Funded under DFO's Marine Conservation Targets Program in partnership with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre (HMSC), this diver-based imagery and sample collection benthic survey documents the occurrence of sponges at 42 dive sites in the Eastern Shore Islands (ESI) Area of Interest (AOI, ~2089 km2) off the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada from dive surveys conducted in summer 2021 and 2022. Water quality, species occurrences and counts, habitat, slope, and substrate characteristics were catalogued through diver log sheets, camera imagery, specimen vouchers, and high-resolution bathymetric data. A total of 54 dives to depths from 11 to 33 m (below sea level), collecting up to 147 still images, one-hour of video, and 17 specimen samples per site, resulted in 220 observations for 27 different sponge taxa. This included three new records for Canada (Hymedesmia stellifera, Plocamionida arndti, Hymedesmia jecusculum) and a range extension for a species new to science (Crellomima mehqisinpekonuta) which was recently described from the Bay of Fundy. There were also four species which may seem to be new to science (Halichondria sp., Hymedesmia sp., Protosuberires sp., and Sphaerotylus sp.). Sponges were found to occupy a diversity of micro-habitats, often several different ones in proximity. A total of eight distinct habitat classes were defined, based on varying abundances and diversity of sponges and associated benthic species. These are likely widely distributed among the many complex submerged seabed features within this AOI. Collected specimens were preserved and are stored at the Atlantic Reference Centre (ARC) in St. Andrew's, New Brunswick. Cite this data as: Goodwin, C., Cooper, J.A., Lawton, P., Teed, L.L. 2025. Sponge occurrence and associated species and habitat descriptions derived from the 2021 and 2022 SCUBA diving surveys in the Eastern Shore Islands Area of Interest, Nova Scotia. Version 1.4. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Occurrence dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=eastern_shore_islands_sponge_survey_2021_2022&v=1.4

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

Wang, Z., Greenan, B.J.W., Hannah, C.G., and Layton, C. 2025. Past and future sea surface temperature changes in the oceans surrounding Canada. Can. Tech. Rep. Hydrogr. Ocean. Sci. 404: v + 44 p This study presents changes in the sea surface temperature (SST) in the oceans surrounding Canada using past observations and model projections of future scenarios. The past changes are derived using an SST product, HadISST, in which a recent period (2012-2022) was referenced to a 26-year climatology (1955- 1980). The future changes in SST are estimated using a 22-member ensemble of CMIP6 models. The SST changes for overlapping periods from the CMIP6 ensemble and the HadISST in the 10 regions of the Canadian shelf waters are in general agreement, although the CMIP6 results tend to overestimate the observed changes by about 0.1 oC. One exception to this is the Scotian Shelf where the CMIP6 models underestimate the observed SST change. The Gulf of Maine, Scotian Shelf, Gulf of St. Lawrence and southern Newfoundland shelf are the regions with the largest observed SST increases around Canada. The Gulf of St. Lawrence has the highest correlation (r=0.65) with the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) among the subregions in the North Atlantic Ocean, and the British Columbia Shelf is correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (r=0.58). Under the four climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5), among the mid-century (2040-2059) annual mean SST changes (reference period of 1990-2014) in the 10 regions, the Gulf of St. Lawrence is projected to have the largest increases in temperature (1.8 – 2.5oC), and Baffin Bay has the smallest increases (0.5 – 0.9oC), However, for the summer means, the southern Beaufort Sea has the largest SST increase (2.4 - 3.1oC) with Baffin Bay having the smallest changes (1.3-2.1oC). Cite this data as: Wang, Z., Greenan, B.J.W., Hannah, C.G., and Layton, C. (2025) Data of: Past and Future Sea Surface Temperature Changes in the Oceans Surrounding Canada. Published: October 2025. Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/3c336e55-4266-406a-922d-bbf8e717558c

