Hydrogeological Regions provide a framework to introduce the regional hydrogeology of Canada and to connect apparently disparate studies into a broader framework. The hydrological regions are first order areas used to capture and summarize data that will help develop more detailed profiles of each region. Comparison of findings within and between regions will allow scalable extension to sub-regional and watershed scale mapping. Canada has been classified into nine principal hydrogeological regions. Each region is described briefly based on the following five hydrogeological characteristics (Heath, 1984): system components and geometry; water-bearing openings; rock matrix composition; storage and transmission; recharge/ discharge. The hydrogeological classification emphasizes major geological provinces and rock formations. Fundamental water-bearing openings and rock matrix properties help determine the quantity (storage), flux (transmission), and composition of formation waters. These same properties and any overlying sediment cover affect recharge/ discharge rates for regional formations. While regional attributes are general, a simple aquifer mapping scheme can further describe the nature and character of aquifers in each region. For example, general groundwater settings across the country could be described as has been done by USGS principal aquifers [1]. Thus the regional framework can potentially link from national scales to watershed scales by identifying typical aquifer types based on readily available geological maps that use water-bearing character as a common attribute. The nine hydrogeological regions include: Cordillera Mountains with thin sediment over fractured sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian to Cenozoic age. Intermontane valleys are underlain by glacial and alluvial deposits of Pleistocene age. Plains (Western Sedimentary Basin) Region-wide basin of sub-horizontal Paleozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks are overlain by thick glacial deposits filling buried valleys. Incised post-glacial valleys provide local relief. Shallow gas, coal, and brines may occur. Canadian Shield Undulating region of thin glacial sediment overlying complex deformed, fractured PreCambrian igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Region contains several terrains: sedimentary basins, structural belts, and glacial-lacustrine basins. Hudson Bay (Moose River) Basin Sedimentary basin of Paleozoic to Mesozoic sub horizontal carbonate and clastic sediment covered by surficial deposits, with low relief and poor drainage. Southern Ontario Eastern Great Lakes region is underlain by gently-dipping Paleozoic, carbonate, clastic and gypsum-salt strata overlain by glacial sediments up to 200 m thick with tunnel valleys. Karst, bedrock valleys, shallow gas and brines are also important components. St. Lawrence Lowlands Lowlands underlain by shallow-dipping Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and thick glacial sediment in glacial-marine basins. Appalachian and Precambrian uplands discharge water to valleys. Shallow gas and saltwater intrusion are possible. Appalachia Upland to mountainous region with thin surficial sediment on folded Paleozoic sedimentary and igneous rocks. Range of rock types yields a wide range of water compositions. Valleys contain important alluvial aquifers. Maritimes Basin Lowlands with flat-lying, Carboniferous clastic , salt, and gypsum rocks contain shallow coal deposits. Surface glacial sediment is thin and discontinuous. Salt water intrusion is possible. Permafrost Arctic islands and most areas north of 60o contain frozen ground affects on groundwater flow. Diverse topography and geology define sub-regions of sedimentary basins and crystalline rocks. Glacial sediment is thin, discontinuous; local peat accumulations are significant.

This project was completed by the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (Coastal and Freshwater Ecology Section) in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). From 2020-2023, there were semi-annual deployments and retrievals of 3 moored CTDs in the bay. From 2020 to November 2021, moored CTDs collected hourly recordings of conductivity, temperature and pressure. From 2021 through 2023, these CTDs collected year-round, hourly, information on temperature, conductivity, pressure, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a. Acoustic releases also collected hourly ambient noise (mV) data. This record contains the geographic locations of the sites, and information on the timings and types of data collected at each site.

The rationale for developing this product was the recognized need for a standard and adaptable marine grid that could be used for planning or analysis purposes across projects. This nested grid has five spatial resolutions: 8km, 4km, 2km, 1km, and 500m. It covers the extent of the EEZ on the Canadian Pacific coast, and further east in order to encompass the Fraser River Delta and Puget Sound to account for ecological importance.

