AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Education and Awareness About Marine Coral and Sponge Refuges on the North Gulf Coast

The *Comité Zone d’Intervention Prioritaire Côte-Nord du Golfe* (ZIP CNG) was mandated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to conduct awareness-raising workshops on marine refuges of corals and sponges in elementary schools. The project consists in creating mobilization activities on coral and sponge refuges by targeting, among other things, elementary school clientele. The mandate aims to create educational activities and learning tools on the seabed ecosystem, the habitat of corals and sponges, and the organisms found there in order to arouse discovery and wonder in students. By addressing various themes such as the biology of the species present or their ecological role, students will be able to develop an awareness of the important ecosystem that corals and sponges constitute, to inspire the desire to adopt good practices in order to preserve them. Awareness-raising and educational materials were thus produced during the year 2024-2025.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Network of scientific buoys in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence

The scientific buoys of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) are equipped with instruments that measure a range of optical, oceanographic, and meteorological properties. They transmit data seasonally in real time. SLGO disseminates the data of those buoys in real time and in archived format since April 2014. Data prior to 2014 are available on the SLGO through the EDMS (DFO) application. For more information, please see the [data context](https://ogsl.ca/en/navigation/marine-conditions-buoys/dfo/summary).

**Parameters:** wind speed, wind direction, gusts, wave height and period, water temperature, salinity, fluorescence, water density, chlorophyll concentration, air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, surface current velocity and at 6 m depth, direction of current.

Access the data in the [MARINE CONDITIONS](https://ogsl.ca/conditions/?lg=en).

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Community-Based Monitoring in Saint John Harbour

These data were generated as part of ACAP Saint John's Harbour Baseline Monitoring Program, collected from Port Saint John, New Brunswick. The dataset includes physico-chemical data, including various water quality and sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) parameters, collected from 2018 to 2022. 

The dataset also includes fish community data produced from seine and fyke net fishing from 2018 to 2022 in Port Saint John. It contains data on the different species caught, abundances, and length measurements. 

This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (Maritimes), Port of Saint John region: Conductivity, Temperature, Turbidity and Depth Data (2019-2023)

The Coastal Environmental Baseline Program is a multi-year Fisheries and Oceans Canada initiative designed to work with Indigenous and local communities and other key parties to collect coastal environmental data at six pilot sites across Canada (Port of Vancouver, Port of Prince Rupert, Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, Port of Saint John, Placentia Bay, and Iqaluit). The goal of the Program is to gather local information in these areas in effort to build a better understanding of marine ecological conditions. The Maritimes region has developed a physical oceanography program to align with the oceanographic interests and data needs of local communities and stakeholders, with the goal of sharing this information via open data. 

Starting in 2019, oceanographic parameters including temperature, salinity, depth, turbidity and currents have been continuously monitored at a series of locations covering a broad range of environments in the Port of Saint John and approaches vicinity, including the lower Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers, coastal fringe marshes and embayments, as well as the Musquash estuary Marine Protected Area (MPA). This dataset includes CTD data from August 2019 to July 2020 and CTD and turbidity data from August 2020 to June 2023. 

Data collection methods range from bottom-mounted instruments in water depths of 10-50 meters, buoyant surface moorings, and hard-mounted instruments in intertidal zones. Intertidal data is interrupted during some low tide events, where the water level drops below the sensor, resulting in loss of functionality for periods up to 1-2 hours. Overall this dataset captures a dynamic balance between salt and fresh water on the highly tidal lower Saint John river, coastal seasonal dynamics in near-shore marine environments in the Musquash MPA, and the constant fluctuations of intertidal creeks and marshes.

Data can also be downloaded from the Government of Canada data portal : [Open Government](https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/abe8a6d2-ef8a-46f3-a28c-3b745ed09863)

*This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.*

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Atlas of Coastal Environments of Interest for Conservation in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (2019)

Produced as part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, the Atlas of coastal environments of interest for conservation in the estuary and gulf of St. Lawrence presents sites where the conservation needs are most pressing. Conservation targets (coarse filter) selected for this atlas are forested areas, inland wetlands, coastal marshes, and sandy environments, to which are added fine filter elements such as bird colonies, eelgrass beds, significant flora and fauna  (e.g., essential habitats of species at risk, winter concentration sites for Harlequin Duck, breeding and rearing habitat for Rainbow Smelt in the southern St. Lawrence estuary, etc.) and salmon rivers. Our objective being to determine the sites of interest until a 20% representativeness threshold was reached. Sites with high conservation interest were first selected, located within or adjacent to protected areas or exceptional forested ecosystems, sites hosting species at risk, sites bordering salmon rivers or those with unique ecological features. A prioritization analysis was then carried out on conservation targets using a multi-criteria analysis when the 20% representativeness threshold was not reached following the selection analysis.

