AndreaBozzo/ceres-open-data-index huggingface dataset:
Summer surface conditions – Multidisciplinary surveys

Mean 2013 to 2022 summer surface conditions in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. Data come from the August and the September multidisciplinary surveys. Surface conditions are described by temperature, salinity and nutrient concentration (mmol/m³) interpolated on a 10 km x 10 km grid.

Purpose

Since 1990, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been conducting an annual multidisciplinary survey in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence using a standardized protocol. In the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, these bottom trawl surveys has been carrying out each September since 1971. These missions are an important source of information about the status of the marine ressources.

The objectives of the surveys are multiple: 
to estimate the abundance and biomass of groundfish and invertebrates, to identify the spatial distribution and biological characteristics of these species, to monitor the biodiversity of the Estuary and Gulf and finally, to describe the environmental conditions observed in the area at the moment of the sampling.

The southern Gulf surveys are realized using the following standardized protocol:
Hurlbut,T. and D.Clay (eds) 1990. Protocols for Research Vessel Cruises within the Gulf Region (Demersal Fish) (1970-1987). Can. MS Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. No. 2082: 143p.

The sampling protocols used for the Estuary and northern Gulf surveys are described in details in the following publications:

Bourdages, H., Archambault, D., Bernier, B., Fréchet, A., Gauthier, J., Grégoire, F., Lambert, J., et Savard, L. 2010. Résultats préliminaires du relevé multidisciplinaire de poissons de fond et de crevette d’août 2009 dans le nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent. Rapp. stat. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 1226 : xii+ 72 p. 

Bourdages, H., Archambault, D., Morin, B., Fréchet, A., Savard, L., Grégoire, F., et Bérubé, M. 2003. Résultats préliminaires du relevé multidisciplinaire de poissons de fond et de crevette d’août 2003 dans le nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent. Secr. can. consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. rech. 2003/078. vi + 68 p.

Annual reports are available at the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS), (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/index-eng.htm).

Bourdages, H., Brassard, C., Desgagnés, M., Galbraith, P., Gauthier, J., Légaré, B., Nozères, C. and Parent, E. 2017. Preliminary results from the groundfish and shrimp multidisciplinary survey in August 2016 in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2017/002. v + 87 p.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Phytoplankton pigment monitoring on the west coast of Canada

Changes in phytoplankton abundance and community composition have the potential to impact the entire food web and alter ecosystem productivity and biogeochemical cycles. Recognizing its importance, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) established a phytoplankton monitoring program on the Pacific coast of Canada based on phytoplankton pigment measurements.

Phytoplankton pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) and ancillary data are collected annually on DFO cruises at multiple locations in waters of the northeast subarctic Pacific and the west coast of Canada. Water samples are collected at discrete depths in the upper layer and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Vessel Density Mapping of 2014 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
Niagara Escarpment Plan boundary

The purpose of this dataset is to depict the boundaries of the Niagara Escarpment Plan. The outer boundary of the area covered by the Niagara Escarpment Plan is fixed and inflexible. It can only be changed by a plan amendment. It is formed by a combination of features like: * roads * railways * electrical transmission lines * municipal and property boundaries * lot lines * rivers * other topographic features [More information](http://www.escarpment.org)

Organization: Government of Ontario | Gouvernement de l'Ontario
Recovered Historic Catch and Weight – Length Data of Nearshore Fish Populations on Sturgeon and Roberts Banks, Fraser River Estuary, British Columbia

A goal of the Government of Canada’s Coastal Environmental Baseline Program (CEBP) is to amalgamate historic environmental data from high vessel traffic areas. An extensive DFO biological sampling program was conducted from 1980 to 1981 on Sturgeon and Roberts banks located on the outer Fraser River estuary, BC, Canada. This report collates and simplifies three data sets: water quality and nearshore fish catch previously published as DFO Data Report 340 (Conlin et al.1982), and un- published weight-length (W-L) data for two locations on Sturgeon Bank (Iona and Steveston) and near Westshore Terminals (Coal Port) on Roberts Bank. W-L data were reconstructed from archived computer printouts using Optical Character Recognition methods. Analyses of water quality data indicate that the two banks provided different fish habitats with Sturgeon Bank having a greater freshwater influence. Although Iona area water quality was exposed to sewage outfall from a nearby sewage treatment plant, it appears that fish communities were not different from the other Sturgeon Bank area (Steveston). The fish communities were found to be different between the two banks with Roberts Bank having greater overall abundance and diversity. Interestingly, of the seven fish species used for condition factor analyses, five were found to have lower Relative Condition Factors in the Roberts Bank sampling area.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Sea pens significant concentration areas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Identification of significant concentrations of sea pens in the Gulf of St. Lawrence biogeographic unit using Kernel density estimation (KDE).

