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.

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 mainly 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 and vegetated zones of which eelgrass is the dominant vegetation. 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 the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence 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 eelgrass beds was mainly carried out using photo-interpretation of RVBI aerial photos acquired by DFO (2015-2020) and oblique photos taken by helicopter by UQAR in 2017. This dataset also includes the information from validation stations visited by UQAR (2018-2020). Data from sampling stations, carried out aboard small boats during DFO field campaigns (2017-2021), were also used to validate and refine the photo-interpretation. This dataset also includes eelgrass beds characterized in the Basse-Côte-Nord (MRC Le Golfe-de-Saint-Laurent) by the Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseht (AMIK) as part of the project ''Involvement of Innu communities in the protection of species at risk and their habitats 2010-2011''. These data were produced during aerial overflights at low altitude (200m and 400m) of the foreshore, as 2 observers circumscribed and documented the covering of eelgrass beds. Credits © UQAR-MPO-AMIK (2023, Laboratoire de dynamique et de gestion intégrée des zones côtières, Pêches et Océans Canada, Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseht) 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] Nadeau, V., Le Breton, S. 2011. Inventaire aérien des herbiers de zostère de la Basse-Côte-Nord du Golfe du Saint-Laurent. Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseht. 25 p. 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.

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.

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.

This dataset documents the epifauna occurrences collected from 2021 to 2024 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 with a 3 m benthic beam trawl for 10 minutes bottom-contact time at a target speed of 2 knots and with a modified Atlantic Western IIA otter trawl for 20 minutes bottom-contact time at a target speed of 2.9 knots. A total of 32 stations were sampled for epifauna in 2021, 22 in 2022, 23 in 2023 and 22 in 2024, between 22-655 m depth. Epibenthic invertebrates were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible and photographed. All unknown specimens are frozen. In the lab, the identifications are validated or refined with the photos and the frozen specimens. The data are presented in Darwin Core and are separated in two files: The "Activité_épifaune_CBSMEA_epifauna_event_en" file which contains information about missions, stations and deployments, which are presented under a hierarchical activity structure. The "Occurrence_épifaune_CBSMEA_epifauna_en" file that contains the taxonomic occurrences.

This record contains data on bowhead whale locations reported in Harwood, L.A. and P. Norton. 1996. Aerial survey data from the southeast Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie River estuary and west. Amundsen Gulf, July 1992. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 964

A research survey of scallops (mainly sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus, but also Icelandic Scallop Chlamys islandica) using a dredge was carried out by DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) every 1 or 2 years since 1992 in the Magdalen Islands (fishing area 20). The main objective of this research survey was to assess Sea Scallop stocks. Another objective was to document taxa associated with scallop habitat according to a fixed random sampling plan. Occurrences by species (or taxon) are presented by station. The taxonomic and geographical validity of the data was checked and the World Register of Marine Species served as the taxonomic authority for naming all taxa recorded during the survey. Epibenthic invertebrates (mainly molluscs, echinoderms and crustaceans) as well as demersal fish were identified from the dredge catches. The current data starting in 2021 are available at the following link : https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/6529a4b0-f863-4568-ac71-1fa26cf68679 The study area is located south of the Magdalen Islands and the sampling of scallop beds is carried out at depths of 10 to 38 m, generally around 25 to 35 m. A random selection of sampling stations is carried out from a fixed station grid. Sampling is done along transects at these randomly drawn stations in the study area. Sampling is done with a lined Digby scallop dredge (20 mm mesh) over approximately 500 m along the seabed. The four baskets of the dredge are examined for all scallops. Next, a basket (the first on the starboard side) is sorted and examined for associated species. Most specimens are counted by taxon. The presence or relative abundance of undersized and numerous, or colonial, organisms is noted. Special cases are sometimes retained for taxonomic analysis, for example, ascidians (to monitor invasive species) and sponges (to document new species).

This record contains data on beluga whale locations in the Mackenzie estuary reported in Harwood, L.A. and P. Norton (1996). Aerial survey data from the southeast Beaufort Sea, Mackenzie River estuary and west. Amundsen Gulf, July 1992. Canadian Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences No. 964