The geospatial data associated with these sites are publicly available. This will allow users to visualize better the geographical location of the sites of interest and the conservation value associated with each habitat patch of the conservation targets (forested areas, inland wetlands, coastal marshes, and sandy environments) using geographic information systems (e.g., ArcGIS). Users will also have the opportunity to adapt the determination of sites of high conservation value given their own spatial territory and conservation objectives. Since the conservation of natural environments and species at risk is a shared responsibility, this atlas will address the priorities of numerous organizations involved in conserving coastal environments, i.e., conservation organizations, municipalities and RCMs, government organizations, and academic institutions.

View data in the [OCTO](https://slgo.ca/octo/) application.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Atlas of Bank Restoration Sites of the St. Lawrence River

The Atlas of bank restoration sites of the St. Lawrence River presents a survey of habitats disrupted by human activities in recent decades (in particular, in-filling, draining, diking, and deforestation) and which restoration work would be possible. This interactive tool is highly useful for promoters, governments, municipalities, conservation organizations, stakeholders, and shoreline property owners who wish to get involved in restoring disturbed wildlife habitats. The St. Lawrence Action Plan 2011-2026 makes this atlas available in collaboration with the St. Lawrence Global Observatory. For more information, please see the [**data context**](https://ogsl.ca/en/coastal-uses/environmental-references/restoration-plans/atlas-restoration/summary).

View data in the [**ENVIRONMENTAL REFERENCES**](https://slgo.ca/references/).

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Portrait of Plastic Pollution in Eastern Canada: From the Great Lakes to Newfoundland

The increase in the occurrence of plastic pollution in the environment of the St. Lawrence watershed in recent decades makes it imperative to take a systemic approach to managing plastic pollution in Eastern Canada. A comprehensive assessment of the prevalence of plastic products in the environment was carried out to better understand the phenomenon and improve the available assessment methods. Among the items most found during cleaning activities, the organization was able to notice the abundance of cigarette butts, various pieces of plastic, plastic bottles, and multiple plastic packaging. 

These observations lead us to reiterate the insidious impact of plastic in the St. Lawrence and Atlantic ecosystems. Various environmental stresses, such as environmental contamination, contribute to the overall degradation of the coastal environment in Eastern Canada. These effects remain largely misunderstood and, therefore, ignored during environmental impact assessments, which remain focused on unique species or sectors or the approval of projects. As for the major brands most often listed, the study aims to measure the impact of extended producer responsibility. The organization was able to observe an increased presence of packaging from Nestlé, Tim Hortons, PepsiCo, and several others, which demonstrates the locality of the issue in Canada. This also opens the possibility of better identifying extended producer responsibility in the solutions to be considered for the future. 

Through these objectives, our project proves the importance of uniting, raising awareness about the challenges of plastic pollution, and thoroughly documenting the impacts to guide our future actions better and, at the same time, encourage action.

For more information on the production database method, refer to the report Portrait of Plastic Pollution: In Eastern Canada from the Great Lakes to Newfoundland.

**Attention:** The 2025 data are currently being collected. They are provisional and may require further standardization.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, in 2022

Measurement of background concentrations of oil hydrocarbons in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Surface seawater for measurement of n-alkanes and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) was collected fall of 2022, in both open water and close to the shore.

Establishing background oil concentrations in Placentia Bay will contribute to characterize the status quo of fossil hydrocarbons in seawater, which is a pre-requisite for the assessment of change. Damage assessment in case of a spill and the development of response plans requires the knowledge of pre-spill background values.

This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program Initiative under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
The Maison de la Faune Marsh – Characterization of Important Shoreline Habitats on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence Maritime Estuary

A project to characterize important littoral habitats on the north shore of the St. Lawrence maritime estuary has been funded for a 4-year period (2023-2027). The aim of the project is to generate baseline ecological data to provide an overall picture of the state of littoral habitats along the north shore of the maritime estuary.

The dataset covers the coastal marsh located near the Maison de la Faune, at the mouth of the Manicouagan River (municipality of Baie-Comeau). In order to improve our knowledge of this ecosystem, faunal (ichthyological) inventories were carried out and the various abiotic factors characterized. Orthomosaics of the coastal marsh in this sector have been generated, but are not included in this dataset. Please contact the Rive Nord de l'Estuaire (RNE) ZIP Committee directly for access. 

It is possible to consult the four other datasets of important littoral habitats that have been characterized as part of the project to characterize important littoral habitats:

- [**Mistassini River Estuary**](https://catalogue.ogsl.ca/en/dataset/ca-cioos_599476c2-ab8a-4029-967c-5d6dd80b6a56)
- [**Great Saint-Nicolas Bay**](https://catalogue.ogsl.ca/en/dataset/ca-cioos_b35efc0a-6d56-4fe5-aeca-a0677f90de3d)
- [**Henri-Grenier Bay Coastal Marsh**](https://catalogue.ogsl.ca/en/dataset/ca-cioos_d73679ed-80f5-457a-9dfd-2aa4ebae7e1a)
- [**Ragueneau Islands Archipelago Coastal Marshes**](https://catalogue.ogsl.ca/en/dataset/ca-cioos_de8f22ad-1bbe-4247-9cac-d903b31140a4)

This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program Initiative under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Arctic Expedition Aboard the CCGS Amundsen (2007)

This dataset contains the complete report, the expedition map as well as a list of stations and sampling types. The 2007 Expedition Report describes the scientific expedition carried out in the Canadian Arctic between July 26 and November 08, 2007. The report is a collection of all the participating research teams’ Cruise Reports provided to the Chief Scientists at the end of each LEGs of the 2007 CCGS Amundsen Expedition. The 2007 Expedition Report is divided into two parts:

Part I provides an overview of the expedition, the cruise track and the stations visited, and a synopsis of operations conducted during each LEG.

Part II contains the reports submitted by participating science teams or researchers, with details on the specific objectives of their project, the field operations conducted and methodology used, and in some cases, preliminary results. When results are presented, they show the data as they were submitted at the end of the LEGs in 2007. The data presented in this report are illustrative only and have not been quality checked, thus parties interested in the results should contact the project leader or the researchers who collected the data or the data coordinator at Amundsen Science (amundsen.data@as.ulaval.ca). 

The 2007 Expedition Report includes four appendices: 1) the list of stations sampled, 2) the scientific log of activities conducted, 3) a copy of the CTD logbook and 4) the list of participants on board during each LEG.

It is possible to consult an [**interactive map**](https://data.amundsen.ulaval.ca/) including all the years of expeditions and the different trajectories (LEG) associated with them.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Evaluation of the Reproductive Success of Lake Sturgeon at the Drummondville Spawning Ground in Spring 2017

The evaluation of reproductive success is based on the estimation of the number of eggs deposited on the spawning ground in relation to the number of larvae that have drifted.

First, we defined the area and the spawning period and captured eggs using an egg sensor and a drift net. Then, we carried out a sturgeon capture-mark-recapture campaign to estimate the size of the spawning contingent. Finally, we caught drifting larvae.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Arctic Expedition Aboard the CCGS Amundsen (2014)

This dataset contains the complete report, the expedition map as well as a list of stations and sampling types. The 2014 Expedition Report describes the scientific expedition carried out in the Canadian Arctic between July 8 and October 11, 2014. The report is a collection of all the participating research teams’ Cruise Reports provided to the Chief Scientists at the end of LEG 1, LEG 2, and LEG 3 of the 2014 CCGS Amundsen Expedition. The 2014 Expedition Report is divided into two parts:

Part I provides an overview of the expedition, the ship track and the stations visited, and a synopsis of operations conducted during each of the three LEGs.

Part II contains the reports submitted by participating science teams or researchers, with details on the specific objectives of their project, the field operations conducted and methodology used, and in some cases, preliminary results. When results are presented, they show the data as they were submitted at the end of the legs in 2014. The data presented in this report are illustrative only and have not been quality checked, thus parties interested in the results should contact the project leader or the researchers who collected the data or the data coordinator at Amundsen Science (amundsen.data@as.ulaval.ca). The sections in Part II describing each project are organized with atmospheric, surface ocean and sea ice components first, followed by water column properties, which include mooring and remote sensing programs, CTD-Rosette operations and physical properties, as well as a suite of chemical and biological parameters. The remaining sections cover contaminants cycling in seawater, biota, seabed mapping, sediments and benthos sampling, and ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) operations. The Schools on Board program is presented as well.

The 2014 Expedition Report also includes four appendices: 1) the list of stations sampled, 2) the scientific log of activities conducted, 3) a copy of the CTD logbook and 4) the list of participants on board during each LEG.

