This dataset displays the geographic areas within which critical habitat for terrestrial species at risk, listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), occurs in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Note that this includes only terrestrial species and species for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead. However, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. To precisely define what constitutes critical habitat for a particular species it is essential that this geo-spatial information be considered in conjunction with the information provided in a species’ recovery document. Recovery documents are available from the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca). The recovery documents contain important information about the interpretation of the geo-spatial information, especially regarding the biological and environmental features (“biophysical attributes”) that complete the definition of a species’ critical habitat. Each species’ dataset is part of a larger collection of critical habitat data for all terrestrial species in Atlantic Canada that is available for download. The collection includes critical habitat as it is depicted in final recovery documents. It is important to note that recovery documents, and therefore critical habitat, may be amended from time to time. Also, new species can be added to Schedule 1 of SARA and thus new critical habitat described when additional recovery documents are posted on the SAR Public Registry. As critical habitat is amended, this dataset will be updated; however the SAR Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca) should always be considered the definitive source for critical habitat information. In cases where the data is sensitive (e.g. some turtle species), the geographic area within which critical habitat occurs may be represented as “grid squares”. These are coarse (1, 10, 50 or 100 km2) squares based on a UTM grid that serve as a flag to review the associated species’ recovery document. To reiterate, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. Critical habitat is defined in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species”. Critical habitat identification alone is not an automatic “protection” designation. Federal or non-federal laws or bylaws may be in place to provide protection.

This dataset displays the geographic areas within which critical habitat for terrestrial species at risk, listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), occurs in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Note that this includes only terrestrial species and species for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead. However, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. To precisely define what constitutes critical habitat for a particular species it is essential that this geo-spatial information be considered in conjunction with the information provided in a species’ recovery document. Recovery documents are available from the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca). The recovery documents contain important information about the interpretation of the geo-spatial information, especially regarding the biological and environmental features (“biophysical attributes”) that complete the definition of a species’ critical habitat. Each species’ dataset is part of a larger collection of critical habitat data for all terrestrial species in Atlantic Canada that is available for download. The collection includes critical habitat as it is depicted in final recovery documents. It is important to note that recovery documents, and therefore critical habitat, may be amended from time to time. Also, new species can be added to Schedule 1 of SARA and thus new critical habitat described when additional recovery documents are posted on the SAR Public Registry. As critical habitat is amended, this dataset will be updated; however the SAR Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca) should always be considered the definitive source for critical habitat information. In cases where the data is sensitive (e.g. some turtle species), the geographic area within which critical habitat occurs may be represented as “grid squares”. These are coarse (1, 10, 50 or 100 km2) squares based on a UTM grid that serve as a flag to review the associated species’ recovery document. To reiterate, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. Critical habitat is defined in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species”. Critical habitat identification alone is not an automatic “protection” designation. Federal or non-federal laws or bylaws may be in place to provide protection.

This dataset displays the geographic areas within which critical habitat for terrestrial species at risk, listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), occurs in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Note that this includes only terrestrial species and species for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead. However, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. To precisely define what constitutes critical habitat for a particular species it is essential that this geo-spatial information be considered in conjunction with the information provided in a species’ recovery document. Recovery documents are available from the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca). The recovery documents contain important information about the interpretation of the geo-spatial information, especially regarding the biological and environmental features (“biophysical attributes”) that complete the definition of a species’ critical habitat. Each species’ dataset is part of a larger collection of critical habitat data for all terrestrial species in Atlantic Canada that is available for download. The collection includes critical habitat as it is depicted in final recovery documents. It is important to note that recovery documents, and therefore critical habitat, may be amended from time to time. Also, new species can be added to Schedule 1 of SARA and thus new critical habitat described when additional recovery documents are posted on the SAR Public Registry. As critical habitat is amended, this dataset will be updated; however the SAR Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca) should always be considered the definitive source for critical habitat information. In cases where the data is sensitive (e.g. some turtle species), the geographic area within which critical habitat occurs may be represented as “grid squares”. These are coarse (1, 10, 50 or 100 km2) squares based on a UTM grid that serve as a flag to review the associated species’ recovery document. To reiterate, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. Critical habitat is defined in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species”. Critical habitat identification alone is not an automatic “protection” designation. Federal or non-federal laws or bylaws may be in place to provide protection.

This dataset displays the geographic areas within which critical habitat for terrestrial species at risk, listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), occurs in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Note that this includes only terrestrial species and species for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead. However, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. To precisely define what constitutes critical habitat for a particular species it is essential that this geo-spatial information be considered in conjunction with the information provided in a species’ recovery document. Recovery documents are available from the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca). The recovery documents contain important information about the interpretation of the geo-spatial information, especially regarding the biological and environmental features (“biophysical attributes”) that complete the definition of a species’ critical habitat. Each species’ dataset is part of a larger collection of critical habitat data for all terrestrial species in Atlantic Canada that is available for download. The collection includes critical habitat as it is depicted in final recovery documents. It is important to note that recovery documents, and therefore critical habitat, may be amended from time to time. Also, new species can be added to Schedule 1 of SARA and thus new critical habitat described when additional recovery documents are posted on the SAR Public Registry. As critical habitat is amended, this dataset will be updated; however the SAR Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca) should always be considered the definitive source for critical habitat information. In cases where the data is sensitive (e.g. some turtle species), the geographic area within which critical habitat occurs may be represented as “grid squares”. These are coarse (1, 10, 50 or 100 km2) squares based on a UTM grid that serve as a flag to review the associated species’ recovery document. To reiterate, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. Critical habitat is defined in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species”. Critical habitat identification alone is not an automatic “protection” designation. Federal or non-federal laws or bylaws may be in place to provide protection.

