Terms of Reference

Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP)

Zonal Peer Review – Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, Maritimes and Gulf Regions

March 19-22, 2012
Montreal, QC

Chairperson: Jacques A. Gagné

Context

The Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP) was implemented in 1998 with the aim of collecting and analyzing the biological, chemical, and physical field data that are necessary to (1) characterize and understand the causes of oceanic variability at the seasonal, interannual, and decadal scales, (2) provide multidisciplinary data sets that can be used to establish relationships among the biological, chemical, and physical variables, and (3) provide adequate data to support the sound development of ocean activities.

The program sampling strategy is based on  (1) seasonal and opportunistic sampling along sections to quantify the oceanographic variability in the Canadian NW Atlantic shelf region, (2) higher-frequency temporal sampling at more accessible fixed sites to monitor the shorter time scale dynamics in representative areas, (3) fish survey and remote sensing data to provide broader spatial coverage and a context to interpret other data, and (4) data from other existing monitoring programs such as CPR (Continuous Plankton Recorder) lines, sea level network, nearshore long-term temperature monitoring, toxic algae monitoring, or from other external organizations (e.g., winds and air temperatures from Environment Canada) to complement AZMP data.

The collected data are edited and archived in databases managed by DFO’s Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM) Branch.

Objectives

1. Review the activities of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program during 2011 and assess business, operational and logistic issues that need regional/zonal intervention, or that need to be brought to the attention of the DFO Atlantic Science Directors Committee.
2. Synthesize and integrate the biological, chemical and physical oceanographic conditions observed in the Atlantic Zone since 1998, identify trends or changes if they occur, and provide a critical assessment of the information available. Review progresses made since March 2010 and plan work for next year.

Expected publications

• CSAS Research Documents
• CSAS Proceedings

Participants

• DFO Science Branch
• Environment Canada