Identification of ecological and biological significant areas (EBSA) in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence according to six groups of the food chain : primary production (Lavoie et al, 2007), secondary production (Plourde et McQuinn, 2010), meroplankton (Ouellet, 2007), benthic invertebrates (Chabot et al, 2007), demersal fishes (Castonguay et Valois, 2007) and pelagic fishes (McQuinn et al, 2012). The distribution area of each group has been evaluated using five criteria in order to determine the EBSA (DFO, 2004): 1. Uniqueness: Ranked from areas whose characteristics are unique, rare, distinct, and for which alternatives do not exist to areas whose characteristics are widespread with many areas which are similar. 2. Aggregation: Ranked from areas where most individuals of a species are aggregated to areas where individuals of the species are widespread 3. Fitness consequence: Ranked from areas where the life history activity(ies) undertaken make a major contribution to the fitness of the population or species present to areas where the life history activity(ies) undertaken make only marginal contributions to fitness. 4. Resilience: Ranked from areas where the habitat structures or species are highly sensitive, easily perturbed, and slow to recover to areas where the habitat structures or species are robust, resistant to perturbation, or readily return to the pre-perturbation state. 5. Naturalness: Ranked from areas which are pristine and characterized by native species to areas which are highly perturbed by anthropogenic activities and/or with high abundances of introduced or cultured species. Castonguay, M. and Valois, S. 2007. Zones d’importance écologique et biologique pour les poissons démersaux dans le nord du Golfe du Saint-Laurent. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/014. iii + 34 p. Chabot, D., Rondeau A., Sainte-Marie B., Savard L., Surette T. et Archambault P. 2007. Distribution des invertébrés benthiques dans l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/018. iii + 118 p. DFO, 2004. Identification of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Ecosystem Status Rep. 2004/006. Lavoie, D., Starr, M., Zakardjian, B. and Larouche, P. 2007. Identification of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSA) in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence: Primary production. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/079. iii + 29 p. McQuinn, I.H., Bourassa, M-N., Tournois, C., Grégoire, F., and Baril, D. 2012. Ecologically and biologically significant areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence: small pelagic fishes. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2012/087. iii + 76 p. Ouellet P. 2007. Contribution à l’identification de zones d’importance écologique et biologique (ZIEB) pour l’estuaire et le golfe du Saint-Laurent : La couche des oeufs et des larves de poissons et de crustacés décapodes. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2007/011. iii + 76 p. (Mise à jour novembre 2010) Plourde, S. et McQuinn, I.A. 2010. Zones d’importance écologique et biologique dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent : zooplancton et production secondaire. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2009/104. iv + 27 p.

The Sensitive Areas Striped Bass dataset shows areas within Maryland's Coastal Bays that are significant for Striped Bass populations. This dataset shows seasonal use of certain areas of the bays by Striped Bass during spawning season.

The Sensitive Areas Striped Bass dataset shows areas within Maryland's Coastal Bays that are significant for Striped Bass populations. This dataset shows seasonal use of certain areas of the bays by Striped Bass during spawning season.

The North Shore of the Lower Estuary (Upper North Shore, Quebec) is a productive coastal system where many commercial species of benthic invertebrates are fished in the infralittoral (10-20 m) and circalittoral (20-50 m) zone. However, little data exist on the biodiversity of non-commercial species and the environmental characteristics of the benthic habitat in this area. Two scientific surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2019 to address this knowledge gap by developing a framework of biodiversity and environmental (water column and seafloor) data taking that will be used to determine the baseline state of the benthic ecosystem in this region. Surveys were conducted in 2018 (August 11-14) and 2019 (July 30-August 5) in the Upper North Shore region (between the towns of Forestville and Godbout). Surveys followed a fixed sampling design of eight transects perpendicular to bathymetry with stations at 10 m depth intervals in a bathymetry range of 10-50 m for a total of approximately 40 stations per survey. Specimens were collected with a beam trawl with an opening of 2.8 m. The hauls were made at a target speed of 2 knots and a target duration of 7 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled on each tow using the geosphere library of R. The average tow distance was approximately 425 m. The area covered at each tow was the product of the trawl opening and the distance traveled. The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes generic event information, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes sample size, sampling protocol and sampling effort, among others. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. For abundance and biomass estimates, contact Virginie Roy (virginie.roy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca). For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "scientificNameID" field of the occurrence file. Special cases were noted in "identificationRemarks" and selected specimens were confirmed using field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated. This project was funded by DFO Coastal Environmental Baseline Program under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan. This initiative aims to acquire environmental baseline data contributing to the characterization of important coastal areas and to support evidence-based assessments and management decisions for preserving marine ecosystems.

