The continental slopes form the oceanic rim, surrounding the deep ocean basins and supporting ecosystems distinct from, and yet connected to, those of both the basins and the continental shelves. The slopes are furrowed by submarine canyons, which provide important pathways connecting the shelves to deep ocean and often support rich biodiversity, from cold-water corals to deep-diving whales. The Gully, off Nova Scotia, is the largest canyon incised into the western margin of the North Atlantic and is Canada’s “flagship” Marine Protected Area. With its subsidiary canyons, the surrounding continental slope and the adjacent volume of the deep Atlantic, the area centred on The Gully provides a prime example of the inter-connected ecosystems around the oceanic rim.

Boundary of the iAtlantic study region: 4. Deep-sea canyons and open-ocean ecosystems, NW Atlantic

DFO noticed that boundary of Region#4 did not encompass all trawl data from stratum 452. Therefore, the boundary was expanded further inshore to encompass al...