PURPOSE: Support age-structured population stock assessments and research on fish growth. DESCRIPTION: Fish otoliths are collected from scientific surveys, fisheries observers on fishing vessels and from scientific sampling of commercial fisheries. The otoliths collected are placed in paper envelopes, recorded and held in a climate-controlled storage facility. Age determination is performed yearly on available samples. Digital images of each pair of otoliths collected are captured when possible. The information made available through this metadata record is the summary of otoliths present in the collection at the Gulf Fisheries Centre in Moncton, NB, Canada. The number of otoliths available from different sources by year and month is provided for the following stocks: - Atlantic Cod NAFO Divisions 4T / 4VN (Nov. to Apr.) - White Hake NAFO Division 4T - American Plaice NAFO Division 4T - Winter Flounder NAFO Division 4T - Yellowtail Flounder NAFO Division 4T - Witch Flounder NAFO Divisions 4RST - Skate species NAFO Division 4T There is additional information of observed sex, length, weight and age information of fish specimens made by trained Fisheries and Oceans Canada technicians that can be made available upon request. PARAMETERS COLLECTED: length (biological), age (biological) NOTES ON QUALITY CONTROL: Reference collections for certain species exist and are used to train technicians and to calibrate the age readings obtained by the fisheries technicians that use the otoliths for age estimation. Digital images of the otoliths that are part of the reference collection are available and used for calibration and training purposes. The otolith images are also authoritatively annotated by fisheries technicians. PHYSICAL SAMPLE DETAILS: Fish otoliths, skate vertebrae SAMPLING METHODS: Marine fish otoliths are obtained from fish specimens collected during research surveys and during scientific sampling of commercial fisheries. The sagittal otoliths are removed from sampled specimens, recorded, placed in a protective medium and held in a climate-controlled storage facility. Digital images of each pair of otoliths collected are captured when possible. USE LIMITATION: To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

This record contains results from chemical analysis including suspended nitrogen (mg/g), suspended carbon (mg/g), and phosphorus (mg/g) based on dry weight sediment samples collected in the Beaufort Sea.

Summary The Quebec region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for the assessment of several fish and invertebrate stocks exploited in the Estuary and the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The commercial catches sampling program is one of the sources of information used to complete these assessments. The data collected by this program, at wharf or at sea, offers among other things the advantage of a relatively large spatio-temporal coverage and provides some of the necessary knowledge to assess the demography and the structure of the exploited populations. This program is implemented by specialized DFO staff whose main mandate is to collect biological data on groundfish, pelagic fish and marine invertebrate species that are commercially exploited in the various marine communities. Data This dataset on the Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) includes the metadata, sample weight, fish length, the sex and the number of specimens measured. This dataset covers the period of 1995 to present. In order to protect the confidentiality of the sources, some informations (such as those concerning the vessel) have been excluded and others (such as the date of capture) have been simplified. Entries where there was only one vessel in a fishing area for a given year were also excluded. Further information including the fishing areas coordinates can be found by clicking on the «Atlantic and Arctic commercial fisheries» and «Fishing areas» links below.

In 2018 and 2019 Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a project to relocate American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) from Port Dalhousie Harbour to mitigate potential impacts of in-water construction prior to and during an essential harbour revitalization project. American Eel are designated as Endangered under the Province of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act and were confirmed to be present in the area during initial sampling efforts of this project. While a combination of passive eel traps and boat electrofishing were used to capture eels, this dataset includes passive capture data only. A total of four eels were captured using eel traps and all individuals were relocated to Hamilton Harbour. Only two of the four eels captured were large enough to be tagged with acoustic transmitters, both of which eventually returned to Port Dalhousie from Hamilton Harbour. All other fish species captured in the traps were identified, counted and released at Port Dalhousie.