PURPOSE: These data have been updated following a Canadian Science Advice Secretariat (CSAS) Regional Science Advisory Process. Associated publications are available in the citation section below or will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available. Estimate the abundance of Striped bass spawners in the Northwest Miramichi estuary. DESCRIPTION: Spawner abundance estimates of Striped Bass in the Northwest Miramichi estuary based on Catch per unit effort (CPUE) analysis in the commercial gaspereau fishery. USE LIMITATION: To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.

The Beluga whale critical habitat, which includes the Upper Estuary, the Saguenay River up to Sainte-Marguerite Bay, and the southern channel of the Lower Estuary, supports the vital functions of calving and rearing of the young. Due to the lack of information, studies are planned in the near future to increase knowledge of the species. Critical habitat actual limitations could change someday. Purpose The beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) population in the St. Lawrence Estuary was greatly reduced by hunting, which was finally banned in the St. Lawrence in 1979. In May 2005, this beluga population was officially listed as a threatened species on SARA’s List of Wildlife Species at Risk. Additional Information St. Lawrence beluga critical habitat is identified using the best available information. All the available information on its prey, seasonal distribution, use and characteristics of its habitat has been reviewed by Mosnier (2010). This literature review was used to produce a science advisory report reviewed by marine mammal experts. Beluga whale critical habitat has been identified with the information and the scientific advice, using the area of occupancy approach and corresponds to the summer distribution of groups made up of adults and new-born calves and juveniles. Mosnier, A., Lesage, V., Gosselin, J.-F., Lemieux Lefebvre, S., Hammill, M. O., Doniol-Valcroze, T. 2010. Information relevant to the documentation of habitat use by St. Lawrence beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), and quantification of habitat quality. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec., Res. Doc. 2009/098. iv + 35 p. DFO. 2012. Recovery Strategy for the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) St. Lawrence Estuary population in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. 88 pp + X pp.

2014 to 2023 demersal fish abundance in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The abundance is expressed as a number of individuals per normalized trawl set. Each species is individually represented in the northern Gulf and in the southern Gulf. Input data are from the annual August (North) and September (South) multidisciplinary surveys. The demersal species represented are: Alewife, Alligatorfish, American Plaice, Arctic Alligatorfish, Arctic Hookear Sculpin, Arctic Shanny, Arctic Staghorn Sculpin, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Eelpout, Atlantic Halibut, Atlantic Hookear Sculpin, Atlantic Poacher, Atlantic Spiny Lumpsucker, Atlantic Wolffish, Black Dogfish, Blacksnout Seasnail, Brill/Windowpane, Common Grenadier, Common Wolf Eel, Cunner, Daubed Shanny, Esmark's Eelpout, Fish Doctor, Fourbeard Rockling, Fourline Snakeblenny, Greenland Cod, Greenland Halibut, Haddock, Longfin Hake, Longhorn Sculpin, Lowfin Snailfish, Monkfish, Goosefish, Moustache Sculpin, Newfoundland Eelpout, Northern Hagfish, Ocean Pout, Rockfishes, Sea Sculpin, Sea Tadpole, Shorthorn Sculpin, Smooth Skate, Snakeblenny, Spatulate Sculpin, Spiny Dogfish, Spinytail Skate, Spotted Wolffish, Stout Eelblenny, Thorny Skate, Twohorn Sculpin, Vahl's Eelpout, Variegated Snailfish, White Hake, Winter Flounder, Winter Skate, Witch Flounder, Wolf Eelpout, Wrymouth and Yellowtail Flounder. 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.

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