Aquatic ecosystems
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This shapefile dataset was designed using polygons extracted from the Cartography of Coastal Ecosystems of Maritime Quebec geodatabase (2022, Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Management of Coastal Zones, Fisheries and Oceans Canada), described in the paragraph below. It consists of polygons with eelgrass and incorporates attributes describing the vegetation cover, the composition of the seagrass beds, the associated ecosystem name, the imagery data that allowed photo-interpretation and the presence or absence of field data. A unique sequence number associated with each polygon makes it possible to trace the paired polygon of the geodatabase of coastal ecosystems to attribute values not detailed in this shapefile. The study area includes all of the estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec, with the exception of certain sectors, including most of the Lower North Shore and Anticosti Island, with the exception of villages of Kegaska, la Romaine, Chevery, Blanc-Sablon and Port-Menier. Some islands off the estuary and gulf coasts are part of the region covered, such as Île d'Orléans, Isle-aux-Coudres, Île Verte and Île Bonaventure. The Mapping of Coastal Ecosystems of Maritime Quebec was carried out jointly by the Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (LDGIZC) of the University of Quebec at Rimouski as part of the Coastal Resilience Project; and by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada team, as part of the Integrated Marine Response Planning Program (IMRP). A classification of coastal ecosystems was carried out on more than 4,200 km of coastal corridor, focusing on estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec located between the limit of the upper foreshore and the shallow infralittoral (about 10m deep). The mapping method developed is based on semi-automated segmentation and a photo-interpretation of coastal ecosystems, using very high resolution multispectral photographs (RBVI) acquired between 2015 and 2020 by DFO. The classification of polygons is based on the assignment of predefined value classes for the biological and physical attributes under study (e.g., substrates, plant type, vegetation cover, geosystem, etc. ). Helicopter-born oblique photographs and field data helped to reduce the uncertainty associated with photo-interpretation. UQAR and DFO conducted field sampling campaigns targeting the mediolittoral (4,390 stations) and the lower mediolittoral and infralittoral zones (2,959 stations), respectively , which validated some of the attributes identified by photo-interpretation and provided detailed information on community structure . The geodatabase of the Mapping of coastal ecosystems is hosted and managed by UQAR on their SIGEC-Web cartographic platform: https://ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/sigecweb Credits © DFO (2023, Fisheries and Oceans Canada) Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L., Pitre, L.D., Grégoire, B. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Cartographie des macrophytes estuariens et marins du Québec. Rapp. Tech. Can. Sci. halieut. Aquat. 3617 : v + 99 p. Grégoire, B., Pitre, L.D., Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Distribution d’organismes marins de la zone côtière peu profonde du Québec recensés par imagerie sous-marine de 2017 à 2021. Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 3616 : v + 78 p. Grégoire, B. 2022. Biodiversité du relevé côtier Planification pour une intervention environnementale intégrée dans l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent (2017–2021). Observatoire global du Saint-Laurent. [Jeu de données] Jobin, A., Marquis, G., Provencher-Nolet, L., Gabaj Castrillo. M. J., Trubiano C., Drouet, M., Eustache-Létourneau, D., Drejza, S. Fraser, C. Marie, G. et P. Bernatchez (2021) Cartographie des écosystèmes côtiers du Québec maritime — Rapport méthodologique. Chaire de recherche en géoscience côtière, Laboratoire de dynamique et de gestion intégrée des zones côtières, Université du Québec à Rimouski. Rapport remis au ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, septembre 2021, 98 p.
