Canadian Beaufort Sea - Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA) Stations 2017-2024

PURPOSE:

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted a baseline survey of biological communities and habitat parameters in the offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea between 2012 and 2014, as part of the federally administered Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment. The BREA-Marine Fishes Project (BREA-MFP) was the first comprehensive baseline study of offshore marine fish diversity and associated habitats in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Knowledge gained during the BREA-MFP supports regulatory processes pertaining to offshore development and Oceans Management in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, and provides baseline context for studies of the effects of climate change and variability. The Canadian Beaufort Sea – Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA, 2017-2019 and 2021-2024) is building on system baselines and ecological knowledge derived from the BREA-MFP to develop a comprehensive research and monitoring approach for the offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea. This approach will enable us to better understand the relationship between oceanographic drivers and ecosystem responses. The CBS-MEA focuses on integrating oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings and spatial and inter-annual variabilities, while also expanding baseline coverage of species diversity, abundances, and habitat associations to areas of the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Archipelago that are previously unstudied in this context.

DESCRIPTION:

Between 2017 and 2019, and between 2021 and 2024, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a baseline survey of marine fishes and their habitats on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and slope in August and early September each year. Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at over 150 stations along ten multi-year transects, and over 50 non-transect stations. Standardized sampling was conducted 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.

Datasets available for download

• Data DictionaryPDF
  To Download

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• 2017-2024 Sampling StationsCSV
  To Download

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• Map of sample areaEsri REST
  To Download

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• Map of sample areaEsri REST
  To Download

  • More information
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• Actinopterygii
• Amblyraja radiata
• Amphipods
• AnchoviesHerrings
• Animal Ecology and Behavior
• Animal populations
• AnimalsInvertebrates
• AnimalsVertebrates
• Annelida
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• Aquatic Sciences
• Aquatic animals
• Aquatic ecosystems
• Aquatic wildlife
• Arctic
• Arctic Ocean
• Arctic ecosystems
• Artediellus atlanticus
• Arthropoda
• Arthropods
• BENTHIC
• Beam Trawls
• Beaufort Sea
• Benthic Habitat
• Biological diversity
• Biology
• Bivalves
• Brachiopoda
• Bristle Worms
• BrittleBasket Stars
• Cephalopods
• Chionoecetes opilio
• Chitons
• Ciona intestinalis
• Clams
• Clupeidae
• Clupeiformes
• Cnidaria
• CodsHaddocks
• Collaborative research
• Community Structure
• Conductivity
• Conductivity...
• Copepods
• Cottidae
• Cyclopteridae
• Cyclopterus lumpus
• Decapods
• Demersal Habitat
• Echinodermata
• Echinoderms
• Ecosystems
• Entoprocts
• Environment
• Euphausiids krill
• Field Surveys
• Fish
• Flounders
• Food-web Dynamics
• Foraminifers
• Gadidae
• Gadiformes
• Gadus ogac
• Gastropods
• Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
• Hexapods
• Hyas coarctatus
• Hydrozoans
• Icelus spatula
• Ichthyology
• Isopods
• Lamp Shells
• LampreysHagfishes
• Larvaceans
• Leeches
• Mallotus villosus
• Marine Habitat
• Marine biology
• Mollusca
• Mollusks
• Mussels
• Myoxocephalus quadricornis
• Myoxocephalus sp
• Mysids
• NISKIN BOTTLES
• Nature and Environment
• Northern Canada
• Ocean Temperature
• Oceanography
• Oceans
• Offshore area
• Osmeridae
• Osmeriformes
• Ostracods
• PLANKTON
• PLANKTON NETS
• Peanut Worms
• Pelagic Habitat
• Perch-like Fishes
• Perciformes
• Petromyzontidae
• Petromyzontiformes
• Plankton
• Pleurogona
• Pleuronectidae
• Pleuronectiformes
• Porifera
• Primary Production
• Rajiformes
• Ray-finned Fishes
• Research
• Ribbon Worms
• Roundworms
• SalmonsTrouts
• Science and Technology
• Scientific research
• Scorpaeniformes
• Sea Squirts
• Sea Stars
• Sea Urchins
• Segmented Worms annelids
• SharksRaysChimaeras
• Sponges
• Squaliformes
• Squids
• TEMPERATURE LOGGERS
• Trawl
• Tunicates
• Water Temperature
• Zoology
• Zooplankton

Additional Info

• Maturity Level 1 (54%)
• Maturity Level 2 (38%)
• Maturity Level 3 (0%)
• Maturity Level 4 (0%)
• Maturity Level 5 (0%)
• Maturity Level 6 (0%)

Field	Value
Last Updated	October 20, 2025, 02:40 (UTC)
Created	October 20, 2025, 02:40 (UTC)
Domain / Topic Domain or topic of the dataset being cataloged.	Biota, Oceans
Title Title for the Dataset.	Canadian Beaufort Sea - Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA) Stations 2017-2024
Description A description of the dataset.	PURPOSE: The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) conducted a baseline survey of biological communities and habitat parameters in the offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea between 2012 and 2014, as part of the federally administered Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment. The BREA-Marine Fishes Project (BREA-MFP) was the first comprehensive baseline study of offshore marine fish diversity and associated habitats in the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Knowledge gained during the BREA-MFP supports regulatory processes pertaining to offshore development and Oceans Management in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, and provides baseline context for studies of the effects of climate change and variability. The Canadian Beaufort Sea – Marine Ecosystem Assessment (CBS-MEA, 2017-2019 and 2021-2024) is building on system baselines and ecological knowledge derived from the BREA-MFP to develop a comprehensive research and monitoring approach for the offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea. This approach will enable us to better understand the relationship between oceanographic drivers and ecosystem responses. The CBS-MEA focuses on integrating oceanography, food web linkages, physical-biological couplings and spatial and inter-annual variabilities, while also expanding baseline coverage of species diversity, abundances, and habitat associations to areas of the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Archipelago that are previously unstudied in this context. DESCRIPTION: Between 2017 and 2019, and between 2021 and 2024, Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a baseline survey of marine fishes and their habitats on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf and slope in August and early September each year. Sampling was conducted from the F/V Frosti at over 150 stations along ten multi-year transects, and over 50 non-transect stations. Standardized sampling was conducted 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.
Tags / Keywords Keywords/tags categorizing the dataset.	Actinopterygii Amblyraja radiata Amphipods AnchoviesHerrings Animal Ecology and Behavior Animal populations AnimalsInvertebrates AnimalsVertebrates Annelida Aquatic Ecosystems Aquatic Sciences Aquatic animals Aquatic ecosystems Aquatic wildlife Arctic Arctic Ocean Arctic ecosystems Artediellus atlanticus Arthropoda Arthropods BENTHIC Beam Trawls Beaufort Sea Benthic Habitat Biological diversity Biology Bivalves Brachiopoda Bristle Worms BrittleBasket Stars Cephalopods Chionoecetes opilio Chitons Ciona intestinalis Clams Clupeidae Clupeiformes Cnidaria CodsHaddocks Collaborative research Community Structure Conductivity Conductivity... Copepods Cottidae Cyclopteridae Cyclopterus lumpus Decapods Demersal Habitat Echinodermata Echinoderms Ecosystems Entoprocts Environment Euphausiids krill Field Surveys Fish Flounders Food-web Dynamics Foraminifers Gadidae Gadiformes Gadus ogac Gastropods Glyptocephalus cynoglossus Hexapods Hyas coarctatus Hydrozoans Icelus spatula Ichthyology Isopods Lamp Shells LampreysHagfishes Larvaceans Leeches Mallotus villosus Marine Habitat Marine biology Mollusca Mollusks Mussels Myoxocephalus quadricornis Myoxocephalus sp Mysids NISKIN BOTTLES Nature and Environment Northern Canada Ocean Temperature Oceanography Oceans Offshore area Osmeridae Osmeriformes Ostracods PLANKTON PLANKTON NETS Peanut Worms Pelagic Habitat Perch-like Fishes Perciformes Petromyzontidae Petromyzontiformes Plankton Pleurogona Pleuronectidae Pleuronectiformes Porifera Primary Production Rajiformes Ray-finned Fishes Research Ribbon Worms Roundworms SalmonsTrouts Science and Technology Scientific research Scorpaeniformes Sea Squirts Sea Stars Sea Urchins Segmented Worms annelids SharksRaysChimaeras Sponges Squaliformes Squids TEMPERATURE LOGGERS Trawl Tunicates Water Temperature Zoology Zooplankton
Format (CSV, XLS, TXT, PDF, etc) File format of the dataset.
Dataset Size Dataset size in megabytes.
Metadata Identifier Metadata identifier – can be used as the unique identifier for catalogue entry
Published Date Published date of the dataset.	2020-05-27
Time Period Data Span (start date) Start date of the data in the dataset.
Time Period Data Span (end date) End date of time data in the dataset.
GeoSpatial Area Data Span A spatial region or named place the dataset covers.

Field	Value
Access category Type of access granted for the dataset (open, closed, service, etc).
License License used to access the dataset.	Open Government Licence - Canada
Limits on use Limits on use of data.
Location Location of the dataset.	https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/ef88b9c6-88ba-11ea-ba6e-1860247f53e3
Data Service Data service for accessing a dataset.
Owner Owner of the dataset.	Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada
Contact Point Who to contact regarding access?	Government of Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 204-983-5199, [email protected]
Contact Point Email The email to contact regarding access?
Publisher Publisher of the dataset.
Publisher Email Email of the publisher.	[email protected]
Author Author of the dataset.
Author Email Email of the author.
Accessed At Date the data and metadata was accessed.

Field	Value
Identifier Unique identifier for the dataset.
Language Language(s) of the dataset
Link to dataset description A URL to an external document describing the dataset.
Persistent Identifier Data is identified by a persistent identifier.
Globally Unique Identifier Data is identified by a persistent and globally unique identifier.
Contains data about individuals Does the data hold data about individuals?
Contains data about identifiable individuals Does the data hold identifiable data about individual?
Contains Indigenous Data Does the data hold data about Indigenous communities?
Portal Type Platform type of the source portal.

Field	Value
Version Version of the datatset	None
Source Source of the dataset.	None
Version notes Version notes about the dataset.
Is version of another dataset Link to dataset that it is a version of.
Other versions Link to datasets that are versions of it.
Provenance Text Provenance Text of the data.
Provenance URL Provenance URL of the data.
Temporal resolution Describes how granular the date/time data in the dataset is.
GeoSpatial resolution in meters Describes how granular (in meters) geospatial data is in the dataset.
GeoSpatial resolution (in regions) Describes how granular (in regions) geospatial data is in the dataset.

Field	Value
Indigenous Community Permission Who holds the Indigenous Community Permission. Who to contact regarding access to a dataset that has data about Indigenous communities.
Community Permission Community permission (who gave permission).
The Indigenous communities the dataset is about Indigenous communities from which data is derived.

Field	Value
Number of data rows If tabular dataset, total number of rows.
Number of data columns If tabular dataset, total number of unique columns.
Number of data cells If tabular dataset, total number of cells with data.
Number of data relations If RDF dataset, total number of triples.
Number of entities If RDF dataset, total number of entities.
Number of data properties If RDF dataset, total number of unique properties used by the triples.
Data quality Describes the quality of the data in the dataset.
Metric for data quality A metric used to measure the quality of the data, such as missing values or invalid formats.

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