This dataset contains the data reported in Wesley R Ogloff, Randi A Anderson, David J Yurkowski, Cassandra D Debets, W Gary Anderson, Steven H Ferguson, Spatiotemporal variation of ringed seal blubber cortisol levels in the Canadian Arctic, Journal of Mammalogy, 2022;, gyac047, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyac047 Cite this data as: Wesley R Ogloff, Randi A Anderson, David J Yurkowski, Cassandra D Debets, W Gary Anderson, Steven H Ferguson. 2022 Spatiotemporal variation of ringed seal blubber cortisol levels in the Canadian Arctic. Arctic and Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/e1c6b350-0159-11ed-8212-1860247f53e3

Cold-water corals are conspicuous in the waters off Eastern Canada. Despite that, there are few DNA sequence records from specimens collected in the region available in GenBank, and not all species recorded in the region have sequence data regardless of geographic origin. This can limit the use of eDNA techniques to detect and identify corals. Our objective was to sequence and publish sequences for two octocoral DNA barcoding markers: CO1 and MutS. We sequenced and deposited 36 sequences to GenBank from 19 specimens representing three sea pen taxa (Octocorallia: Pennatuloidea): Distichoptilum gracile, Pennatula aculeata, and Protoptilum carpenteri. Identification of all specimens was confirmed by B. M. Neves before submission. Specimens and DNA tissues were donated to the Canadian Museum of Nature, where they are currently stored. This publication is part 1 of a series of GenBank submissions by our lab. Specimens were collected from across the Northwest Atlantic and originate from depths ranging between 200-1924 meters. Specimens were collected as part of research vessel multispecies trawl surveys or remotely operated vehicle (ROV ROPOS) surveys. DNA was isolated and purified using the QIAgen DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit, with an initial overnight incubation with Proteinase K. Two commonly used octocoral barcoding regions were amplified using previously described primers: 1) COII8068F (McFadden et al., 2004) and COIOCTR (France and Hoover, 2002) for the CO1 gene, and 2) ND42599F (France and Hoover, 2002) and mut3458R (Sánchez et al., 2003) for the MutS gene. Amplifications were conducted using 12.5 µl of Green DreamTaq Master Mix (Thermo Fisher Scientific), 1 µl of template DNA, 0.5 µl of each 10 µM forward and reverse primers, 0.5 µl of 10 µM reverse primer, and 10.5 µl of water. Thermocycling was run as follows: 3 min of initial denaturation at 95 °C, followed by 40 cycles at 95 °C for 30 s, 30 s at annealing temperature of 48 °C, then 65 s at an extension temperature of 72 °C, and a final elongation at 72 °C for 4 min. PCR products were cleaned using Agencourt AMPure XP Beads (Beckman Coulter) and sent to The Center for Advanced Genomics, Toronto, Canada for Sanger sequencing. Sequences were visualized and aligned using Geneious Prime 2022.0.2. Obtained sequences have been deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OQ569768- OQ569784 and OQ420359- OQ420377. This work was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada under an Enhanced Regional Capacity grant (2020-2021) and the Marine Conservation Targets (MCT) program (2021-2024), Newfoundland and Labrador Region.

PURPOSE: As a part of a two-decade series of research, this study aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of harvest and environmental change on fisheries in Great Bear Lake. The main objectives are to assess demographic traits and the current status of harvested species, with a focus on evaluating sustainable harvest levels of lake trout, a cold-adapted species with a relatively narrow thermal niche. As part of this research, trends in water quality and primary productivity are monitored to evaluate potential effects of change on fisheries. DESCRIPTION: Great Bear Lake, one of the largest lakes in North America, contains culturally and recreationally important fish species. Great Bear Lake is located in the sub-Arctic and Arctic Circle. As part of a two-decade series of research aimed to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the effects of harvest and environmental change on fisheries in Great Bear Lake, the main objectives of this study are to assess demographic traits and the current status of harvested species, with a focus on evaluating sustainable harvest levels of lake trout, a cold-adapted species with a relatively narrow thermal niche. As part of this research, trends in water quality and primary productivity are monitored to evaluate potential effects of change on fisheries. From 2012 to 2019, surface water temperature data was collected at depths of 0.1 to 1.0 meters using a Hydrolab Series 5 Data Sonde Multiparameter instrument through partnered community-led and community/Fisheries and Oceans Canada/university partners collaborative sampling. The project has strong community involvement, including youth through the Guardian Program, to facilitate capacity building and community leadership in the long-term monitoring of Great Bear Lake fisheries and the aquatic ecosystem. This data is an extension of baseline data sets on water quality on the lake. These data will contribute to a better understanding cumulative impacts of climate change on the functioning of large northern lake ecosystems and provide a benchmark for monitoring further change. This data will be important for developing effective strategies for maintaining community-led aquatic monitoring and managing natural resources, particularly fish, which are expected to be increasingly important to communities with declines in other country foods such as caribou. We acknowledge the data were collected in the Sahtú Settlement Area and are made publicly available with the agreement of the Délı̨nę Renewable Resources Council (Délı̨nę Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę (Renewable Resources Council)). Collaborators include: the Community of Délı̨nę partners (data collection), Délı̨nę Renewable Resource Council, University of Manitoba, University of Queens, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, Sahtú Renewable Resource Board. Community of Délı̨nę partners and field workers that participated in data collection include Daniel Baton, Morris Betsidea, Joey Dillion, Jade English, Stanley Ferdanan, Bruce Kenny, Elaine Kenny, Darren Kenny, Greg Kenny, Joseph Kenny, Rocky Kenny, Ted Mackienzo, George Menacho, Bobby Modeste, Gina Nyelle, Brent Taniton, Allison Tatti, Gerald Tutcho, Archie Vital, Barbara Yukon, Caroline Yukon, Chris Yukon, and Cyre Yukon. Funding and logistical support was provided by: Northwest Territories Cumulative Impact Monitoring, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sahtú Renewable Resource Board, the Polar Continental Shelf Program, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