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This dataset was designed for Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) National Environmental Emergencies Center (NEEC) for oil spill preparedness and response. The polygons of this layer were selected from the surface geodatabase of coastal ecosystems from the UQAR-MPO project Mapping coastal ecosystems of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Are represented in this dataset exclusively the polygons whose plant dominance corresponds to a class of macroalgae and presenting a semi-vegetated (25-75%) or vegetated (75-100%) cover. The study area includes all of the estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec, with the exception of certain sectors, including most of the Lower North Shore and Anticosti Island, with the exception of villages of Kegaska, la Romaine, Chevery, Blanc-Sablon and Port-Menier. Some islands off the estuary and gulf coasts are part of the region covered, such as Île d'Orléans, Isle-aux-Coudres, Île Verte and Île Bonaventure. The mapping of coastal ecosystems was carried out jointly by the Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (LDGIZC) of the University of Quebec at Rimouski as part of the Coastal Resilience Project (https: //ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/projets/projet-resilience-cotiere) funded by the MELCC; and by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada team, as part of its Integrated marine response planning (IMRP) component of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP),with the objective of updating the Marine Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime of Canada. The master geodatabase of coastal ecosystems is hosted and distributed by UQAR on their SIGEC-Web mapping platform: https://ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/sigecweb The macroalgae characterization was mainly carried out from the photo-interpretation of RGBI aerial photos acquired by the DFO (2015-2020) and oblique helicopter photos acquired by UQAR in 2017. Data from 2959 sampling stations, conducted aboard small boats during DFO field campaigns (2017-2021) were used to detail the nature of algal communities and validate the photo-interpretation. Credits © UQAR-MPO (2023, Laboratoire de dynamique et de gestion intégrée des zones côtières, Pêches et Océans Canada) Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L., Pitre, L.D., Grégoire, B. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Cartographie des macrophytes estuariens et marins du Québec. Rapp. Tech. Can. Sci. halieut. Aquat. 3617 : v + 99 p. Grégoire, B., Pitre, L.D., Provencher-Nolet, L., Paquette, L. and Desjardins, C. 2024. Distribution d’organismes marins de la zone côtière peu profonde du Québec recensés par imagerie sous-marine de 2017 à 2021. Rapp. tech. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 3616 : v + 78 p. Grégoire, B. 2022. Biodiversité du relevé côtier Planification pour une intervention environnementale intégrée dans l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent (2017–2021). Observatoire global du Saint-Laurent. [Jeu de données] Jobin, A., Marquis, G., Provencher-Nolet, L., Gabaj Castrillo. M. J., Trubiano C., Drouet, M., Eustache-Létourneau, D., Drejza, S. Fraser, C. Marie, G. et P. Bernatchez (2021) Cartographie des écosystèmes côtiers du Québec maritime — Rapport méthodologique. Chaire de recherche en géoscience côtière, Laboratoire de dynamique et de gestion intégrée des zones côtières, Université du Québec à Rimouski. Rapport remis au ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, septembre 2021, 98 p.
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This dataset was designed for Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) National Environmental Emergencies Center (NEEC) for oil spill preparedness and response. The polygons from this layer come from the coastal ecosystems geodatabase as part of the Mapping of coastal ecosystems of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence project. This layer represents semi-vegetated (25-75%) and vegetated (75-100%) zones of which marsh vegetation is the dominant. The study area includes all of the estuarine and maritime coasts of Quebec, with the exception of certain sectors, including most of the Lower North Shore and Anticosti Island, with the exception of villages of Kegaska, la Romaine, Chevery, Blanc-Sablon and Port-Menier. Some islands off the estuary and gulf coasts are part of the region covered, such as Île d'Orléans, Isle-aux-Coudres, Île Verte and Île Bonaventure. The mapping of coastal ecosystems was carried out jointly by the Laboratory for Dynamics and Integrated Coastal Zone Management (LDGIZC) of the University of Quebec at Rimouski as part of the Coastal Resilience Project (https: //ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/projets/projet-resilience-cotiere) funded by the MELCC; and by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada team, as part of its Integrated marine response planning (IMRP) component of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), with the objective of updating the Marine Oil Spill Preparedness and Response Regime of Canada. The master geodatabase of coastal ecosystems is hosted and distributed by UQAR on their SIGEC-Web mapping platform: https://ldgizc.uqar.ca/Web/sigecweb The characterization of marshes was mainly carried out using photo-interpretation of RVBI aerial photos acquired by DFO (2015-2020) and oblique photos taken by helicopter acquired by UQAR in 2017. This dataset also includes the information from validation stations visited by UQAR (2018-2020), used to validate and refine the photo-interpretation.
