A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax Harbour

A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax Harbour A novel towfish incorporating sidescan and video hardware was used to ground truth echosounder data for the nearshore of Halifax Harbour. The resulting sampling grid extended from the shoreline to a depth of 10 m, including Bedford Basin through the Inner Harbour to the Outer Harbour. Each of these three zones could be distinguished from the others based upon combinations of substrate type, benthic invertebrates, and macrophyte canopy. Bedford Basin had a relative lack of macrophytes and evidence of intense herbivory. The Inner Harbour was characterized by shoreline hardening due to anthropogenic activities. The Outer Harbour was the most “natural” nearshore area with a mix of bottom types and a relatively abundant and diverse macrophyte canopy. All survey data were placed into a GIS, which could be used to answer management questions such as the placement and character of habitat compensation projects in the harbour. Future surveys utilizing similar techniques could be used to determine long term changes in the nearshore of the harbour. Cite this data as: Vandermeulen H. Data of: A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax Harbour. Published: September 2021. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9122c3e2-3cfc-45d0-ac36-aecb306130f6 2023-07-11 Fisheries and Oceans Canada DFO.CESDDataRequest-DSECDemandededonnes.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Nature and EnvironmentMarine Spatial PlanningOceans A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax HarbourPDF https://waves-vagues.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Library/362531.pdf A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax HarbourESRI REST https://gisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/FGP/Video_Sidescan_Echosounder_Survey_Nearshore_Halifax_Harbour_En/MapServer A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax HarbourESRI REST https://gisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/FGP/Video_Sidescan_Echosounder_Survey_Nearshore_Halifax_Harbour_Fr/MapServer Data DictionaryCSV https://pacgis01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/FGPPublic/Video_Sidescan_Echosounder_Survey_Nearshore_Halifax_Harbour/Halifax_DataDictionary-DictionnaireDonnées.csv A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax HarbourFGDB/GDB https://pacgis01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/FGPPublic/Video_Sidescan_Echosounder_Survey_Nearshore_Halifax_Harbour/SideScanHFX.gdb.zip A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax HarbourTIFF https://pacgis01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/FGPPublic/Video_Sidescan_Echosounder_Survey_Nearshore_Halifax_Harbour/HalifaxTIFF.zip

A novel towfish incorporating sidescan and video hardware was used to ground truth echosounder data for the nearshore of Halifax Harbour. The resulting sampling grid extended from the shoreline to a depth of 10 m, including Bedford Basin through the Inner Harbour to the Outer Harbour. Each of these three zones could be distinguished from the others based upon combinations of substrate type, benthic invertebrates, and macrophyte canopy. Bedford Basin had a relative lack of macrophytes and evidence of intense herbivory. The Inner Harbour was characterized by shoreline hardening due to anthropogenic activities. The Outer Harbour was the most “natural” nearshore area with a mix of bottom types and a relatively abundant and diverse macrophyte canopy. All survey data were placed into a GIS, which could be used to answer management questions such as the placement and character of habitat compensation projects in the harbour. Future surveys utilizing similar techniques could be used to determine long term changes in the nearshore of the harbour.

Cite this data as: Vandermeulen H. Data of: A Video, Sidescan and Echosounder Survey of Nearshore Halifax Harbour. Published: September 2021. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/9122c3e2-3cfc-45d0-ac36-aecb306130f6

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Contact Information

Delivery Point: Bedford Institute of Oceanography, 1 Challenger Drive, PO Box 1006

City: Dartmouth

Administrative Area: Nova Scotia

Postal Code: B2Y 4A2

Country: Canada

Electronic Mail Address: DFO.CESDDataRequest-DSECDemandededonnes.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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