PURPOSE: To track juvenile Atlantic salmon densities. DESCRIPTION: Indices of freshwater production are derived annually from electrofishing surveys in the rivers of Nova Scotia flowing into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Fixed site sampling for juvenile salmon has been conducted most consistently since the mid-1980s for these rivers. Juvenile salmon abundances at sites, in terms of number of fish per habitat area sampled by age or size group (densities), are obtained using successive removal sampling or catch per unit effort sampling calibrated to densities. Sampling intensities vary among years and among rivers. PARAMETERS COLLECTED: distribution (ecological); species counts (ecological); point (spatial) USE LIMITATION: To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

The Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment-Marine Fishes Project (2012-2014) and Canadian Beaufort Sea-Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA, 2017-present) conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada provide offshore surveys of marine fishes and ecosystems on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and slope in August and early September. The projects focus on integrating oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings and spatial and inter-annual variability, within the context of ongoing climate-driven change including enhanced Ocean Acidification. Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at stations along transects spanning 20-1000 m. Zooplankton was collected using a bongo or multi-net system in conjunction with oceanographic and biogeochemical sampling.

With the changing climate conditions, marine traffic along Canada’s coastal regions has increased over the past couple of decades and the need to improve our state of preparedness for oil-spill-related emergencies is critical. Baseline coastal information, such as shoreline form, substrate, and vegetation type, is required for prioritizing operations, coordinating onsite spill response activities (i.e. Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique [SCAT]), and providing information for wildlife and ecosystem management. Between 2010 and 2016, georeferenced high-definition videography and photos were collected for various study sites along the north coast of Canada. The study areas include Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie Delta channels and Banks Island in the western Canadian Arctic and James Bay, Hudson Bay, Nunavik, Resolute Bay, Victoria Strait, Baffin Island and Coronation Gulf in the eastern Canadian Arctic. Data was collected during ice-free and low tide conditions (where applicable) between July and September. Low-altitude helicopter surveys were conducted at each study site to capture video of the shoreline characteristics. In addition to acquiring videography, ground-based observations were recorded in several locations for validation. Shoreline segmentation was then carried out by manual interpretation of the oblique videography and the photos aided by ancillary data. This involved splitting and classifying the shoreline vectors based on homogeneity of the upper intertidal zone. Detailed geomorphological information (i.e. shoreline type, substrate, slope, height, accessibility etc.) describing the upper intertidal, lower intertidal, supratidal and backshore zones was extracted from the video and entered into a geospatial database using a customized data collection form. In addition, biological characteristics like biobands, water features, fauna, human use etc. observed along the coast were recorded. The data was also validated through ground observations (when available) and a second interpreter QA (quality analysis) was performed on each dataset (excluding Nunavik) to ensure high quality and consistency. The final dataset contains segments ranging in length from 150 metres to 2500 metres. In total, from 2010 to 2016, within the 8 study sites, about 16,800 km of shoreline were segmented.