expansion method to identify significant concentrations, following an approach first applied in 2010 to this region. We compared our results to those obtained previously. KDE uses only geo-referenced biomass data to identify "hot spots". The borders of the areas so identified can be refined using knowledge of null catches and species distribution models that predict species presence-absence and/or biomass, both incorporating environmental data.