Note: To visualize the data in the viewer, zoom into the area of interest. The National Air Photo Library (NAPL) of Natural Resources Canada archives over 6 million aerial photographs covering all of Canada, some of which date back to the 1920s. This collection includes Time Series of aerial orthophoto mosaics over a selection of major cities or targeted areas that allow the observation of various changes that occur over time in those selected regions. These mosaics are disseminated through the Data Cube Platform implemented by NRCan using geospatial big data management technologies. These technologies enable the rapid and efficient visualization of high-resolution geospatial data and allow for the rapid generation of dynamically derived products. The data is available as Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) for direct access and as Web Map Services (WMS) or Web Coverage Services (WCS) with a temporal dimension for consumption in Web or GIS applications. The NAPL mosaics are made from the best spatial resolution available for each time period, which means that the orthophotos composing a NAPL Time Series are not necessarily coregistrated. For this dataset, the spatial resolutions are: 25 cm for the year 1950, 75 cm for the year 1960, 50 cm for the year 1964, 75 cm for the year 1973, 75 cm for the year 1994 and 50 cm for the year 2001. The NAPL indexes and stores federal aerial photography for Canada, and maintains a comprehensive historical archive and public reference centre. The Earth Observation Data Management System (EODMS) online application allows clients to search and retrieve metadata for over 3 million out of 6 million air photos. The EODMS online application enables public and government users to search and order raw Government of Canada Earth Observation images and archived products managed by NRCan such as aerial photos and satellite imagery. To access air photos, you can visit the EODMS web site: https://eodms-sgdot.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/index-en.html

The National Ecological Framework for Canada's "Land and Water Area by Province/Territory and Ecozone” dataset provides land and water area values by province or territory for the Ecozone framework polygon, in hectares. It includes codes and their English and French descriptions for a polygon’s province or territory, total area, land-only area and large water body area.

The data layer (.shp) presented is the result of an unsupervised classification method for classifying seafloor habitat on German Bank (off South West Nova Scotia, Canada). This method involves separating environmental variables derived from multibeam bathymetry (Slope, Curvature) and backscatter (principal components: Q1, Q2, and Q3) into spatial units (i.e. pixels) and classifying the acoustically separated units into 5 habitat classes (Reef, Glacial Till, Silt, Silt with Bedforms, and Sand with Bedforms) using in situ data (imagery). Benthoscape classes (synonymous to landscape classifications in terrestrial ecology) describe the geomorphology and biology of the seafloor and are derived from elements of the seafloor that were acoustically distinguishable. Unsupervised classifications (acoustic classifications) optimized at 15 classes using Idrisi CLUSTER method (pixel based) Number representing the benthoscape classes (CLASS) derived from in situ imagery and video (See Brown et al., 2012, Figure 3, Table 1). Benthoscape classes (See Brown et al., 2012, Figure 3). Reference: Brown, C. J., Sameoto, J. A., & Smith, S. J. (2012). Multiple methods, maps, and management applications: Purpose made seafloor maps in support of ocean management. Journal of Sea Research, 72, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2012.04.009 Cite this data as: Brown, C. J., Sameoto, J. A., & Smith, S. J. Data of: Benthoscape Map of German Bank. Published: February 2021. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/b7f81d4a-2cb6-4393-b35b-e536ec63e834

Layers that present various important parameters such as inventories, presence, sightings, distribution, relative occurrence or catch rates, critical habitat, breeding and feeding areas, potential spawning and haul-out sites for the different species with status under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The act classifies those species as being either extirpated, endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Under SARA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada must produce recovery strategies and action plans for aquatic species listed as endangered or threatened. The act is part of Canada’s strategy to protect hundreds of wild plants and animal species from becoming extinct, and to help in their recovery. The different species represented by the layers are the following: 1. American shad (Alosa sapidissima) 2. Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) 3. Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) 4. Beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) 5. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) 6. Copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi) 7. Eelgrass (Zostera marina) 8. Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) 9. Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) 10. Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) 11. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) 12. Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) 13. Northern wolffish (Anarhichas denticulatus) 14. Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) 15. Sea pens (Pennatulacea) 16. Seaweed 17. Smooth skate (Malacoraja senta) 18. Sponges 19. Spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor) 20. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) 21. Thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata) 22. Winter skate (Leucoraja ocellata)

