AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) counts and haulout locations along BC coast

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) are found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. They are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as those of the Baltic and North Seas. In Canada, they may be found off the coastal waters of British Columbia, Nunavut, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Population trends and abundance of harbour seals in British Columbia are assessed based on aerial surveys conducted during 1966-2019. Based on counts conducted in Index Areas distributed throughout the province, the trend observed in the Strait of Georgia appears to be generally indicative of harbour seal populations throughout British Columbia. Total abundance of harbour seals on the B.C. coast in 2008 was estimated to be on the order of about 105,000 (95% confidence interval of 90,900 to 118,900) seals. Total abundance was re-estimated in 2022 (estimate and CI pending completion of CSAS process). Historic reconstructions indicate the population was depleted by a period of commercial harvesting during 1879-1914, and subsequently maintained below natural levels by predator control programs until the early 1960s. Already depleted, the population could not sustain a second period of intense commercial harvesting during 1962-1968 and was further depleted, but now appears to have fully recovered.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Guidance on sampling effort to monitor mesozooplankton communities at Canadian bivalve aquaculture sites using an optical imaging system

As part of the development of a nationally-consistent sampling design within the Aquaculture Monitoring Program (AMP), this data reports mesozooplankton assemblages observed at nine coastal shellfish aquaculture sites, located across four DFO regions, with sampling across months, tide phases, and sampling locations. In most sites, strong spatial effects were observed, while tide effects were generally less important for structuring the mesozooplankton communities. Seasonality emerged as an essential factor to design an efficient monitoring program. This dataset represents the first large-scale Canadian coastal study using imaging technology for plankton taxonomic Identification.

Cite this data as: Finnis, S., Guyondet, T., McKindsey, C.W., Arseneau, J., Barrell, J., Duhaime, J., Filgueira, R., Gallardi, D., Gaspard, D., Gibb, O., Goodwin, C., Hua, K., Macdonald, T., Milne, R., Lacoursière-Roussel, A. 2023. Guidance on sampling effort to monitor mesozooplankton communities at Canadian bivalve aquaculture sites using an optical imaging system. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3581: vii + 101 p

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Vessel Density Mapping of 2013 AIS Data in the Northwest Atlantic

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a global, satellite-based and terrestrial-based ship tracking system that uses shipborne equipment to remotely track vessel identification and positional information and is typically required on vessels of 300 gross tonnage or more on an international voyage, of 500 gross tonnage or more not on an international voyage, and passenger ships of all sizes. AIS tracking technologies are primarily used in support of real-time maritime domain awareness and for maritime security and safety of life at sea. This report describes a geographic information system (GIS) analysis of 2019 AIS data to produce yearly and monthly vessel density maps of all vessel classes combined and yearly density maps of each vessel class. The year 2019 was selected to portray shipping densities in a pre-COVID 19 pandemic depiction of the maritime transport sector in the Northwest Atlantic. Vessel density map applications include use in spatial analysis and decision support for marine spatial planning.
In 2023 the process was applied to the years 2013 through to 2022 and were made available using the same processes that were applied to the original 2019 datasets.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Seaweed medium to high density areas in the Chaleur Bay, the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Production of a layer that includes the known information on seaweed medium to high density areas in the Chaleur Bay, the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence according to a literature review of documents produced between 1995 and 1999.

Additional Information

Seaweed density areas were produced according to a literature review of the following documents:

Mariculture de Percé inc. 1995. Essai d'augmentation de la biomasse du homard "Récifs artificiels", Rapport no 95, Programme d'essai et d'expérimentation halieutiques et aquicoles.

Lemieux, C. 1995. Acquisition de connaissances des habitats côtiers dans la région de Rimouski (1995). Rapport du Groupe-Conseil GENIVAR présenté au Ministère des Pêches et des Océans du Canada, Division de la Gestion de l’Habitat du Poisson, 52 pages + 2 annexes.

Belzile, L., Lalumière, R., Cloutier, O. et J.F. Martel. 1997. Inventaire des laminaires dans la Baie des Chaleurs entre Miguasha et Bonaventure.  Rapport conjoint Groupe-conseil Génivar inc. et Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie pour le compte de Pêches et Océans Canada, Québec.  13 pages

Vaillancourt, M.-A. et C. Lafontaine. 1999. Caractérisation de la Baie Mitis. Jardins de Métis et Pêches et Océans Canada. Grand-Métis. 185 p.

