Grid of latitude and longitude lines across Canada – This service is the grid of longitude and latitude lines across Canada that relates points on a map to their true locations on the earth. NTS - This service is based on the National Topographic System (NTS). For more details visit http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography/topographic-information/maps/9767 UTM - This web service is the civilian UTM grid reference used across Canada

The Integrated Resource Plan - Local dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent the Local Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) in Alberta. A Local IRP provides land resource management direction for a relatively smaller geographic planning area. A Local Plan is developed to provide more detailed land and resource use parameters than may be available in a Sub-Regional Plan. An IRP is a plan which identifies the values and associated land and resource management goals for the planning area in consideration of the maintenance of social, economic, and ecological values. An IRP provides direction regarding the type of land and resource management activity that would facilitate meeting the stated objectives in the planning area (e.g. recreation, grazing, industrial and commercial activities). The public was often involved in contributing input to the development of an IRP. IRPs were endorsed by the Government of Alberta in various periods.

The Integrated Resource Plan - Subregional dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent the Sub-Regional Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) in Alberta. All the Sub-Regional IRPs were completed under the Integrated Resource Planning Program, from 1976 to approximately 1995. These plans were endorsed by the Government of Alberta with most being approved by Cabinet. The Sub-Regional Plans describe land-use zonation and objectives within individual defined planning areas, to ensure overall consistency with Regional goals and objectives. An Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a plan which identifies the values and associated land and resource management goals for the planning area in consideration of the maintenance of social, economic, and ecological values. An IRP provides direction regarding the type of land and resource management activity that would facilitate meeting the stated objectives in the planning area (for example: recreation, grazing, industrial and commercial activities). The public was often involved in contributing input to the development of an IRP. Majority of IRP plans were endorsed by the Government of Alberta in various periods.

Polygons denoting concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data following an approach used by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in the Regulatory Area (NRA) on Flemish Cap and southeast Grand Banks. Kernel density analysis was used to identify high concentrations and the area occupied by successive catch weight thresholds was used to identify aggregations. These analyses were performed for each of the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel as it cuts through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while large gorgonian coral forests were found in the Eastern Arctic and on the northern Labrador continental slope. Large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges were located along the continental slopes north of the Grand Banks, while on the Scotian Shelf a unique population of the large barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi was identified. The latitude and longitude marking the positions of all tows which form these and other dense aggregations are provided along with the positions of all tows which captured black coral, a non-aggregating taxon which is long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressures. These polygons identify sponge grounds from the broader distribution of sponges in the region as sampled by Western II A trawl gear in the Scotian Shelf biogeographic zone. A 2 kg minimum threshold for the sponge catch was identified as the weight that separated the sponge ground habitat from the broader distribution of sponges with these research vessel tow data and gear type.