Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) are areas within Canada's oceans that have been identified through formal scientific assessments as having special biological or ecological significance when compared with the surrounding marine ecosystem. Failure to define an area as an EBSA does not mean that it is unimportant ecologically. All areas serve ecological functions to some extent and require sustainable management. Rather, areas identified as EBSAs should be viewed as the most important areas where, with existing knowledge, regulators and marine users should be particularly risk averse to ensure ecosystems remain healthy and productive. Why are EBSAs identified? EBSA information is used to inform marine planning, including environmental assessment and the siting of marine-based activities, by: - Informing and guiding project-specific or regional environmental assessments; - Informing and guiding industries and regulators in their planning and operations, for example: EBSAs have been acknowledged and referred to (often as "Special Areas" or "Potentially Sensitive Areas") in oil and gas related assessments; - EBSA information has been provided to proponents of submarine cable projects to be used for route planning purposes; - Informing and guiding Integrated Oceans Management (IOM) process within five Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMAs) and twelve marine bioregions; - Serving as a basis for the identification of Areas of Interest (AOIs) and of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (individually and in the context of planning bioregional networks of MPAs). How are EBSAs identified? The process used to identify EBSAs is generally comprised of two phases. The first phase involves compiling scientific data and knowledge of a marine area's ecosystems - notably fish species, marine mammals, sea birds, marine flora, marine productivity, physical and chemical conditions and geology. "Knowledge" includes experiential knowledge of long-time uses of the areas. In some cases (e.g., in the Arctic), substantial efforts are taken to collect traditional knowledge on ecosystems and environmental conditions from community members, fish harvests, hunters and individuals whose knowledge of the study area complement often helps fill scientific data gaps. In the second phase, the available information for a marine area (e.g. a bioregion) is assessed against five nationally-established science-based criteria including: - Uniqueness: How distinct is the ecosystem of an area compared to surrounding ones? - Aggregation: Whether or not species populate or convene to the study area? - Fitness consequence: How critical the area is to the life history of the species that use it (e.g. is it a spawning or feeding ground)? - Naturalness: How pristine or disturbed by human activities is the study area? - Resilience: What is the ability of the ecosystem to bounce back if it is disturbed? Progress to date and next steps EBSAs have been identified for large portions of Canada's Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as most of the Arctic oceans. EBSAs will continue to be identified in priority areas as resources become available to carry out the process. The boundaries or locations of existing EBSAs may be modified to reflect both new knowledge and changing environmental conditions.

This layer details Important Areas (IAs) relevant to key invertebrate species (which are not corals or sponges) 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 IAs within ecoregions is used in the designation of EBSAs. 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, cetaceans, coral and sponges, fish, geographic features, 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.

This layer details Important Areas (IAs) relevant to key invertebrate species (which are not corals or sponges) in the West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) 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 IAs within ecoregions is used in the designation of EBSAs. 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 IAs 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, cetaceans, coral and sponges, fish, geographic features, and other vertebrates. Though data collection is considered complete, the emergence of significant new data may merit revisiting of IAs on a case by case basis.

This data set contains environmental DNA (eDNA) data enumerating the presence of intertidal marine vertebrates, invertebrates, and macro algae collected across 5 islands with 10 sites in the Boston Harbor in 2023. This data was collected using water samples collected in association with other intertidal biodiversity monitoring protocols developed specifically for the mixed coarse substrate habitat found on the inner islands of Boston Harbor, including Gallops, Georges, Lovell (alternatively known as Lovells Island), Peddocks, and Thompson Island. Species were identified using an eDNA metabarcoding approach targeting the 12s (vertebrate) and 18s (invertebrate and macro algae) gene regions. Total read count scores for species detected are reported, with scores greater than 1 signaling a positive detection, and scores of 0 signaling no detection. Data included in this release was used to determine community composition and diversity metrics across high biodiversity and erosional sites for the 5 islands.

The East Bioregional Profile identified a number of ecological features that are of conservation value because of the role they play in the environment of theTemperate East Marine Region. Key ecological features (KEFs) meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. a species, group of species or a community with a regionally important ecological role (e.g. a predator, prey that affects a large biomass or a number of marine species); 2. a species, group of species or a community that is nationally or regionally important for biodiversity; 3. an area or habitat that is nationally or regionally important for: a) enhanced or high productivity (such as predictable upwellings - an upwelling occurs when cold nutrient rich waters from the bottom of the ocean rise to the surface); b) aggregations of marine life (such as feeding, resting, breeding or nursery areas); c) biodiversity and endemism (species which only occur in a specific area); or 4. a unique seafloor feature, with known or presumed ecological properties of regional significance. KEFs have been identified by the Australian Government on the basis of advice from scientists about the ecological processes and characteristics of the area. A workshop held in Perth in September 2006 also contributed to this scientific advice and helped to underpin the identification of key ecological features. 8 KEFs were identified in the Temperate East marine Region: Tasmantid seamount chain Lord Howe seamount chain Norfolk Ridge Canyons on the eastern continental slope Shelf rocky reefs Elizabeth and Middleton reefs Upwelling off Fraser Island Tasman Front and eddy field In order to create a spatial representation of KEFs for the Temperate East Marine Region, some interpretation of the information was required. DoE has made every effort to use the best available spatial information and best judgement on how to spatially represent the features based on the scientific advice provided. This does not preclude others from making their own interpretation of available information.