Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas in the Gulf of St Lawrence

In 2007, Fisheries and Oceans Canada ten Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA) in the estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence (EGSL). However, these areas are restricted to offshore locations – they do not include... [ view full abstract ]

In 2007, Fisheries and Oceans Canada ten Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSA) in the estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence (EGSL). However, these areas are restricted to offshore locations – they do not include coastal zones. Likewise, a recent review of available information on invertebrates in EGSL coastal areas found a paucity of data on most species, particularly along the shoreline. This highlighted the need for the department to undertake basic research to describe the distribution of coastal invertebrates to allow the identification of EBSA in EGSL coastal zones to meet Canada’s commitment to various ongoing processes (e.g., Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan, Convention on Biological Diversity). We outline past work to identify EBSA in the EGSL, the state of knowledge on coastal invertebrates in the area, and describe an on-going program to evaluate coastal biodiversity and identify EBSA through field sampling and modeling.