The Marine Geoscience for Marine Spatial Planning (MGMSP) program, implemented by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), is an initiative with the goal of offering innovative regional geoscience products to support the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in their Marine Spatial Planning endeavors. To develop spatial management plans for various expansive bioregions across Canada, the DFO has undertaken the task of creating comprehensive ocean management strategies. Presently, the MGMSP program is concentrating its efforts on two significant bioregions, namely the Scotian Shelf and Newfoundland and Labrador Shelves bioregions. In pursuit of this objective, the work presented in this report has focused on the assimilation and gridding of numerous disparate bathymetry datasets sourced from authoritative and reliable channels. The purpose of this comprehensive data gathering approach is to establish a unified bathymetric grid, with a consistent spatial resolution, which can be utilized in both oceanographic modeling and geological interpretation. By collating information from a diverse range of sources, we aim to create a comprehensive and reliable foundation that will enable accurate and informed decision-making in the field of marine spatial planning, as well as enhance the accuracy and reliability of subsequent analyses and simulations.

The objective of the study was to describe the spatial distribution of krill in eastern Canadian waters using a statistical modelling approach in support of the identification of important habitat for the western North Atlantic (WNA) blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) were used to predict ‘Significant Aggregations of Krill’ (SAK), i.e., areas where dense krill aggregations would have a greater probability of occurring. SAK cover less than 2% of the entire spatial domain and their location varied among krill categories and seasons. These SAK are interpreted as areas where environmental conditions promote krill aggregation on a regular basis and therefore are potentially important for WNA blue whale foraging in eastern Canadian waters. Plourde, S., Lehoux, C., McQuinn, I.H., and Lesage, V. 2016. Describing krill distribution in the western North Atlantic using statistical habitat models. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2016/111. v + 34 p.

Probability of 10-day precipitation total above 150mm (p10d_prob150). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted probability is available daily from September 1 to August 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted probability is available weekly (Thursday) from September 1 to August 31. Precipitation (moisture availability) establishes the economic yield potential and product quality of field crops. Both dry and wet precipitation extremes have the ability to inhibit proper crop growth. The greatest daily precipitation index covers the risk of excessive precipitation in the short term, while the other indices pertain to longer term moisture availability. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

The number of days in the forecast period with a minimum temperature below the frost temperature, -30°C for woody crops over the dormant period (ifd_wood_dorm). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted index is available daily from November 1 to March 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted index is available weekly (Thursday) from November 1 to March 31. Over-wintering crops are biennial and perennial field crops such as herbaceous plants (strawberry, alfalfa, timothy, and many other forage crops) and woody fruit trees (apple, pear, peach, cherry, plum, apricot, chestnut, pecan, grape, etc.). These crops normally grow and develop in the growing season and become dormant in the non-growing season. However, extreme weather and climate events such as cold waves in the growing season and ice freezing events during the winter are a major constraint for their success of production and survival in Canada. The winter survival of these plants depends largely on agrometeorological conditions from late autumn to early spring, especially ice-freezing damage during the winter season. The optimum temperature for such crops is 25°C. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily basis.

The probability of effective growing season degree days above 100 for warm season crops. This condition must be maintained for at least 5 consecutive days in order for EGDD to be accumulated (egdd_warm_100prob). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted probability is available daily from April 1 to October 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted probability is available weekly (Thursday) from April 1 to October 31. Cumulative heat-energy satisfies the essential requirement of field crop growth and development towards a high yield and good quality of agricultural crop products. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

The number of days during the forecast period with an average wind speed greater than 30 km/h and a maximum temperature above 30°C (drying). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted index is available daily from September 1 to August 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted index is available weekly (Thursday) from September 1 to August 31. Winds can significantly influence crop growth and yield mainly due to mechanical damage of plant vegetative and reproductive organs, an imbalance of plant-soil-atmosphere water relationships, and pest and disease distributions in agricultural fields. The maximum wind speed and the number of strong wind days over the forecast period represent short term and extended strong wind events respectively. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

