Species distribution models (SDMs) are tools that combine species observations of occurrence, abundance, or biomass with environmental variables to predict the distribution of a species in unsampled locations. To produce accurate predictions of occurrence, abundance or biomass distribution, a wide range of physical and/or biological variables is desirable. Such data is often collected over limited or irregular spatial scales, and require the application of geospatial techniques to produce continuous environmental surfaces that can be used for modelling at all spatial scales. Here we provide a review of 102 environmental data layers that were compiled for the entire spatial extent of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Maritimes Region. Variables were obtained from a broad range of physical and biological data sources and spatially interpolated using geostatistical methods. For each variable we document the underlying data distribution, provide relevant diagnostics of the interpolation models and an assessment of model performance, and present the final standard error and interpolation surfaces. These layers have been archived in a common (raster) format at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography to facilitate future use. Based on the diagnostic summaries in this report, a subset of these variables has subsequently been used in species distribution models to predict the distribution of deep-water corals, sponges, and other significant benthic taxa in the Maritimes Region. Cite this data as: Beazley, Lindsay; Guijarro, Javier, Lirette; Camille; Wang, Zeliang; Kenchington, Ellen (2020). Characteristics of Environmental Data Layers for Use in Species Distribution Modelling in the Maritimes Region. Published July 2023. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/34a917cb-a0e3-403c-91c7-af3dc20628b1

Linear coastlines of BC, including mainland and marine islands. Lines are directionalized and connected. Attributes include a hierarchical key and route identifier

Important sites: reproduction, feeding and concentration area. Data extracted from the Fish Habitat Management Information System (FHAMIS) according to a literature review of documents produced between 1976 and 1999.

This product provides the variability index for selected drainage regions in Canada. Variability is measured using a coefficient of variation (CV) to compare all months over a 42-year time period and is a measure of the dispersion or variation in the monthly yield values from 1971 to 2013 (and 1971 to 2012 for drainage region 1). It is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean or the standard deviation divided by the mean, with higher CVs indicating more variability in monthly water yields. The monthly variability was not calculated for drainage regions 5, 7, 8, 16, 17, 18, or the Labrador portion of 25.

This dataset contains spatial and attribute data for local government Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs) established for heritage conservation purposes in British Columbia, as tracked by BC Heritage Branch. Under the Local Government Act, a local government may designate a HCA within its Official Community Plan (OCP). An OCP may include a schedule of properties located within a Heritage Conservation Area that are considered to be protected heritage property. This is a multi-part polygon layer.

Ontario Integrated Hydrology (OIH) data is used to generate watersheds and support provincial-scale hydrology applications including: * watershed generation * hydrologic modelling * watercourse network analysis Four key datasets are represented in each data package: * stream network (Enhanced Watercourse) * hydrology-enforced digital elevation model [DEM ] (Enforced DEM) * flow direction grid (Enhanced Flow Direction - EFDIR) * raster representation of the stream network (StreamGrid) __Technical information__ For the first time, OIH data is complete for the entire province making it possible to create a watershed for any location in Ontario. This includes areas flowing in from neighbouring provinces and Minnesota with the following exceptions: * points on the international border that drain to Lake Superior, south of Pigeon River * points on the international border that drain the Great Lakes connecting channels and St. Lawrence River stateside * points along the Ottawa River that drain from Quebec __Special note: North West package__ The North West package contains hydrography data for the entire Rainy River Basin, an area which straddles the international border between Canada and the United States. The data stateside originates from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) as of February/March 2014. This data has been harmonized with the Ontario Hydro Network (OHN) to create the Enhanced Watercourse and Integrated Waterbody layers found within the North West package. For more information on when the data was initially extracted and incorporated, refer to these fields stored in the attribute table of each vector layer in the geodatabase: * Effective Date (EFF_DATE) * Geometry Update Date (GEO_UPD_DT) The data stateside is a static snapshot of NHD intended to support regional modeling. Please refer to the [United States Geological Survey (USGS)](https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/national-hydrography) website for the most current version of NHD. Data is updated after the completion of major updates to source data (such as OHN and/or the Provincial DEM).

This dataset contains observations of species occurrences from seafloor imagery collected by the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) during the 2012 Expedition to Cobb Seamount. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration-operated SeaBED-class AUV which collected photographic images from 4 transects ranging from 436 m to 1154 m in depth.

Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nest boxes are installed in oil sands area and in reference locations to monitor contaminant levels and impacts on tree swallow nestlings. The exposure to tree swallow nestlings to air-borne oil sands-related contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is assessed using passive air samplers. Measures of avian health are examined in relation to location of sampling and contaminants measured.

Grain size is the most fundamental physical property of sediment, and these data are widely used in a variety of applications in science. Marine expeditions of the Geological Survey of Canada have been collecting grain size information on seabed and sub-seabed samples for over 50 years. Results have been recorded at 5th phi midpoints since the early 1990's in contrast to the earlier full, half or quarter phi interval end point values. Users of high resolution data must note that the sum of %Silt and %Clay equals the total %Mud makeup and that %Gravel, %Sand, %Silt and %Clay sum to 100%. Summary statistics include percentages of gravel, sand, silt, clay and mud as well as mean, kurtosis, skewness and standard deviation. The quality of these data varies. Results should be used with some caution as they may not be fully representative of seabed grainsize, particularly in areas of sandy and coarser sediment (e.g., sand and mud can leak out of the sampler during recovery). Canada makes no representation or warranty of any kind with respect to the accuracy, usefulness, novelty, validity, scope, completeness or currency of the data and expressly disclaims any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose of the data. For the purpose of the web mapping service, grain size data are sorted by the expedition id. Coarse and detailed grain size distribution plots are shown when a point is chosen. If the sample contains more that one sub-sample ( e.g., as with a piston core sequence), the grain size plots are stacked in the display window from the top of the core downwards.

A Sign is a lettered board, message or other display which includes all regulatory, warning, guide, informational, advisory, construction and maintenance and route markers, but excluding electronically controlled messages/displays. It is a Point feature