Description: Seasonal climatologies for salinity of the Northeast Pacific Ocean were computed to cover the period 2001 to 2020. Historibal observations included all available conductivity-temperature_depth (CTD), bottle and profiling floats in the NODC World Ocean Database, Marine Environmental Data Services (MEDS), Institute of Ocean Sciences Water Properties website and the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS Pacific). Methods: Interpolation was carried out in up to fifty-two vertical levels from surface to 5000m. Data-Interpolating Variational Analysis (DIVA) was used for spatial interpolation for all years within each season and estimates projected onto a consistent grid. The average of the grid nodes was calculated to obtain the seasonal climatology. DIVA was used again on the final climatology followed by a median filter and a 5-point smoother. Spring months were defined as April to June, summer months were defined as July to September, fall months were defined as October to December, and winter months were defined as January to March. The data available here contain raster layers of seasonal salinity climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a subset of seasonal climatology of the Northeast Pacific Ocean, with high spatial resolution of 1/300 degree. Data Sources: NODC, MEDS, IOS and CIOOS Pacific Data. Uncertainties: Uncertainties are introduced when quality controlled observational data are spatially interpolated to varying distances from the observation point. Climatological averages are calculated from these interpolated values.

The Fisheries and Oceans Canada ecosystem surveys are conducted annually and are a source of integrated ecosystem monitoring data. These survey data are the primary data source for monitoring trends in species distribution, abundance, and biological condition within the region, and also provide data to the Atlantic Zonal Monitoring Program (AZMP) for monitoring hydrographic conditions, along with zooplankton and phytoplankton. The surveys follow a stratified random sampling design, and include sampling using a bottom otter trawl, CTD rosette and vertical plankton tows. Data from the bottom trawl catch are used to monitor the distribution and abundance of fish and invertebrates throughout the Scotian Shelf, Bay of Fundy and Georges Bank. Cite this data as: Clark, D., Emberley, J. Data of MARITIMES RESEARCH VESSEL SURVEYS. Published January 2021. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/8ddcaeea-b806-4958-a79f-ba9ab645f53b

“Summer” missions occur in June, July and August and these focus on the Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy (i.e. 4VWX 5Yb, expanding recently to include the Laurentian Channel and Georges Bank (5Zc). Collected data includes total catch in numbers and weights by species. Length frequency data is available for most species, as are the age, sex, maturity and weight information for a subset of the individual animals. Other data such as ageing material, genetic material, and stomach contents are often also collected, but are stored elsewhere. “Summer” cruises occur in May, June, July and August and these focus on the Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy (i.e. 4VWX). Cite this data as: Clark, D., Emberley, J. Data of MARITIMES SUMMER RESEARCH VESSEL SURVEYS. Published January 2021. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/1366e1f1-e2c8-4905-89ae-e10f1be0a164

"Fall" missions occur primarily in October and November, but sets from September and December are also present in the data. Collected data includes total catch in numbers and weights by species. Length frequency data is available for most species, as are the age, sex, maturity and weight information for a subset of the individual animals. Other data such as ageing material, genetic material, and stomach contents are often also collected, but are stored elsewhere. "Fall" cruises occur in September, October, November and December. Cite this data as: Clark, D., Emberley, J. Data of Maritimes Fall Research Vessel Survey. Published January 2021. Population Ecology Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/5f82b379-c1e5-4a02-b825-f34fc645a529