The Probability (likelihood) of frost occurring. The number of days in the forecast period with a minimum temperature below the frost temperature, the temperature at which frost damage occurs. This temperature is 0°C for warm season crops (ffd_warm_prob). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted probability is available daily from April 1 to October 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted probability is available weekly (Thursday) from April 1 to October 31. Warm season crops require a relatively warm temperature condition. Typical examples include bean, soybean, corn and sweet potato. They normally grow during the summer season and early fall, then ripen in late fall in southern Canada only. Other agricultural regions in Canada do not always experience sufficiently long growing seasons for these plants to achieve maturity. The optimum temperature for such crops is 30°C. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

The Probability (likelihood) of frost occurring. The number of days in the forecast period with a minimum temperature below the frost temperature, the temperature at which frost damage occurs. This temperature is -2°C for cool season crops (ffd_cool_prob). Week 1 and week 2 forecasted probability is available daily from April 1 to October 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted probability is available weekly (Thursday) from April 1 to October 31. Cool season crops require a relatively low temperature condition. Typical examples include wheat, barley, canola, oat, rye, pea, and potato. They normally grow in late spring and summer, and mature between the end of summer and early fall in the southern agricultural areas of Canada. The optimum temperature for such crops is 25°C. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.

The wetland year count data included in this product is national in scope (entire forested ecosystem) and represents a wall to wall wetland characterization for 1984-2016 (Wulder et al. 2018). It is developed within the framework of Canada’s National Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring System (NTEMS). This product was generated using both annual gap free composite reflectance images and annual forest change maps following the Virtual Land Cover Engine (VLCE) process (see Hermosilla et al. 2018), over the 650 million ha forested ecosystems of Canada. Elements of the VLCE classification approach are inclusion of disturbance information in the processes as well as ensuring class transitions over time are logical. Further, a Hidden Markov Model is implemented to assess individual year class likelihoods to reduce variability and possible noise in year-on-year class assignments (for instances when class likelihoods are similar). The values can range from 0 to 33 denoting the number of years between 1984 and 2016 that a pixel was classified as wetland or wetland-treed in the VLCE data cube. For an overview on the data, image processing, and time series change detection methods applied, as well as information on independent accuracy assessment of the data, see Hermosilla et al. (2016; http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17538947.2016.1187673). A detailed description of the VLCE process and the subsequently generated land cover product, including an accuracy assessment, please see Hermosilla et al. (2018). The focused wetland analyses can be found described in Wulder et al (2018). Geographic extent: Canada's forested ecosystems (~ 650 Mha) Time period: 1985–2011

The probability (likelihood) of ice freeze days for herbaceous crops during in a dormant period (ifd_herb_dorm_prob). The number of days in the forecast period with a minimum temperature below the frost temperature. It is -15°C for herbaceous crops over the dormant period. Week 1 and week 2 forecasted probability is available daily from November 1 to March 31. Week 3 and week 4 forecasted probability is available weekly (Thursday) from November 1 to March 31. Over-wintering crops are biennial and perennial field crops such as herbaceous plants (strawberry, alfalfa, timothy, and many other forage crops) and woody fruit trees (apple, pear, peach, cherry, plum, apricot, chestnut, pecan, grape, etc.). These crops normally grow and develop in the growing season and become dormant in the non-growing season. However, extreme weather and climate events such as cold waves in the growing season and ice freezing events during the winter are a major constraint for their success of production and survival in Canada. The winter survival of these plants depends largely on agrometeorological conditions from late autumn to early spring, especially ice-freezing damage during the winter season. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have together developed a suite of extreme agrometeorological indices based on four main categories of weather factors: temperature, precipitation, heat, and wind. The extreme weather indices are intended as short-term prediction tools and generated using ECCC’s medium range forecasts to create a weekly index product on a daily and weekly basis.