Marine Protected Areas require comprehensive monitoring to ensure objectives are achieved; however, monitoring natural ecosystems at scale is challenged by the biodiversity it aims to measure. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding holds promise to address this monitoring challenge. We conducted paired sampling at 54 sites for fish and invertebrate assemblages in the Northwest Atlantic using groundfish trawls and eDNA metabarcoding of benthic seawater using four genetic markers (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, and CO1). Compared to trawling, eDNA detected similar patterns of species turnover, larger estimates of gamma diversity, and smaller estimates of alpha diversity. A total of 63.6% (42/66) of fish species captured by trawling were detected by eDNA, along with an additional 26 species. Of the 24 missed detections by eDNA, 12 were inevitable as they lacked reference sequences. Excluding taxa assigned to higher than species level and those without a species name, 23.6% (17/72) of invertebrate species captured by trawling were detected by CO1, which detected an additional 98 species. We demonstrate that eDNA is capable of detecting patterns of community assemblage and species turnover in an offshore environment, emphasizing its strong potential for a non-invasive, comprehensive, and scalable tool for biodiversity monitoring supporting marine conservation programmes. Cite this data as: Jeffery, N., Rubidge, E., Abbott, C., Westfall, K., Stanley, R. (2024): Data of: eDNA metabarcoding enriches traditional trawl survey data for monitoring biodiversity in the marine environment. Published: August 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/43a91ba7-8025-4330-88db-db14022d729d

The St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area was established in June 2017. Data describing the spatial-temporal patterns and drivers of species movement is essential for evaluating species composition and to gauge the protective capacity of the MPA. Since 2015, an acoustic telemetry receiver array has been deployed and re-deployed annually in St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area. Each receiver detects tagged fish that swim past and records hourly bottom temperature. Here we provide the bottom temperature data recorded on 46 receivers. Note that in 2021 the array design (mooring positions) changed. Please visit the Ocean Tracking Network data portal for more details (https://members.oceantrack.org/project?ccode=SABMPA). Cite this data as: Pettitt-Wade, H., Jeffery, N.W., Stanley, R.E. Data of: Bottom temperature data from St. Anns Bank MPA acoustic telemetry receivers deployed 2015 to 2022 Published: January 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/910b8e22-2fd1-4ba1-8db6-d16763c7a625

From April 1, 2004 to Jan 12, 2014, Ministry of Children and Youth Services used the following regions: * Eastern * Central * Western * Northern These 4 Youth Justice Services Division regions were combined with 9 Service Delivery Division regions to create  5 new integrated regions across the province: * North * West * Central * East * Toronto These new regions are effective as of January 13, 2014.

Sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) and Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) concentration areas of this layer are described as being known and commercially exploited historically and/or currently. The mapping of these areas is based on several sources of information: research surveys (since 1977, annually but alternating sectors since 2009), exploratory fisheries (2000, 2001, 2003) and commercial fisheries (annually). These concentration areas are considered among the most abundant beds and are used for commercial fishing. This layer does not represent the general distribution of the species nor the extent to which fishing is allowed and does not take into account the large unexploited beds. The extent of shellfish beds can change over time in response to, among others, harvesting and recruitment rates. The polygons might underestimate the concentration areas because fishing and scientific surveys occurred where the target resource was known to be more abundant. However, the precision is good enough for resource protection and management needs in case of an environmental incident. This information is valid until data from a more recent research survey is published. Data sources and references: Bourdages, H. et Goudreau, P. 2010. Évaluation des stocks de pétoncles des eaux côtières du Québec en 2009 : données de la pêche commerciale. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2010/068. viii + 69 p. Giguère, M., Brulotte, S. et Goudreau, P. 2000. État des stocks de pétoncles des eaux côtières du Québec. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2000/086. xi + 46 p. Trottier, S., Bourdages, H., Goudreau, P et Brulotte, S. 2017. Évaluation des stocks de pétoncle des eaux côtières du Québec en 2015: données de la pêche commerciale, des relevés de recherche et des pêches exploratoires. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2017/037: xvi + 176 p.

Data set covers metrics and metadata related to wild collected copepods Calanus spp. (C. hyperboreus, C. glacialis, C. finmarchicus) and Metridia longa: - body size in prosome length [PL] - dry weight [DW] - lipid content (oil sac area [OSA] and oil sac volume [OSV]) Spatial coverage: North Atlantic sampling sites - Scotian Shelf (SS) - Gulf of Saint Lawrence (GSL) - Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank-Nantucket Shoals (GoM) - Newfoundland shelf (NFL) Cite this data as: Helenius LK, Head EJH, Jekielek P, Orphanides CD, Pepin P, Plourde S, Ringuette M, Walsh HJ, Runge JA, Johnson CL. Calanus spp. size and lipid content metrics in North Atlantic, 1977-2019. Published September 2022. Ocean Ecosystem Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/72e6d3a1-06e7-4f41-acec-e0f1474b555b

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

Digital terrain models offer a representation of the relief south of the 52nd parallel, in the form of an elevation matrix. This matrix makes it possible to visualize the territory in perspective and to perform three-dimensional spatial analyses, using appropriate software. A module specialized in three-dimensional data processing, such as 3D Analyst or Spatial Analyst, is required to visualize the digital altitude model in three dimensions. This digital altitude model (10-meter pixel matrix) is obtained by processing altimeter data (level curves and elevation points) from ** [topographic databases on a scale of 1/20,000] (https://www.donneesquebec.ca/recherche/fr/dataset/cartes-topographiques-a-l-echelle-de-1-20-000) **.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land Cover by Ecozone” dataset provides land cover information within the ecozone framework polygon. It provides landcover codes and their English and French language description as well as information about the percentage of the polygon that the component occupies.

The Phase 1 (Broad Scale) Forest Inventory was initiated in 1949 and completed by 1956. The Phase 1 (Broad Scale) Forest Inventory included all publicly owned forested lands in the province except Indian lands, national parks, and an area known as the Rocky Mountains Forest Reserve. The Phase 1 (Broad Scale) Forest Inventory was used to define lands suitable for agriculture, to determine timber harvest levels and plan forest protection and timber and industrial development. Through aerial photo interpretation, land was classified as productive, potentially productive, or non-productive. On productive forest land, homogeneous groups of trees were classified by 'cover types'. Cover types included crown density, height and tree species. Burned, harvested or cultivated land was identified as potentially productive. Non-productive lands included areas with organic soils, barren rock and lakes. No ages or site classes are associated with the polygons. The minimum polygon size was 65 ha. These maps are not available as geo-referenced rectified images or GIS-ready data.

The ‘Land use allocation to Soils and Landforms by year’ dataset links agricultural land use activities to soils and landscapes within Soil Landscapes of Canada (SLC) polygons. The land use allocations to soils area datasets were generated on an annual time step (1971-2015). Agricultural land use is categorized and allocated based on the following general land use types: Annual cropland, Perennial cropland, Specialty Crops, Improved pasture and Unimproved Pasture.