Five Years of Coastal Science - The Coastal Environmental Baseline Program 2018 – 2023

The cover of the Five Years of Coastal Science – Coastal Environmental Baseline Program 2018-2023 Report shows a black and white image of a tree-lined coastline to the right with more coast in the distant background. The image is framed by a blue-yellow gradient. — The cover of the Five Years of Coastal Science – Coastal Environmental Baseline Program 2018-2023 Report

Five Years of Coastal Science The Coastal Environmental Baseline Program 2018 – 2023 (PDF, 14.0 MB)

Introduction
Coastal Environmental Baseline Program – An Overview
Coastal Ecosystems
Six Distinct Coastal Areas
Science in Action
80+ Accessible Datasets
Partnering for Data
Acknowledgements

Introduction

Aerial view of a dark rocky coastline shaded by clouds in Frobisher Bay, near Iqaluit, Nunavut. — Frobisher Bay, near Iqaluit, Nunavut
Photo: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

To better understand and manage our coasts and waterways, Fisheries and Oceans Canada launched the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program in 2018 as part of the Government of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan.

$50.8 million was invested over five years to capture important information about the current state of six key coastal areas. New open datasets now provide Canadians living and working in these coastal ecosystems a starting point for science-informed decision-making.

Baseline data – Term to Know

What is it? Information that supports a more complete understanding of the current - or baseline - state of an ecosystem. To create a baseline, data must be collected over several seasons, cover a large enough geographic area, and provide information on many parts of a particular ecosystem like animals, plants and water.

Why does it matter? Baseline data are the starting point for understanding ecosystems and detecting future changes.

Coastal Environmental Baseline Program – An Overview

The Coastal Environmental Baseline Program Overview infographic describes key facts about the first five years of the program. The infographic is divided into 4 sections, each describing a different element or statistic of the program. On the left hand side, the 4 national goals that drive the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program are listed as follows: - Address community concerns - Coverage along all three ocean coasts - Include local communities in regional program design and implementation - Data meet national and international standards and are publicly accessible In the center, a map of Canada is showing the six key coastal areas where ecological data was collected to set benchmarks for future development and ecosystem health. Each coastal area shows the number of projects led by partners or DFO scientists: - Port of Prince Rupert, located on the North Coast of British Columbia, has 16 partner projects and 14 DFO projects. - Port of Vancouver, located on the south coast of British Columbia, has 3 partner projects and 11 DFO projects. - Iqaluit, located in Nunavut in the northeast, has 17 partner projects and 8 DFO projects. - Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, located in southeastern Quebec, has 18 partner projects and 9 DFO projects. - Port of Saint John, located on the east coast in southern New Brunswick, has 21 partner projects and 8 DFO projects. - Placentia Bay, located on the far east coast in Newfoundland, has 22 partner projects and 11 DFO projects. Below the map of Canada, the total number of partner and DFO projects is shown. There are 98 total partner projects, with one additional project focused on data collection with a national scope. There are 61 total DFO projects. On the right hand side, the partner organizations are broken down by category, represented by a circular diagram made up of different colors to represent types of partner organizations, with a legend underneath. - Dark green: academic institutions - Teal: research centers - Bright yellow: indigenous organizations - Light green: non-governmental organizations - Muted yellow: Provincial/Territorial Government and Port Authorities - Green: fisheries organizations Non-governmental organizations and Indigenous organizations make up the majority of partners (approximately one third each). The last third is mainly composed of academic institutions, followed by research centers, provincial/territorial governments and port authorities, and fisheries organizations, in descending order. — Infographic: Overview of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program, it’s goals, project partners and locations.

Coastal Ecosystems

This infographic provides an overview of the coastal ecosystem components being studied by the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program. On the right is an illustrated cross section of a coastline showing the sky, water, and sediment layer. Each ecosystem component is represented in this illustration by an icon. On the right hand side the ecosystem components are listed as follows: - Physical: Different physical and oceanographic characteristics, such as currents, depth, temperature and salinity. This ecosystem component is represented by three wavy, horizontal lines on top of one another. This icon is found near the surface of the water layer on the coastline illustration. - Biogeochemical: Water properties like oxygen, nutrients, pH and clarity. This ecosystem component is represented by three connected hexagons with arrows around them in a circular pattern. This icon is found in the center of the water layer on the coastline illustration. - Sedimens: Sediments and deposits on the ocean bottom, including whether there are any contaminants like hydrocarbons and metals present. This ecosystem component is represented by a rectangle with horizontal layers. This icon is found within the sediment layer on the coastline illustration. - Substrate: Characteristics of the materials that ocean animals and plants like on, like sands, rocks and mud. This ecosystem component is represented by a 3-dimensional shape with multiple irregular sides. This icon is found just beneath the shore on the right of the coastline illustration. - Emergents: Plants, such as seagrasses, which grow from the ocean bottom and create special habitats. This ecosystem component is represented by a leafy seaweed shape. This icon is found just above the sediment layer near the shore on the coastline illustration. - Algae: These include phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants that form the foundation of the ocean food web, and larger types of marine seaweed. This ecosystem component is represented by a branching, plant-like structure that resembles coral. This icon is found halfway down the water layer, above the “Emergents” icon near the shore on the coastline illustration. - Invertebrates: Includes little floating zooplankton, and other animals without backbones like snails, crabs, mussels, corals, sponges, sea stars and more! This ecosystem component is represented by a snail icon found just above the sediment layer on the left of the coastline illustration. - Fish: Free swimmers, including open water fish, groundfish, and everything in between. This ecosystem component is represented by a fish icon found in the center of the water layer on the coastline illustration. - Mammals: Marine mammals including whales, seals, dolphins and porpoises. This ecosystem component is represented by a whale icon found in the center of the water layer on the left of the coastline illustration. — Overview of the coastal ecosystem components being studied by the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program.