This method was applied to create a modelled biomass surface for each taxa and an aerial expansion method was permitted to identify significant concentrations. Only geo-referenced biomass data have been used to identify the “hot spots”. The borders of the areas were refined using knowledge of null catches and species distribution models. Predictive models were produced using a random forest machine-learning technique. For more details, please refer to this report: 

Kenchington, E., L. Beazley, C. Lirette, F.J. Murillo, J. Guijarro, V. Wareham, K. Gilkinson, M. Koen Alonso, H. Benoît, H. Bourdages, B. Sainte-Marie, M. Treble, and T. Siferd. 2016. Delineation of Coral and Sponge Significant Benthic Areas in Eastern Canada Using Kernel Density Analyses and Species Distribution Models. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2016/093. vi + 178 p.

http://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/40577806.pdf

The present layer only contains the analysis results for sea pens. 

Purpose:

As part of the Canada's commitment to the identification and protection of sensitive benthic marine ecosystems, maps of the location of significant concentrations of corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada were produced through quantitative analyses of research vessel trawl survey data, supplemented with other data sources where available. The taxa analyzed are sponges (Porifera), large and small gorgonian corals (Alcyonacea), and sea pens (Pennatulacea). However, only the sponges (Porifera) and sea pens (Pennatulacea) have been considered in the analysis concerning the Gulf of St. Lawrence biogeographic unit.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Seasonal salinity climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (1980-2010)

Description:
Seasonal salinity climatology of the Northeast Pacific Ocean were computed from historical observations including all available conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD), bottle, expendable bathy-thermograph (XBT), and Argo data in NOAA (http://www.argo.ucsd.edu/), Marine Environmental Data Service (MEDS), and Institute of Ocean Sciences archives over 1980 to 2010 period.

Methods:
Calculations, including smooth and interpolation, were carried out in sixty-five subregions and up to fifty-two vertical levels from surface to 5000m. Seasonal averages were computed as the median of yearly seasonal values. 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.

References:
Foreman, M. G. G., W. R. Crawford, J. Y. Cherniawsky, and J. Galbraith (2008). Dynamic ocean topography for the northeast Pacific and its continental margins, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L22606, doi: 10.1029/2008GL035152.

Data Sources:
NOAA, MEDS and IOS observational 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.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Tides and Water Levels

Canadian tides and water level station information, benchmarks, observed water level data, and tidal predictions.

The Canadian tide and water level data archive presently holds water level observations reported from over a thousand stations, with the earliest dating back to 1848. The number of observations spans on average 6 years per station, with 60 stations measuring water levels for over 50 years.

Over 800 stations are subjected to appreciable effect of tides, and for most of these stations, the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) calculates and publishes predictions of the water levels associated with the vertical movement of the tide.

Observations from the CHS Permanent Water Level Network are added on a daily to monthly basis. Data are also exchanged annually with the Water Survey of Canada.

Each point in the map represents a station with links to observations, tidal predictions, and benchmark information, where available.

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

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

Methods:
Temperatures at up to forty-six linearly interpolated vertical levels from surface to 2400 m and at the sea bottom are included. 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 temperature climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone at 3 km spatial resolution and 47 vertical levels.

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
Beaches in Ecoregion 6e6 and 7e5

Two classes of beaches are distinguished, those with infrastructure and those without. Beaches with infrastructure: open sandy beaches along the shore of a great lake, within approximately 200 meters of a structure. Beaches without infrastructure: open sandy beaches along the shore of a great lake, not within 200 meters of a structure. The Southern Ontario Land Resource Information System didn't digitize beaches. Beaches were digitized by Austin Troy from Google Earth. This product requires the use of GIS software. *[GIS]: geographic information system

Organization: Government of Ontario | Gouvernement de l'Ontario
Beaufort Sea Marine Fishes Project (BSMFP) 2014 - Sampling Stations

From August 6th to September 9th, 2014, 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 56 stations along thirteen transects, with an additional three stations not located on transects. Standardized sampling was conducted on the transects 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. 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
Seasonal total alkalinity climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone from BCCM model (1981-2010)

Description:
Seasonal mean total alkalinity from the British Columbia continental margin model (BCCM) were averaged over the 1981 to 2010 period to create seasonal mean climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone.

Methods:
Total alkalinities at up to forty-six linearly interpolated vertical levels from surface to 2400 m and at the sea bottom are included. 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 total alkalinity climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone at 3 km spatial resolution and 47 vertical levels.