Calderón, I. 1996. Caractérisation de la végétation et de la faune ichtyenne de la baie de Sept-Îles. Document réalisé par la Corporation de protection de l'environnement de Sept-Îles pour Pêches et Océans Canada. 26p. + 5 annexes.

Calderón, I. 1996. Caractérisation des habitats du poisson de la baie de Sept-Îles - Phase II. Corporation de protection de  l'environnement de Sept-Îles. 37 pages.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Database of the Distributions of Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada

This dataset contains point distribution occurrences for fish species found in marine waters of Arctic Canada. It was used to create the distribution maps in the book Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada, edited by B.W. Coad and J.D. Reist (2018) and the DFO Data Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Distributional Records for Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada (Alfonso et al. 2018). The database includes literature (Coad and Reist 2016) and museum records, anecdotal reports, personal communications and data from fisheries surveys and exploratory cruises. Development of the database began in 1998 and data entry ceased in 2016, although the database will be updated periodically. Consult the book (Coad and Reist  2018) and the Data Report (Alfonso et al. 2018) for further details in regards to the specific sources for each data point by species especially those from sources other than published literature.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Commercial catches sampling program in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence – Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa)

Summary
The Quebec region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for the assessment of several fish and invertebrate stocks exploited in the Estuary and the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The commercial catches sampling program is one of the sources of information used to complete these assessments. The data collected by this program, at wharf or at sea, offers among other things the advantage of a relatively large spatio-temporal coverage and provides some of the necessary knowledge to assess the demography and the structure of the exploited populations. This program is implemented by specialized DFO staff whose main mandate is to collect biological data on groundfish, pelagic fish and marine invertebrate species that are commercially exploited in the various marine communities.

Data
This dataset on the sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) includes the metadata, sample weight, the length and the number of specimens measured. This dataset covers the period between 2014-2021. In order to protect the confidentiality of the sources, some informations (such as those concerning the vessel) have been excluded and others (such as the date of capture) have been simplified. Entries where there was only one vessel in a fishing area for a given year were also excluded. Further information including the fishing areas coordinates can be found by clicking on the «Atlantic and Arctic commercial fisheries» and «Fishing areas» links below.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Beaufort Sea Marine Fishes Project (BSMFP) 2012 - Sampling Stations

From August 5th to September 3rd, 2012, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a baseline survey of marine fishes and their habitats on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and slope. Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at 28 stations along four transects. Standardized sampling was conducted at pre-determined depth stations (20-40, 75, 200, 350, 500, 750, and 1000 m) using a variety of sampling equipment including benthic fishing trawls, plankton nets, sediment cores, and CTD and water sample profiles. A specialized CTD probe (UCTD) was deployed at an additional 30 locations while the ship was underway. Presented here is the information on the sampling locations, and the sampling gear deployed at each station.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Fishery resources and habitats in a headwater lake of the Brock River, Northwest Territories -water quality data.

The study involved sampling during a winter subsistence fishery at Brock Lake in November 2003, and a physical, chemical and biological assessment of the lake in July 2004 and July 2005.  Data including physical, chemical and biological variables were published as Roux, M.-J., Harwood, L. A., Illasiak, J., Babaluk, J.A., and de Graff, N. 2011. Fishery resources and habitats in a headwater lake of the Brock River, NT, 2003-2005. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2932: viii + 61 p.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Atlantic Salmon Smolt Data from the Kedgwick River, New Brunswick

PURPOSE:
Estimation of Atlantic salmon smolt abundance in the Restigouche watershed.
            

DESCRIPTION:
Each spring (May-June), DFO installs a Rotary Screw Trap (RST; smolt wheel) on the Kedgwick river, a tributary of the Restigouche River. The number of individuals of each species of fish caught in the trap is recorded, and length and weight are measured for a portion of Atlantic salmon smolts captured. All Atlantic salmon smolts captured in the RST are tagged with uniquely-numbered polyethylene streamer tags and released upstream of the trap with the intention of using their rate of recapture to estimate the efficiency of the trap and the abundance of smolts (Capture-Mark-Recapture experiment).
            

PARAMETERS COLLECTED:
species counts (ecological); point (spatial); capture-mark-recapture data for Atlantic salmon smolts (ecological)

NOTES ON QUALITY CONTROL:
The data is stored in a relational database and therefore benefits from referential integrity between tables and observations. The database also defines data types for columns of the tables, ensuring a degree of consistency across observations. The field data sheets are also entered into a web app which provides an additional layer of quality control.

USE LIMITATION:
To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
MSDI Dynamic Current Layer

The MSDI Surface Current Web Service is a dynamic national dataset offering full coverage of surface current visualization in Canadian waters. The service has been developed and managed by the Canadian Hydrographic Service in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

As with all MSDI products, this service is strictly NOT FOR NAVIGATION. This data is best viewed by software that supports time-aware map services.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Ecosystem Production Units in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean

Pepin et al. (2014) stated that three nested spatial scales were identified as relevant for the development of ecosystem summaries and management plans: Bioregion, Ecosystem Production Unit (EPU), and Ecoregion. A bioregion is composed by one or more EPUs, while an EPU consists of a combination of ecoregions, which represent elements with different physical and biological characteristics based on the analytical criteria applied. Pepin et al. (2014) reported on the consolidation of data and analyses of ecoregion structure for the continental shelf areas from the Labrador Sea to the mid-Atlantic Bight and provided recommendations on the definition of EPUs in the NAFO Convention Area.  

The results of two K-means clustering analyses (one geographically constrained and one un-constrained) and expert knowledge (including and considering location of ecoregions, knowledge of the distribution of major marine resources and fish stocks, and geographic proximity for delineation/definition of potential management units) served as guides for evaluation by NAFO’s (North Atlantic Fisheries Organization) working group on ecosystem science and assessments (WG-ESA). The final consensus from the discussions identified eight (8) major EPUs that can serve as practical candidate management units (from the 50 m isobaths, where research vessel data were available, seaward to the 1500 m isobaths) that consist of the Labrador Shelf (NAFO subareas 2GH), the northeast Newfoundland Shelf (subareas 2J3K), the Grand Banks (subareas 3LNO), Flemish Cap (subarea 3M), the Scotian Shelf (subareas 4VnsWX), Georges Bank (parts of subareas 5Ze and 5Zw), the Gulf of Maine (subarea 5Y and part of 5Ze) and the mid-Atlantic Bight (part of subarea 5Zw and subareas 6ABC). Southern Newfoundland (subarea 3Ps) was not included in the original analysis because fall survey data were unavailable. However, it was later added as an EPU after additional analysis of the fish community structure and trends using survey data from the spring, which indicated that this area is heavily influenced by the surrounding EPUs (NAFO 2015).

The proposed candidate management units correspond to the EPUs that define major areas within the bioregions which contain a reasonably well defined food web/production system. The working group noted that the consensus solution represents a compromise that aims to define management units based on the boundaries of existing NAFO subareas that are appropriate for estimation of ecosystem and fishery production. 

References: 

NAFO. 2015. Report of the 8th Meeting of the NAFO Scientific Council (SC) Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Assessment (WGESA). 17-26 November 2015, Dartmouth, Canada. NAFO SCS Doc. 15/19.

Pepin, P., Higdon, J., Koen-Alonso, M., Fogarty, M., and N. Ollerhead. 2014. Application of ecoregion analysis to the identification of Ecosystem Production Units (EPUs) in the NAFO Convention Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 14/069.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Fishing Effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic Waters

In 2009, Fisheries and Oceans Canada published the Policy on Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. To support the implementation of this policy, a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) process was initiated to: assess the distribution of fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2014, evaluate the overlap between fishing effort and Significant Benthic Areas (SiBAs), and identify areas of potential conservation concern. Although Research Document 2018/15 (Koen-Alonso et al. 2018), detailing this work, has not been updated since publication, the methodology outlined within it is still used to generate updated fishing effort layers as new data becomes available. 

This record illustrates cumulative fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2023, and is based on commercial logbook and vessel monitoring system (VMS) data. Fishing effort has been standardized into percentiles, whereby the top 20th percentile of intensity (cell values ≥20) represent cells containing the most intense fishing activities.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Important Areas for Cetaceans in Strait of Georgia Ecoregion

This layer details Important Areas (IAs) relevant to key cetacean species in the Strait of Georgia (SOG) ecoregion. This data was mapped to inform the selection of marine Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA). Experts have indicated that these areas are relevant based upon their high ranking in one or more of three criteria (Uniqueness, Aggregation, and Fitness Consequences). The distribution of IA's within ecoregions is used in the designation of EBSA's.