This project was completed by the Productive Capacity group (Coastal and Freshwater Ecology Section) in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). American lobster (Homarus americanus) is a commercially important decapod crustacean species along the east coast of North America, ranging from the Labrador coast south to Cape Hatteras. Juvenile lobster < 40 mm CL (carapace length) recruitment has been studied extensively in the southern portions of their range. However, investigations of settlement habitat association and recruitment of juvenile lobster in the northern extremes along the Newfoundland coast have been largely unsuccessful. We investigated juvenile lobster density, habitat, and depth associations in three areas of Newfoundland, using scuba – Port Saunders area, 8 dives conducted 28 September - 2 October 2017, and Burin Peninsula 10 dives (7 Placentia Bay, 3 Fortune Bay) conducted 30 September - 4 October 2018 over a total seabed area of 9,138 m2, within 200 meters of shore. Port Saunders and Fortune Bay had relatively higher lobster density (0.09 and 0.40 m-2, respectively); >65% were juveniles, in contrast to Placentia Bay where lobster densities of all size groups were low (mean 0.01 m-2) and no juvenile lobsters were observed at all. Where observed all juvenile lobster were significantly associated with shallow (<6 m) habitat and showed no overlap with distribution of adults (>82.5 mm CL) which we observed at depths 6 to 17 m. Our sites were dominated by varying mixes of cobble and pebble (77%); rock/bedrock (12%) and mud/sand/small pebble (11%) substrates interspersed with overlying kelp (32%) and eelgrass (11%) vegetation. We observed no significant associations with substrate or vegetation. This record contains the geographic locations of the 7 Placentia Bay sites surveyed, and information on the timing and type of data collected at each site, which was one component supported by Coastal Environmental Baseline Program of a larger collaborative project.

The map displays bedrock formations at or near the surface of the land, on the sea floor above the continental crust that forms the Canadian landmass, and oceanic crust surrounding the landmass. The bedrock units are grouped and coloured according to geological age and composition. The colours of offshore units and oceanic crust are paler and more generalized than those on land, although the constituent units offshore are still easily discernible from their dashed boundaries. This colour design, coupled with the use of a white buffer zone at the coast allows the coastline of Canada to be readily distinguished and still show the grand geological architecture of the Canadian landmass. The map also shows major faults that have disrupted the Earth's crust, onshore and offshore, and a variety of special geological features such as kimberlite pipes, which locally contain diamonds, impact structures suspected to have been caused by meteorites, and extinct and active spreading centres in the surrounding oceans.

Gögin upplýsingar um strok og tjón sem hefur átt sér stað sjókvíeldi. Hægt er að sjá hvar strokið átti sér stað, hvenær og hverskonar fiskur strauk. Einnig er hægt að sjá hvort hjón var á búnaði eða gat á kví. Fyrir frekari upplýsingar er bent á að hafa samband við matvælastofnun.

Pepin et al. (2014) stated that three nested spatial scales were identified as relevant for the development of ecosystem summaries and management plans: Bioregion, Ecosystem Production Unit (EPU), and Ecoregion. A bioregion is composed by one or more EPUs, while an EPU consists of a combination of ecoregions, which represent elements with different physical and biological characteristics based on the analytical criteria applied. Pepin et al. (2014) reported on the consolidation of data and analyses of ecoregion structure for the continental shelf areas from the Labrador Sea to the mid-Atlantic Bight and provided recommendations on the definition of EPUs in the NAFO Convention Area. The results of two K-means clustering analyses (one geographically constrained and one un-constrained) and expert knowledge (including and considering location of ecoregions, knowledge of the distribution of major marine resources and fish stocks, and geographic proximity for delineation/definition of potential management units) served as guides for evaluation by NAFO’s (North Atlantic Fisheries Organization) working group on ecosystem science and assessments (WG-ESA). The final consensus from the discussions identified eight (8) major EPUs that can serve as practical candidate management units (from the 50 m isobaths, where research vessel data were available, seaward to the 1500 m isobaths) that consist of the Labrador Shelf (NAFO subareas 2GH), the northeast Newfoundland Shelf (subareas 2J3K), the Grand Banks (subareas 3LNO), Flemish Cap (subarea 3M), the Scotian Shelf (subareas 4VnsWX), Georges Bank (parts of subareas 5Ze and 5Zw), the Gulf of Maine (subarea 5Y and part of 5Ze) and the mid-Atlantic Bight (part of subarea 5Zw and subareas 6ABC). Southern Newfoundland (subarea 3Ps) was not included in the original analysis because fall survey data were unavailable. However, it was later added as an EPU after additional analysis of the fish community structure and trends using survey data from the spring, which indicated that this area is heavily influenced by the surrounding EPUs (NAFO 2015). The proposed candidate management units correspond to the EPUs that define major areas within the bioregions which contain a reasonably well defined food web/production system. The working group noted that the consensus solution represents a compromise that aims to define management units based on the boundaries of existing NAFO subareas that are appropriate for estimation of ecosystem and fishery production. References: NAFO. 2015. Report of the 8th Meeting of the NAFO Scientific Council (SC) Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Assessment (WGESA). 17-26 November 2015, Dartmouth, Canada. NAFO SCS Doc. 15/19. Pepin, P., Higdon, J., Koen-Alonso, M., Fogarty, M., and N. Ollerhead. 2014. Application of ecoregion analysis to the identification of Ecosystem Production Units (EPUs) in the NAFO Convention Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 14/069.

DFO’s Oceans and Coastal Management Division (OCMD) in the Maritimes Region has updated its fisheries landings maps for 2010–2014. These maps will be used for decision making in coastal and oceans management, including mitigating human use conflicts, informing environmental emergency response operations and protocols, informing Marine Stewardship Council certification processes, planning marine protected area networks, assessing ecological risks, and monitoring compliance and threats in coral and sponge closures and Marine Protected Areas. Fisheries maps were created to identify important fishing areas using aggregate landed weight (kg) per 2 x 2-minute grid cell for selected species/gear types. This dataset has been filtered to comply with the Government of Canada's privacy policy. Privacy assessments were conducted to identify NAFO unit areas containing data with less than five vessel IDs, license IDs and fisher IDs. If this threshold was not met, catch weight locations were withheld from these unit areas to protect the identity or activity of individual vessels or companies. Maps were created for the following species/gear types: 1. Atlantic Halibut 2. Bluefin Tuna 3. Bottom Longline Groundfish 4. Bottom Trawl Groundfish 5. Cod 6. Cod, Haddock, Pollock 7. Cusk 8. Dogfish 9. Flatfish 10. Gillnet Groundfish 11. Greenland Halibut 12. Groundfish 13. Groundfish (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) 14. Hagfish 15. Herring 16. Large Pelagics 17. Mackerel 18. Monkfish 19. Offshore Clam 20. Offshore Lobster 21. Grey Zone Lobster 22. Other Crab 23. Other Tuna 24. Pollock 25. Porbeagle, Mako and Blue Shark 26. Red Hake 27. Redfish 28. Scallop 29. Scallop (quarterly composites Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) 30. Sculpin 31. Sea Urchin 32. Shrimp 33. Silver Hake 34. Skate 35. Snow Crab 36. Squid 37. Swordfish 38. White Hake 39. Wolffish

The marks left in the seabed by the commercial anchoring process can be seen as linear features in high-resolution multibeam bathymetry data. These features have been digitized to polylines for individual marks and polygons for anchor scour zones for British Columbia's (BC) commercial anchorages. They are made available via the Federal Geospatial Platform (FGP) for use in a Geographical Information System (GIS). This feature dataset is complete for published BC commercial anchorages and the multibeam bathymetry data available in 2021. It does not represent features produced since the collection of each multibeam bathymetry survey nor any features infilled since. The data are intended to be used for scientific research to better understand the cumulative impacts to the seabed from commercial anchoring at a 1:5000 scale or greater.

This project was completed by the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (Coastal and Freshwater Ecology Section) in the Newfoundland and Labrador Science Branch of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The nearshore fish and invertebrate community was sampled annually in Placentia Bay at 14 sites for 5 years (2018 – 2022). The objective of this program was to collect data on juvenile fish (specifically Atlantic cod) communities and habitats within Placentia Bay. The sites and timing (October) were selected based on historical sampling. There were several data types collected during each of these sampling trips. Boat-based beach seining was used to collect data on fish and invertebrate diversity, abundance, distribution, and size. Visual transects were used to identify vegetation and substrate (habitat) types and proportions at seine sites. CTD profiles (temperature, conductivity, depth, and salinity) were obtained using a castaway CTD. Finally, eDNA samples were collected at each site (2018-2021) to obtain complementary information on the presence of juvenile fish and other species present. This record contains the geographic locations of the 14 sites, and information on the timing and type of data collected at each site.