This dataset displays the geographic areas within which critical habitat for terrestrial species at risk, listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), occurs in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Note that this includes only terrestrial species and species for which Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead. However, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. To precisely define what constitutes critical habitat for a particular species it is essential that this geo-spatial information be considered in conjunction with the information provided in a species’ recovery document. Recovery documents are available from the Species at Risk (SAR) Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca). The recovery documents contain important information about the interpretation of the geo-spatial information, especially regarding the biological and environmental features (“biophysical attributes”) that complete the definition of a species’ critical habitat. Each species’ dataset is part of a larger collection of critical habitat data for all terrestrial species in Atlantic Canada that is available for download. The collection includes critical habitat as it is depicted in final recovery documents. It is important to note that recovery documents, and therefore critical habitat, may be amended from time to time. Also, new species can be added to Schedule 1 of SARA and thus new critical habitat described when additional recovery documents are posted on the SAR Public Registry. As critical habitat is amended, this dataset will be updated; however the SAR Public Registry (http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca) should always be considered the definitive source for critical habitat information. In cases where the data is sensitive (e.g. some turtle species), the geographic area within which critical habitat occurs may be represented as “grid squares”. These are coarse (1, 10, 50 or 100 km2) squares based on a UTM grid that serve as a flag to review the associated species’ recovery document. To reiterate, not all of the area within these boundaries is necessarily critical habitat. Critical habitat is defined in the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species”. Critical habitat identification alone is not an automatic “protection” designation. Federal or non-federal laws or bylaws may be in place to provide protection.

These shorebird surveys are conducted intermittently at a series of sites near the town of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, during northward (April to May) and southward migration (July to November). This survey includes all shorebird species. Surveyors used binoculars or a spotting scope to count the total number of shorebirds present within the natural boundaries of each survey site during the northward and/or southward migration periods. They used a boat to count birds within the entire area of Arakun Flats and Ducking Flats by traveling along the outer edge of the mudflats, and by stopping at standardized vantage points on land. They also used a boat to view as much area as possible within Maltby Slough, South Bay and Grice Bay from the openings to each of these bays. Surveyors walked the entire length of Chesterman Beach including the tombolo to Frank Island. Surveys were done at least twice a week at each site. Most boat surveys began at low tide when the mudflats were exposed and continued on the rising tide. Road accessible sites were usually surveyed during the hour before high tide or at high tide in 2011. Surveys were not conducted in weather that reduced visibility or made boat travel unsafe (heavy rain or high wind). Surveyors counted birds individually when they were within flocks of fewer than 200 birds. They estimated the size of larger flocks by counting 50 or 100 birds and then judged how many similar-sized groups made up the entire flock. Distant flocks were recorded as small or large shorebirds and assumed to have the same species composition as those closer to shore in 1995 or identified to species group and recorded as either “dowitchers” or “peeps” in 2011.

This entry provides access to the figures and data tables that feature in the CSAS Research Document titled 'Optical, chemical, and biological oceanographic conditions on the Scotian Shelf and in the eastern Gulf of Maine in 2013'. Please consult the meta-data text file that accompanies the zip file download for the figure on the data usage policy and appropriate citation. The meta-data file also provides field descriptors and any other information that may be useful in interpreting the data provided in relation to the accompanying imagery. Abstract: Ocean conditions were unusually warm and stratified on the Scotian Shelf in 2012, and the plankton response to the physical environment in 2012 set the initial conditions for the plankton in 2013. In particular, zooplankton biomass and the abundance of the two dominant herbivorous copepod species, Calanus finmarchicus and Pseudocalanus spp., were low, and there appeared to be a shift to a smaller-size phytoplankton community on the Scotian Shelf. In 2013, annual average temperature anomalies were still positive in the Maritimes Region, but less so than in 2012, and temperature and stratification anomalies were marked by strong sub-annual and mesoscale variability. Variability in the physical environment was reflected in nutrient and plankton conditions. Annual average deep-water and winter surface nitrate inventories were similar to average overall, but surface nitrate was higher than average. The magnitude of the spring bloom chlorophyll peak was above average on the Eastern Scotian Shelf (ESS) and below average on the Western Scotian Shelf (WSS) and in the eastern Gulf of Maine, but summer-fall blooms were above average in all areas. Zooplankton biomass and abundance were lower than average on the eastern transects, but anomalies were mixed on the Central Scotian Shelf, ESS and Bay of Fundy. The abundance of Pseudocalanus spp. was higher than average in the central and western part of the region. Although C. finmarchicus abundance was variable and lower than average overall, it was high on the WSS and in the eastern Gulf of Maine during the summer ecosystem trawl survey and higher than average at the Halifax-2 station and in Emerald Basin in autumn, suggesting a return to more typical abundances in the western part of the region at the end of 2013. Similar to the broader Scotian Shelf, the 2013 Bedford Basin annual average temperature was warmer than normal but not as warm as 2012. Small phytoplankton were more abundant than average in Bedford Basin and large phytoplankton less abundant. An initial evaluation of relationships among annual anomalies of physical variables, nitrate, spring bloom metrics and zooplankton at Halifax-2 from 1999 to 2013 identified bloom duration and enhanced upwelling as important correlates of zooplankton biomass and dominant copepod abundance at an annual scale. Continuous Plankton Recorder sampling showed that observations of phytoplankton bloom dynamics and abundance of C. finmarchicus at Halifax-2 in 2012 were representative of shelf-wide patterns. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/Publications/ResDocs-DocRech/2014/2014_104-eng.html