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The selection of an Area of Interest marks the beginning of the Oceans Act Marine Protected Area (MPA) establishment process led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The process includes completing detailed ecological and socioeconomic assessments, setting conservation objectives, determining boundaries and management measures, and eventually developing the regulations under section 35 of the Oceans Act. Stakeholders are involved in each step of this process. There is considerable scientific evidence that marine protected areas provide a number of ecological benefits, including the enhanced recruitment of fish species, including those of commercial value, through the protection of spawning areas, larval sources, habitats and migration routes. A well-designed MPA network can scale these benefits up to the regional level, and provide benefits that individual marine protected areas cannot provide on their own. For example, strategically placing marine protected areas in a network can protect key stops along a species’ migration route, and protect geographically distinct habitats that serve important life history functions. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has recognized the use of marine protected areas as complementary to conventional fisheries management measures in helping to achieve sustainable fisheries management objectives. ----- Le choix d'un site d'intérêt marque le début du processus de création des zones de protection marines (ZPM) en vertu de la Loi sur les océans placé sous la responsabilité de Pêches et Océans Canada. Le processus comprend la réalisation d'évaluations écologiques et socioéconomiques détaillées, l'établissement d’objectifs de conservation, la détermination de limites et de mesures de gestion, et l'élaboration de règlements en vertu de l'article 35 de la Loi sur les océans. Les parties intéressées prennent part à chaque étape du processus. Les preuves scientifiques des avantages écologiques que présentent les zones de protection marines sont nombreuses. Entre autres, elles accroissent le recrutement des espèces de poisson, y compris de celles qui ont une valeur commerciale, grâce à la protection des frayères, des sources larvaires, des habitats et des routes migratoires. Un réseau de ZPM bien conçu peut décupler les avantages au niveau régional et susciter des bienfaits que les zones de protection marines ne peuvent pas procurer individuellement. Par exemple, la constitution d'un réseau de ZPM dans des zones stratégiques permet de protéger des points clés le long de la route migratoire d'une espèce et de protéger des habitats géographiques distincts qui remplissent des fonctions importantes du cycle biologique. L'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture a reconnu que l'utilisation de zones de protection marines en complément des mesures conventionnelles de gestion des pêches pouvait faciliter l'atteinte des objectifs en matière de gestion durable des pêches.
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This dataset documents the infauna occurrences collected from 2021 to 2023 during the Canadian Beaufort Sea Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA) conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). This scientific program focuses on the integration of oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings, and spatial and interannual variabilities.The program also aims to expand the baseline coverage of species diversity, abundances, and habitat associations in previously unstudied areas of the Beaufort Sea and Western Canadian Archipelago. The study took place mainly in the Canadian Beaufort Sea and the Amundsen Gulf. Sampling is done along transects at fixed stations in the study area. Catches are collected using a 50 x 50 cm box-corer. 2 or 3 box core is collected per station to obtain replicates. A total of 29 stations were sampled for infauna in 2021, 15 in 2022 and 25 in 2023 between 10-653 m depth. Half of the box corer (0.125 m2) is sampled for infauna taxonomy. The first 20 cm of sediment are collected and sieved through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve. The samples are preserved in seawater-formaldehyde solution (10 % v/v). In the lab, infauna is identified to the lowest taxon level possible. The data are presented in two files: The "Activité_endofaune_CBSMEA_infauna_event_en" file which contains information about missions, stations and deployments, which are presented under a hierarchical activity structure. The "Occurrence_endofaune_CBSMEA_infauna_en" file that contains the taxonomic occurrences.
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A research survey on the common whelk (Buccinum undatum) has been conducted biennially in three sectors of the St. Lawrence Estuary since 2005 to assess the abundance of whelk and benthic species associated with whelk habitat. Only data for benthic species associated with whelk habitat are presented in this dataset. The survey was initiated in 2005 following the intensive fishery of the early 2000s in the Upper North Shore region. The three sectors covered by the survey were based on the distribution of commercial fishing effort from 2001 to 2004. Surveys were conducted between mid-July and early August from 2005 to 2019 on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary between Portneuf-sur-Mer and Baie-Comeau according to a fixed station sampling design. Three sectors were surveyed at each survey: Forestville (69°03'11"W-48°39'24"N and 68°56'02"W-48°46'16"N), Pointe-aux-Outardes (68°35'53"W-48°59'32"N and 68°25'30"W-49°01'06"N) and Baie-Comeau (68°06'04"W-49°08'40"N and 68°05'10"W-49°12'26"N). Since 2007, the sampling plan consists of 55 stations in Forestville, 26 stations in Pointe-aux-Outardes and 11 stations in Baie-Comeau. The targeted depth interval at the three sectors was approximately 5 to 40 m. Specimens were collected using a Digby-type scallop dredge with a total width of 3.04 m consisting of four 19 mm mesh Vexar™ lined baskets to harvest small individuals. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled at each tow using the geosphere library in R. Since 2011, the average tow distance was approximately 300 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the dredge width and distance. The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes generic event information, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes sample size, sampling protocol and sampling effort, among others. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. For abundance and biomass estimates, contact Virginie Roy (virginie.roy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca). For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "scientificNameID" field of the occurrence file. Special cases were noted in "identificationRemarks" and selected specimens were confirmed using field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.