Bordered by the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans, Canada's coastline is rich in biodiversity and home to unique coastal ecosystems. These environments provide important habitat for marine species. They support the social, cultural and economic health and well-being of communities located along shorelines - and deliver benefits to all Canadians.

Coastal ecosystems are under pressure from human activities including increasing levels of marine vessel traffic and expanding development. The more that is known about these ecosystems, the better we can plan for and support coastal management.

To improve our understanding of coastal ecosystems, the Baseline Program collected scientific data on many parts of what makes up an ecosystem. Each of these “components” is represented by an icon in the illustration on the right.

Six Distinct Coastal Areas

Baseline ecological data were collected in six, distinct and important coastal areas, all of which are experiencing increased development pressures and marine vessel traffic. When this program began, there a variety of knowledge gaps for these coastal areas, which the program has helped to address.

Pacific Ocean

Port of Vancouver, British Columbia

Surrounded by Canada's third largest urban area, the Port of Vancouver sits atop the Fraser River Estuary and west coast fjord of Burrard Inlet, part of the traditional and ancestral territories of the Coast Salish Peoples. It is home to rich marine life including iconic mammals and fish species such as the southern resident killer whale and white sturgeon, kelps and seagrasses.

Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia

A rocky outcrop topped with a few trees is jutting out of the water near the Port of Prince Rupert, British Colombia. — Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Photo: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

The Port of Prince Rupert is the second largest on Canada's west coast, and is located in the traditional and ancestral territories of the Tsimshian People. Bounded by rugged coastal mountains to the east and rocky islands to the west, freshwater flows in during the spring from the Skeena River. Passageways to the north and west connect the port to the Pacific Ocean. The Nass River estuaries provide migration routes and spawning habitat for salmon and forage fish, and the shorelines and beaches support kelp forest ecosystems, glass sponge reefs, and invertebrates and fish.

Arctic Ocean

Iqaluit, Nunavut

Iqaluit, located within Inuit homelands (Inuit Nunangat) on southeastern Baffin Island at the head of Frobisher Bay, has some of the world's highest tides. The twice-daily intertidal changes, ranging between seven and 11 metres, create extensive mud-like intertidal and benthic habitats that host many different animal species. There are typically five months of open water near Iqaluit each year, from July to November.

Atlantic Ocean

Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec

View from the water of the St. Lawrence Estuary coastline in Quebec. Trees and mountains are in the distance. — Lower St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec
Photo: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

The Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence is one of the world's largest and most productive marine ecosystems and is home to many marine mammal species. Its north shore, part of the unceded traditional territories of the Nitassinan, is dominated by rocky outcrops alternating with sand and glacial clay deposits, and bogs. Salt marshes and eelgrass beds abound and the mouths of several rivers punctuate the coastline.

Port of Saint John, New Brunswick

The Saint John Harbour, part of the unceded traditional territory of the WƏlastƏkwey, Peskotomuhkati and Mi'kmaq peoples, is located at the intersection of the Bay of Fundy and the Wolastoq (Saint John River) and is characterized by marshes, mudflats and estuaries. The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world, and the extreme tidal range, fresh and salt water mixing, and topography create an environment that provides an abundant food supply for diverse populations of fish, invertebrates and birds.

Placentia Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador

Located on the southeast coast of the island of Newfoundland, the unceded traditional territory of the Beothuk and the Mi'kmaq peoples, Placentia Bay is characterized by rocky shorelines, bays, inlets and coastal islands surrounded by steep cliffs. It has been identified as an Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area due to the crucial habitat it provides for vulnerable, threatened and endangered species.

Science in Action

A scientist sits at the front of a small boat while testing the water of the lower Saint John River in New Brunswick. Water and a tree-lined coast is in the background. — Scientists testing the water in the lower Saint John River in New Brunswick.
Photo: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

A group of four scientists on a boat are looking down as they collect data in the coastal waters near the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Mountains are past the coastline in the background. — Scientists collecting data in the coastal waters near the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Photo: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

As a result of the Coastal Environmental Baseline Program, each of the six areas is now more fully characterized across a range of ecosystem components. Detecting and measuring future change in each ecosystem can be benchmarked against these datasets. The following are examples of new data that can inform future, evidence-based decision making and planning at local and national levels. To access a full list of available baseline datasets visit Coastal Environmental Baseline Program - Projects, Open data and Publications.