PURPOSE: "Biological, relative abundance, and environmental data have been collected from the Yellowknife River Cisco population that can be used to inform fisheries management decision-making. Under the conditions of a commercial licence issued under the New Emerging Fisheries Policy, licence holders are required to record catch and biological information to support the assessment of the feasibility and sustainability of the fishery over time, and potential advancement in the stages of a developing fishery. In addition to the information collected from the commercial harvest (fishery-dependent), a fishery-independent sampling and snorkel survey program was conducted with the objective of collecting additional biological, observational, and environmental data during the fall spawning run. The objective of this report is to compile available data from fishery-dependent and fishery-independent sampling of adfluvial Yellowknife River Cisco during fall, 1998-2020*, specifically by: • Summarizing commercial fishery quotas and reported harvest; • Characterizing population demographics and examining for trends over time; • Summarizing metrics of relative abundance (i.e., catch-per-unit-effort data and snorkel survey observations) and examining for trends over time; and • Determining if there were any associations between relative abundance of Cisco and river discharge and temperature. *A commercial harvest occurred in 1998, although no biological or catch-effort records were located. In addition, in response to concerns about the status of the population, the fishery was put on hold 2006–2009 to allow for a population assessment (no data during that time). DESCRIPTION: Cisco (Coregonus artedi) from the Yellowknife River, Northwest Territories, are an important fishery resource for nearby communities. Biological, catch-effort, and environmental data were collected from the Yellowknife River (Tartan Rapids and Bluefish areas) during their fall spawning run from Great Slave Lake. Data from the commercial harvest (fishery-dependent; 1998–2020) and supplementary monitoring (fishery-independent; 2013–2020) of these adfluvial Cisco were compiled to summarize commercial fishery quotas and reported harvest, characterize population demographics and catch-effort over time, and assess potential associations between relative abundance and seasonal river characteristics. A single commercial fishing licence for Cisco was issued on an annual basis each fall for 1,000 kg from 1998–2002, 2,000 kg from 2004–2005, 1,000 kg from 2010–2018, and 1,500 kg from 2019–2020. Cisco ranged from 102–239 mm fork length, 10.0–139.6 g round weight, and 1 and 9 years of age, with the majority of fish (>99%) being sexually mature. The demographics (length, weight, age) of the spawning population collected from the commercial fishery remained relatively stable between 1999 and 2020. Catch-effort of the commercial fishery varied widely among years without trend, although this was not standardized to the number of individuals/nets used to capture the fish. The biological, catch-effort, and environmental data collected from the Yellowknife River spawning population of Cisco serve as a benchmark for their ongoing assessment and management.

The Canada Land Inventory (CLI), 1:000,000, Land Limitation for Agriculture dataset illustrates the varying potential of a specific area for agricultural production. Classes of land capability for agriculture are based on mineral soils grouped according to their potential and limitations for agricultural use. The classes indicate the degree of limitation imposed by the soil in its use for mechanized agriculture. The subclasses indicate the kinds of limitations that individually or in combination with others, are affecting agricultural land use. Characteristics of the soil as determined by soil surveys.

Map of the number of individuals (15 years and over) as identified by the first official language spoken who, during the week of Sunday, May 1 to Saturday, May 7, 2016, were without paid work or without self-employment work and were available for work and either: (a) had actively looked for paid work in the past four weeks; or (b) were on temporary lay-off and expected to return to their job; or (c) had definite arrangements to start a new job in four weeks or less. Data is based on the 2016 Census of Canada, 25 % sample, the universe is the population 15 years and over.