Radiocarbon dates are derived from organic samples collected through marine and coastal expeditions of the Geological Survey of Canada Atlantic and Pacific. These efforts were conducted primarily to better understand the spatial and temporal coverage of sediments and seabed-fast marine ice during the last deglaciation. The quality of these data varies - ranging from imprecise bulk samples and more accurate AMS estimates derived from single shell fragments. These data are ordered in the menu in 1000 year divisions. By default, only conventional radiocarbon ages are displayed, and reservoir-corrected and measured ages are hidden.

This dataset is a compilation of numerous data files recovered as part of a data request in 2024 from a historical archive of DFO research data. Sediment and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) samples were collected over more than a decade as part of Dr. Douglas Loring’s research program while working at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO). Samples were collected as part of individual and collaborative research projects, and links to the relevant primary science publications and reports are included in the data in an effort to provide context to the data, as well as describe the field and laboratory techniques used to generate the attached data.

This deep water substrate bottom type model was created to aid in habitat modeling, and to complement the nearshore bottom patches. It was created from a combination of bathymetrically-derived layers in addition to bottom type observations. Using random forest classification, the relationship between observed substrates and bathymetric derivatives was estimated across the entire area of interest. The raster is categorized into: 1) Rock, 2) Mixed, 3) Sand, 4) Mud

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Maritime Science Branch has collected grain size data from sediment and water column samples using bottle samples, sediment cores, and sediment grabs as part of numerous research projects not only in the Atlantic provinces, but also worldwide. The data collected by DFO focuses on the fine grained (<1mm) particles as these are both a source of food and means of contaminant transport. Grain size data are used to study the fate and distribution of complimentary chemistries like heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons, aquaculture waste as well as a variety of physical processes such as the resuspension and transport of sediment.

The shallow substrate bottom type model was created to support near shore habitat modelling. Data sources include both available observations of bottom type and environmental predictor layers including oceanographic layers, fetch, and bathymetry and its derivatives. Using weighted random forest classification from the ranger R package, the relationship between observed bottom type and predictor layers can be determined, allowing bottom type to be classified across the study areas. The predicted raster files are classified as follows: 1) Rock, 2) Mixed, 3) Sand, 4) Mud The categorical substrate model domains are restricted to the extent of the input bathymetry layers (see data sources) which is 5 km from the 50 m depth contour.

Photographs of the seabed have been collected during marine expeditions of the Geological Survey of Canada Atlantic and Pacific for over 50 years. Typically, a sequence of 10 to 20 photos are taken at a single station as the vessel drifts with prevailing winds and currents and the camera is repeatedly lowered to and raised from the seafloor. The suite of photos from each station may best be considered a representative ensemble from the proximal area. Only in the more recent expeditions, where differential GPS and ultra-short baseline positioning is used in camera positioning, is the relative positional information given for each photo meaningful in interpreting the sequence as a transect. Reduced-scale, thumbnail photos are displayed for the sequence of photos taken at each station. Each photo is labelled with the expedition id, the station number and the photo number.

This record contains results from chemical analysis including suspended nitrogen (mg/g), suspended carbon (mg/g), and phosphorus (mg/g) based on dry weight sediment samples collected in the Beaufort Sea.

The shallow, coastal regions of the world’s oceans are highly productive ecosystems providing important habitat for commercial, forage, endangered, and iconic species. Given the diversity of ecosystem services produced or supported by this ecosystem, a better understanding of its structure and function is central to developing an ecosystem-based approach to management. However this region termed the ‘white strip’ by marine geologists because of the general lack of high-resolution bathymetric data - is dynamic, highly variable, and difficult to access making data collection challenging and expensive. Since substrate is a key indicator of habitat in this important ecosystem, we created a continuous substrate map of Bottom Patches (BoPs) from the best available bottom type data using an approach that is simple, quantitative, and transparent making it amenable to iterative improvement as data quality and availability improve. To provide subsequent analyses (such as habitat models) with some confidence in the defined bottom type values, we developed a corresponding confidence surface based on the agreement of, and distance between observations. Such data are critical to assessments of species distributions and anthropogenic risk. Bottom patches (BoPs) have been created to represent bottom type for the entire Pacific Canadian coast from the high high water line to a depth of 50 metres (m). As a polygon representation, the BoPs describe patches of similar substrate prescribed by depth classes and the available field observations. In the areas where no observations are available, predicted bottom type values are used. The approach is described in Gregr et al. (2013), as a spatial framework for representing nearshore ecosystems. Accuracy of the bottom type depends on a multitude of factors but primarily the reliability and density of the bottom type observations. The horizontal accuracy of these data likely ranges from metres to 10s of metres because of the source data or data processing required. Areas with a higher data density, where the data show strong coherence, are understood to have higher accuracy. The BoPs use depth ribbons (polygons describing bathymetric ecozones) as an input. Depth ribbons for Pacific Canada were created from a high resolution (20 x 20 m2) bathymetry. Given the resolution of these data, processing was facilitated by dividing the Pacific Coast into 5 regions. The West Coast of Vancouver Island, extending from Cape Sutil in the North past Port San Juan to the South, includes a total of 110,313 BoP polygons. Bottom Patches for Queen Charlotte Strait and Strait of Georgia regions were combined for a total of 235,754 BoP polygons. The North Central Coast region, extending from the Alaskan border in the North to Cape Caution in the South, includes a total of 431,639 BoP polygons. The Haida Gwaii region includes a total of 86,825 BoP polygons. These data are intended for scientific research only. The developers (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, SciTech Environmental Consulting) are not responsible for damages resulting from any omissions or errors that may be contained in this dataset and expressly disclaims any warranty of fitness for any particular purpose. Developers shall not be liable for any losses, financial or otherwise, due to the use of these data. The user assumes the entire risk as to the suitability, results and performance of the dataset for their proposed use. Please credit SciTech and Fisheries and Oceans Canada as the source of the data in any maps, reports, or articles that are printed or published on paper or the Internet.

This record contains results from stable isotope analysis of sediment samples including δ 13C (‰), δ 15N (‰), total N and total C collected in the Beaufort Sea.

This record contains information on the samples collected and the intended parameters for analysis from sediment cores collected as part of this project including bacteria, chemistry, stable isotopes, fatty acids, or meiofauna.