The core oceanographic data generated by the CTD-Rosette operations, as well as meteorological information (*AVOS : Automated Voluntary Observing Ship*; Environnement Canada) and data collected using the Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP), the ship-mounted current meter (SM-ADCP) and the thermosalinograph (TSG) are available in the [**Polar Data Catalogue (PDC)**](https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=12713)

It is possible to consult an [**interactive map**](https://data.amundsen.ulaval.ca/) including all the years of expeditions and the different trajectories (LEG) associated with them.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
RQM - CTD Data From the Lampsilis Concerted Mission (MAL2022): State of Health of the St. Lawrence 2022, 3rd Edition

The Lampsilis concerted mission of August 2022, funded by the Odyssée Saint-Laurent program of the Réseau Québec maritime (RQM), aimed to gather strategic scientific knowledge for the understanding and management of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf. This mission enabled a wide-ranging acquisition of multidisciplinary data for 12 projects focusing on changes in biodiversity and water quality from the river's estuarine transition zone to the St. Lawrence Estuary.

Vertical profiles of CTD data (conductivity, temperature, depth) were made in the water column at 30 stations in the St. Lawrence River (from Quebec City) and its Upper Estuary (at Cacouna). These profiles were taken from the surface to an average distance of around 2 m from the seabed. They include measurements of temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen, light transmission, vertical stratification, turbidity and sound velocity in seawater. Discrete water samples were taken at various stations and depths to compare CTD's direct measurements with laboratory analyses of chlorophyll a concentration (63 samples, 37 stations). These comparisons were used to adjust the calibration of fluorescence data from the CTD probe.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Characterization of Eelgrass Sites in Placentia Bay (2018-2022)

Data is being collected on target components and features of the local Placentia Bay coastal ecosystem over a five-year study to develop a baseline dataset on eelgrass habitat within Placentia Bay, NL. As part of the study, the presence of other forms of marine vegetation and structure-providing species are documented. Water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature are recorded bi-annually. Marine sediment characterization and pole seines are conducted annually at each site to provide baseline data on the diversity of fish species present. Observations of any aquatic invasive species are documented and reported.

**MARINE VEGETATION :** Eelgrass presence, distribution, and abundance were documented at ten sites in 2018-2019. An additional five sites were surveyed in 2019-2022. At each site, eelgrass transects are surveyed at each location semi-annually to document seasonal growth changes in abundance. During each survey, other marine vegetation, soft corals and sponges, are also identified. Any marine vegetation which may be beach-cast along the shoreline is documented and photographed.  


**WATER QUALITY :** Dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, conductivity, and temperature are recorded at the start and endpoint of each eelgrass transect. 72-hour rainfall and wave conditions for the site are also recorded. 


**MARINE SEDIMENT :** During the eelgrass surveys, the composition of the marine sediment is documented at 5m intervals.


**INVENTORY OF VARIOUS SPECIES :** Pole seines are conducted annually at each site to provide baseline data on nearshore fish and invertebrate community assemblages. Aquatic Invasive Species are recorded and reported if encountered throughout the water or shoreline surveys.


This project is part of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program Initiative under the Oceans Protection Plan of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
Montreal East Fishing Sites and Fisherman's Guide (2015)

The island of Montreal is full of fishing sites. Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Montréal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Ville-Marie boroughs and the related city of Montréal-East have several parks where fishing is or may be potentially practiced. For each park, the name, the geographical location, the address, and the related borough or related city are indicated. 

Complementary to these data, the Guide du pêcheur (fisherman’s Guide) provides citizens with information on fish consumption, species and their identification keys, good fishing practices, species at risk, and invasive species.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory
RQM - CTD Data From the Coriolis Concerted Mission (MAC2021): Odyssée Saint-Laurent 2021

The September 2021 concerted mission, funded by the St. Lawrence Odyssey program of the Réseau Québec maritime (RQM), aimed to address the lack of knowledge about contaminants, phytoplankton and benthic communities, and the adaptation of organisms to environmental and anthropogenic changes in the St. Lawrence system. This mission enabled extensive data acquisition for 8 research projects, largely focused on the sampling and analysis of benthic invertebrates along the oxygen gradient of the St. Lawrence system, and on the sampling of marine fungi by developing a new methodology combining sediment sampling buckets and the use of zooplankton nets.

Vertical profiles of CTD data (conductivity, temperature, depth) were made in the water column at 55 stations between the mouth of the Saguenay River and the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. These profiles were taken from the surface (from a depth of 1 m) to a maximum of 6 m from the seabed. They include measurements of temperature, salinity, density, pH, fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, light transmission, vertical stratification and sound velocity in seawater. Discrete water samples were collected at different stations and depths to compare CTD's direct measurements with laboratory analyses of dissolved oxygen concentration (20 samples, Winkler chemical titration), and salinity (30 samples). These comparisons were used to adjust the calibration of dissolved oxygen and salinity data from the CTD.

Organization: St. Lawrence Global Observatory