This inventory, conducted from September 26th to October 3th, 2019, aimed to describe the community structure of macroalgae and benthic macroinvertebrates of five small estuaries of the Upper North Shore of Quebec, namely Barthélemy Bay and the Colombier, Mistassini, Franquelin and Saint-Nicolas rivers. This inventory is part of a doctoral study of Valentine Loiseau on the global changes in the St. Lawrence system, mainly the study of marine benthic communities in response to changes of salinity, to ensure proper management of the environment in the face of future changes. The main objective is to describe the structure and the levels of specific diversities of mediolittoral communities of benthic macroinvertebrates and macroalgae along a salinity gradient.  These five small estuaries were selected because of their similar size, hard substrates and easy access. Three levels of hypoosmotic stress (low, medium, high) and one control level (seawater) were used for each of the selected estuaries, with eight quadrats per stress level. Quadrat positions were randomly selected but had to meet two criteria: (1) regular height in the foreshore to control the influence of other stresses (temperature, exposure); and (2) presence of at least one macroalga to maintain homogeneity. A percentage cover by macroalgal and macroinvertebrate species was estimated, and then all organisms were weighed by species and size group. The salinity of the nearest water point was measured at mid-tide with a portable refractometer and a Castaway-type CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Density) probe. The inventory was done using a stratified random sampling design and the sampling unit was a quadrat measuring 25 x 25 cm. The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes the generic information of the quadrat, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes salinity and substrate type of the quadrat, as well as the total weight of all individuals of the same species caught in the quadrat extrapolated to one square metre of surface. For nudibranchs and barnacles, weight was estimated from the size of the individuals so that they were not removed from the environment. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomic inventory of macroalgal and benthic macroinvertebrate species observed in the quadrat, identified to the lowest possible species or taxonomic level and biomass by identified species. For quality control, organisms were identified on the field using the following guide: Chabot, Robert et Anne Rossignol. 2003. Algues et faune du littoral du Saint-Laurent maritime : Guide d'identification. Institut des Sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Rimouski ; Pêches et Océans Canada (Institut Maurice-Lamontagne), Mont-Joli. 113 pages. The taxonomy was checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards and using the R obistools and worrms libraries. The WoRMS match was placed in the "scientificNameID" field of the occurrence file. All sample locations were spatially validated. This project was funded by DFO Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. This initiative aims to acquire environmental baseline data contributing to the characterization of important coastal areas and to support evidence-based assessments and management decisions for preserving marine ecosystems.

PURPOSE: Understanding and predicting species range shifts is crucial for conservation amid global warming. This study analyzes life-history traits of four seal species (ringed (Pusa hispida Schreber, 1775), bearded (Erignathus barbatus Pallas, 1811), harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus Erxleben, 1777), and harbour (Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, 1758) seals) in the Canadian Arctic using data from Inuit subsistence harvests. Bearded seals are largest, followed by harp seals, harbour seals, and ringed seals. Seasonal blubber depth patterns show minimal variation in bearded seals, whereas harbour and ringed seals accumulate fat in open-water seasons and use it during ice-covered seasons. Endemic Arctic seals (ringed and bearded) exhibit greater longevity and determinate body growth, reaching maximum size by 5 years, while harbour and harp seals grow indeterminately, physically maturing around 10-15 years. Age of maturation varies, with ringed and harbour seals being more sensitive to environmental fluctuations. Most bearded seals reproduce successfully each year, while ringed seals exhibit more variability in their annual reproductive success. Analysis of isoprenoid lipids in liver tissue indicates that ringed and bearded seals rely on ice-algal production, whereas harp and harbour seals depend on open-water phytoplankton production. Bearded seals appear more specialized and potentially face less competition, while harp seals may adapt better to changing habitats. Despite expected range shifts to higher latitudes, all species exhibit tradeoffs, complicating predictions for the evolving Arctic environment. DESCRIPTION: This dataset contains the data reported in Steven H. Ferguson, Jeff W. Higdon, Brent G. Young, Stephen D. Petersen, Cody G. Carlyle, Ellen V. Lea, Caroline C. Sauvé, Doreen Kohlbach, Aaron T. Fisk, Gregory W. Thiemann, Katie R. N. Florko, Derek C. G. Muir, Charmain D. Hamilton, Magali Houde, Enooyaq Sudlovenick, and David J. Yurkowski. 2024. A comparative analysis of life-history features and adaptive strategies of Arctic and subarctic seal species - who will win the climate change challenge? Canadian Journal of Zoology 2024-0093.R1 The data set includes species, location, harvest date, sex, age, standard length, girth, fat depth, teste size, parity status, pregnancy status, corpora lutea (n), corpus albicans (n), follicles (n). This dataset includes raw, unfiltered, and unprocessed historical data provided by harvesters that have not been screened for outliers. Individual users should screen the data for their specific use. Cite these data as: Steven H. Ferguson, Jeff W. Higdon, Brent G. Young, Stephen D. Petersen, Cody G. Carlyle, Ellen V. Lea, Caroline C. Sauvé, Doreen Kohlbach, Aaron T. Fisk, Gregory W. Thiemann, Katie R. N. Florko, Derek C. G. Muir, Charmain D. Hamilton, Magali Houde, Enooyaq Sudlovenick, and David J. Yurkowski. 2024. Arctic and Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/ea9ff038-8b16-11ef-8cce-55cc7f028297