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The selection of an Area of Interest marks the beginning of the Oceans Act Marine Protected Area (MPA) establishment process led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The process includes completing detailed ecological and socioeconomic assessments, setting conservation objectives, determining boundaries and management measures, and eventually developing the regulations under section 35 of the Oceans Act. Stakeholders are involved in each step of this process. There is considerable scientific evidence that marine protected areas provide a number of ecological benefits, including the enhanced recruitment of fish species, including those of commercial value, through the protection of spawning areas, larval sources, habitats and migration routes. A well-designed MPA network can scale these benefits up to the regional level, and provide benefits that individual marine protected areas cannot provide on their own. For example, strategically placing marine protected areas in a network can protect key stops along a species’ migration route, and protect geographically distinct habitats that serve important life history functions. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has recognized the use of marine protected areas as complementary to conventional fisheries management measures in helping to achieve sustainable fisheries management objectives. ----- Le choix d'un site d'intérêt marque le début du processus de création des zones de protection marines (ZPM) en vertu de la Loi sur les océans placé sous la responsabilité de Pêches et Océans Canada. Le processus comprend la réalisation d'évaluations écologiques et socioéconomiques détaillées, l'établissement d’objectifs de conservation, la détermination de limites et de mesures de gestion, et l'élaboration de règlements en vertu de l'article 35 de la Loi sur les océans. Les parties intéressées prennent part à chaque étape du processus. Les preuves scientifiques des avantages écologiques que présentent les zones de protection marines sont nombreuses. Entre autres, elles accroissent le recrutement des espèces de poisson, y compris de celles qui ont une valeur commerciale, grâce à la protection des frayères, des sources larvaires, des habitats et des routes migratoires. Un réseau de ZPM bien conçu peut décupler les avantages au niveau régional et susciter des bienfaits que les zones de protection marines ne peuvent pas procurer individuellement. Par exemple, la constitution d'un réseau de ZPM dans des zones stratégiques permet de protéger des points clés le long de la route migratoire d'une espèce et de protéger des habitats géographiques distincts qui remplissent des fonctions importantes du cycle biologique. L'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture a reconnu que l'utilisation de zones de protection marines en complément des mesures conventionnelles de gestion des pêches pouvait faciliter l'atteinte des objectifs en matière de gestion durable des pêches.
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Proxied dataset of inshore lobster commercial fishing for 2012 - 2021 in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. Only lobster harvested from the Newfoundland and Labrador region are included, based on species sought. Commercial data for the inshore lobster fishery does not require a set of coordinates be provided for catch records. With zero georeferenced inshore lobster records, the inshore lobster fishery leaves a major data gap in one of Newfoundland and Labradors largest fisheries. The Gulf region created a lobster proxy mapping tool, which associated each commercial lobster record with the most likely 10km2 hexagon grid cell based on a number of weighted variables. The tool was adopted by the Newfoundland and Labrador region and altered to work with its own variables which include human use, habitat, accessibility, area/location, home port distance, traditional ecological knowledge and depth. Each hexagon represents the summed total weight of all records associated with a particular hexagon. The best available commercial data used in this model is derived from landings data and may not include catches that have resulted in cash/wharf sales. As a result, there are some areas of Newfoundland and Labrador that may be under represented in this dataset where wharf sales may be high. Therefore, this dataset should be viewed as a general estimation on lobster harvesting patterns within Newfoundland and Labrador.