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
Seasonal Climatologies of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone from British Columbia Continental Margin (BCCM) Model (1981-2010)

Description:
Seasonal climatologies of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone (CPEEZ)  were computed from a numerical simulation of the British Columbia continental margin (BCCM) model for the 1981 to 2010 period, which can be considered as a representation of the climatological state of the region. 

Methods:
The BCCM model is an ocean circulation-biogeochemical model implementation of the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS version 3.5). The horizontal resolution is eddy-resolving at 3 km and the vertical discretization is based on a terrain-following coordinate system with 42 depth levels of increasing resolution near the surface. A detailed description of the BCCM model is given in Peña et al. (2019). 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 climatology of temperature, salinity, current speed, nitrate, oxygen, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, aragonite saturation state, phytoplankton, and primary production. The data include 47 vertical levels (surface, bottom, and 45 more selected depths), except for total phytoplankton (surface values only) and primary production (depth-integrated values). A layer giving the bottom depth in metres at the centre of each grid point is also provided. Model grids were set to NaN values in regions where the model output is highly uncertain, such as inlets, nearshore areas, and the Strait of Georgia.

Uncertainties:
Model results have been compared against tide gauge data, altimetry, CTD and nutrient profiles, observed geostrophic currents, and seasonal temperature and salinity climatologies over the 1981 to 2010 period. The model is successful in reproducing the main features of the region including salient features of the seasonal cycle and the vertical structure of density and nutrients.

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

Description:
Seasonal mean total alkalinity from the British Columbia continental margin model (BCCM) were averaged over the 1993 to 2020 period to create seasonal mean climatology of the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone.

Methods:
Total alkalinities at up to forty-six linearly interpolated vertical levels from surface to 2400 m and at the sea bottom are included. 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 total alkalinity climatology for the Canadian Pacific Exclusive Economic Zone at 3 km spatial resolution and 47 vertical levels.

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
Habitat Suitability of Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus) in the Newfoundland and Labrador Region

Greenland Sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) are estimated to have the highest longevity of any invertebrate (392 ± 120 years), making bycatch a significant concern (Nielsen et al. 2016). However, in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) region, accurate estimates of bycatch are not often available for the species (Simpson et al. 2021). To address this, species distribution models (SDMs) were generated to delineate habitat suitability for the species throughout the NL region in order to identify areas where a higher rate of bycatch is expected to occur.

Observations of Greenland shark bycatch recorded by At-Sea Observers (ASOs) in NL (1983 – 2019), Spain (1999 – 2017), and by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Secretariat (2014 – 2019) were compiled to generate a presence-only dataset. Multiple environmental variables were assessed for collinearity, and non-collinear variables (Bathymetry and mean monthly bottom temperature for March and November (1990 – 2015)) were retained for use in the SDM. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) software was used to model habitat suitability because it is a presence-only modelling program that is able to account for a lack of absence data by comparing the environmental conditions at occurrence locations to those at randomly selected background points. 

Overall, the results indicated that habitat suitability for Greenland Shark was highest in deeper waters along the shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3OP, and the Laurentian Channel, but also extended along the edge of the Labrador shelf, the Grand Banks, and deeper areas along the continental shelf such as the Hawke Channel, Funk Island Deep, and the slopes of Saglek, Nain, and Hamilton Banks. Beyond the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) and within the NAFO regulatory area (NRA), suitable habitat was also present within the Flemish Pass, and along the slope of the Flemish Cap and shelf edge in NAFO Divisions 3NO (Simpson et al. 2021). 

More detailed information can be found in Simpson et al. 2021.

References:
Nielsen, J., R. B. Hedeholm, J. Heinemeier, P. G. Bushnell, J. S. Christiansen, J. Olsen, C. B. Ramsey, R. W. Brill, M. Simon, K. F. Steffensen, J. F. Steffensen. 2016. Eye lens radiocarbon reveals centuries of longevity in the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus). Science 353 (6300):702-704

Simpson, M. R., Gullage, L., Konecny, C., Ollerhead, N., Treble, M.A., Nogueira, A., González-Costas, F. 2021. Spatial-temporal variation in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) bycatch in the NAFO Regulatory Area. NAFO SCR Doc. 21/028

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Vancouver Island Shelf

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been conducting surface water trawl surveys since 1992 in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and in the high seas of the Gulf of Alaska. These surveys initially focused on determining the migratory patterns (1992-2002) and on the growth and physiology (2003-2016) of juvenile Pacific Salmon.  Since 2016, these surveys have been broadened to monitor the whole pelagic ecosystem, retaining a focus on juvenile Pacific Salmon. Surveys have been conducted on the continental shelf of north and west Vancouver Island, included associated sounds and inlets since 1992 and are ongoing.  These data are for tows conducted in the continental shelf area for depths shallower than 400 meters.

Organization: Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada