ENVIRONMENTAL DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EDMS MLI

Over the years, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), through all its programs and collaborations, has acquired a great deal of scientific data related to the marine environment. DFO’s Quebec region, particularly the Maurice-Lamontagne Institute (MLI) located in Mont-Joli, is responsible for the data collected in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The data management team compiles, qualifies and archives all the information collected in a database called the Environmental Data Management System (EDMS).

Basically, the EDMS is a catalog of archived files. Collected sample information, retention, analysis and quality are stored in the archived file. A database that relies on archiving files is safe and easy to manage. However, information coming for many files may be difficult to handle by the end user.

To facilitate access to data, the EDMS interface was developed by the St. Lawrence Global Observatory (SLGO) in collaboration with the Rimouski Institute of Ocean Sciences (ISMER) and the MLI. A subset of the variables was extracted from the archiving files and catalogued according to the environment and the datatype. The interface directly questions this new catalog. Archive files are also available by doing a search by mission.

The MLI data management team can be contacted by email at gddaiss-dmsaisb@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Key DFO-Quebec programs

Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP):

The program aims to monitor oceanographic condition trends along the Atlantic coast. Our region is responsible for 2 fixed stations and 7 oceanographic sections in the Estuary and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The hydrographic sampled data are temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, chlorophyll a, nutrients, pH, alkalinity, phytoplankton cell counts and zooplankton density.

Thermosalinographs on the way

On board sampling device that measures surface temperature and salinity along the vessel sailing route. 

Thermograph network

Moored sampling devices that measure temperature and sometimes salinity mainly along the coast

SINECO tidal network

The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is responsible for this system, which consists of devices that measure water levels, water properties and atmospheric pressure along the St. Lawrence coast.

Network of scientific buoys

Oceanographic and meteorological devices attached to a surface buoy. These buoys record data such as under water temperature, salinity, fluorescence and currents, atmospheric wind, pressure, radiation, temperature and humidity, and wave conditions. They have also recently been equipped with automatic profilers that measure the properties of the water column under the buoys.

Multidisciplinary survey : groundfish, shrimps and environmental conditions

Oceanographic data from this annual August-September survey are archived in the EDMS. Stations are randomly sampled in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The variables measured are essentially those of the AZMP.

Other

One-off sampling programs undertaken by MLI research teams. 

Terms of use of data

The vast majority of DFO’s oceanographic data is distributed freely. When using data extracted from the EDMS for publication or for the development of value-added databases, you should always cite the source.