Canada’s Oceans Act provides the legislative framework for an integrated ecosystem approach to management in Canadian oceans, particularly in areas considered ecologically or biologically significant. DFO has developed general guidance for the identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas. The criteria for defining such areas include uniqueness, aggregation, fitness consequences, resilience, and naturalness. This science advisory process identifies proposed EBSAs in Canadian Pacific marine waters, specifically in the Strait of Georgia (SOG), along the west coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI, southern shelf ecoregion), and in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA, northern shelf ecoregion).

Initial assessment of IA's in PNCIMA was carried out in September 2004 to March 2005 with spatial data collection coordinated by Cathryn Clarke. Subsequent efforts in WCVI and SOG were conducted in 2009, and may have used different scientific advisors, temporal extents, data, and assessment methods. WCVI and SOG IA assessment in some cases revisits data collected for PNCIMA, but should be treated as a separate effort.

Other datasets in this series detail IAs for birds, coral and sponges, fish, geographic features, invertebrates, and other vertebrates.

Though data collection is considered complete, the emergence of significant new data may merit revisiting of IA's on a case by case basis.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Seasonal primary production climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone from BCCM model (1993-2020)

Description:
Seasonal mean primary production from the British Columbia continental margin model (BCCM) were averaged over the 1993 to 2020 period and depth-integrated to create seasonal mean climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone. 

Methods:
Total primary production is the sum of diatoms and flagellates production. 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 a raster layer of seasonal depth-integrated primary production climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone at 3 km spatial resolution.

Uncertainties:
Model results have been extensively evaluated against observations (e.g. altimetry, CTD and nutrient profiles, observed geostrophic currents), which showed the model can reproduce with reasonable accuracy the main oceanographic features of the region including salient features of the seasonal cycle and the vertical and cross-shore gradient of water properties. However, the model resolution is too coarse to allow for an adequate representation of inlets, nearshore areas, and the Strait of Georgia.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
MBON Pole to Pole: Rocky shore biodiversity of Musquash Harbour, Passamaquoddy Bay and Mispec Bay

The Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Pole to Pole (MBON P2P) effort seeks to develop a framework for the collection, use and sharing of marine biodiversity data in a coordinated, standardized manner leveraging on existing infrastructure managed by the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS; IOC-UNESCO), the GEO Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), and the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). The MBON Pole to Pole aims to become a key resource for decision-making and management of living resource across countries in the Americas for reporting requirements under the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), Aichi Targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This collection corresponds to the species registered on rocky shores of the Musquash Harbour, Passamaquoddy Bay and Mispec Bay, New Brunswick, Canada, using the MBON P2P sampling protocol for rocky shores, with funding from the Government of Canada's Coastal Environmental Baseline Program.

Citation: Reinhart B, Cooper A, Nason R, Jonah L (2025). MBON POLE TO POLE: ROCKY SHORE BIODIVERSITY OF MUSQUASH HARBOUR, PASSAMAQUODDY BAY AND MISPEC BAY. Version 1.7. Caribbean OBIS Node. Samplingevent dataset. https://ipt.iobis.org/mbon/resource?r=rockyshoresbayoffundynb&v=1.7

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Pelagic Shark Satellite Tag data - Mako Shark

The mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus),  is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered in commercial and recreational fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to mako sharks from 2011 to 2013 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial vessels, typically in summer and fall from July to October. Two types of tag models were deployed: Mk10 (N=28), and MiniPAT (N=9) and 28 of 37 tags reported (one female shark was recaptured). The mako sharks tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 229 cm Fork Length (curved); 13 were female, 17 were male, and 7 were unknown sex. Time at liberty ranged from 0 – 185 days and 6 tags remained on for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Deep substrate model (100m) of the Pacific Canadian shelf

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

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Fish Species Caught in Miramichi, McKiel and Nashwaak Lakes

PURPOSE:
To characterize food webs of lake fish communities using stable isotopes, gut content morphology and DNA.

DESCRIPTION:
Data sets containing fish species caught in Miramichi Lake, McKiel Lake and Nashwaak Lake.
            
PARAMETERS COLLECTED:
Species counts (ecological); points (spatial)

USE LIMITATION:
To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada