The Bras d'Or “Lakes” are actually a complex estuary occupying the central part of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Measuring 1,200 km2 in surface area and 13 km3 in volume, it consists of four basins, running in a northeast-southwest direction, separated by a series of low mountains, and connected by narrow channels, including two that open to the NE Atlantic ocean.\n\nBras d’Or Watch is a project being launched by the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association to enable and support citizen-based monitoring in the Biosphere. An inaugural project, the ‘Bras d’Or Watch Field Day’ was held on July 18, 2015 at six sites around the Bras d’Or Lake. Simultaneous sampling of several ecosystem properties took place on the lakeshore and in the shallow waters of the Bras d’Or Lake. Sampling at each site was overseen by an ecologist and everyone was welcome to come\nand watch, learn and participate. Based on this field day a report card for the Bras d’Or Lake will be developed.\n\nThis version of the resource simply contains occurrence records for the invasive green crab.
","language":"eng","homepage":"http://iobis.org/mapper/?resource_id=xx","citation":{"text":"Hatcher A (2026). The Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association: Bras d’Or Watch – Citizen-based Monitoring of the Biosphere. Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/xjtze3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-14.","identifier":"http://iobis.org/mapper/?resource_id=xx","citationProvidedBySource":false},"contactsCitation":[{"key":6912024,"abbreviatedName":"Hatcher A","firstName":"Annamarie","lastName":"Hatcher","roles":["ORIGINATOR","METADATA_AUTHOR"],"userId":[]}],"lockedForAutoUpdate":false,"createdBy":"c98a8d0d-cab2-4506-8c0f-c91a5e4996b9","modifiedBy":"jwaller","created":"2026-02-13T19:07:45.283+00:00","modified":"2026-02-20T13:46:22.552+00:00","contacts":[{"key":6912024,"type":"ORIGINATOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Annamarie","lastName":"Hatcher","position":["Point of contact"],"email":["annamarie_hatcher@cbu.ca"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"Cape Breton University","address":["1250 Grand Lake Road"],"city":"Sydney","province":"Nova Scotia","country":"CA","postalCode":"B1P 6L2","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.875+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.875+00:00"},{"key":6912025,"type":"METADATA_AUTHOR","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Annamarie","lastName":"Hatcher","position":["Point of contact"],"email":["annamarie_hatcher@cbu.ca"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"Cape Breton University","address":["1250 Grand Lake Road"],"city":"Sydney","province":"Nova Scotia","country":"CA","postalCode":"B1P 6L2","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.878+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.878+00:00"},{"key":6912026,"type":"PUBLISHER","primary":false,"userId":[],"lastName":"OBIS Canada","position":["data management team"],"email":["mary.kennedy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"Fisheries and Oceans Canada","address":[],"city":"Dartmouth","province":"Nova Scotia","country":"CA","postalCode":"B2Y 4A2","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.880+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.880+00:00"},{"key":6912027,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":false,"userId":[],"lastName":"Bras d'Or Watch","position":["watch@blbra.ca"],"email":["contact@blbra.ca"],"phone":["902-674-2578"],"homepage":[],"organization":"Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association","address":["532 Chebucto St., P.O. Box 711"],"city":"Baddeck","province":"Nova Scotia","country":"CA","postalCode":"B0E 1B0","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.881+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.881+00:00"},{"key":6912028,"type":"ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT","primary":true,"userId":[],"firstName":"Annamarie","lastName":"Hatcher","position":["Point of contact"],"email":["annamarie_hatcher@cbu.ca"],"phone":[],"homepage":[],"organization":"Cape Breton University","address":["1250 Grand Lake Road"],"city":"Sydney","province":"Nova Scotia","country":"CA","postalCode":"B1P 6L2","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","modifiedBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.882+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.882+00:00"}],"endpoints":[{"key":1242839,"type":"DWC_ARCHIVE","url":"https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/archive.do?r=cbu_brasdorwatch_2015","createdBy":"c98a8d0d-cab2-4506-8c0f-c91a5e4996b9","modifiedBy":"c98a8d0d-cab2-4506-8c0f-c91a5e4996b9","created":"2026-02-13T19:07:45.401+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:07:45.401+00:00","machineTags":[]},{"key":1242838,"type":"EML","url":"https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/eml.do?r=cbu_brasdorwatch_2015","createdBy":"c98a8d0d-cab2-4506-8c0f-c91a5e4996b9","modifiedBy":"c98a8d0d-cab2-4506-8c0f-c91a5e4996b9","created":"2026-02-13T19:07:45.368+00:00","modified":"2026-02-13T19:07:45.368+00:00","machineTags":[]}],"machineTags":[{"key":33142659,"namespace":"crawler.gbif.org","name":"crawl_attempt","value":"30","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-10-12T02:12:28.113+00:00"}],"tags":[],"identifiers":[{"key":463610,"type":"URL","identifier":"https://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=cbu_brasdorwatch_2015","createdBy":"crawler.gbif.org","created":"2026-02-13T19:08:45.885+00:00","primary":false}],"comments":[{"key":46290,"content":"https://github.com/gbif/dataset-category-management/issues/8948","createdBy":"jwaller","modifiedBy":"jwaller","created":"2026-02-20T13:46:22.807+00:00","modified":"2026-02-20T13:46:22.807+00:00"}],"bibliographicCitations":[],"curatorialUnits":[],"taxonomicCoverages":[{"description":"The sampling during this project was not systematic; included both aquatic and terrestrial 'target' species from an assigned list (presence/ absence).\nThe current version only contains green crab occurrence records.","coverages":[{"scientificName":"Carcinus maenas","commonName":"green crab","rank":{"verbatim":"species","interpreted":"SPECIES"}}]}],"geographicCoverages":[{"description":"Bras d'Or Lake, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia","boundingBox":{"minLatitude":45.725,"maxLatitude":46.339,"minLongitude":-61.122,"maxLongitude":-60.409,"globalCoverage":false}}],"temporalCoverages":[{"@type":"range","start":"2015-07-18T00:00:00.000+00:00","end":"2015-07-18T00:00:00.000+00:00"}],"keywordCollections":[{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type.xml","keywords":["Occurrence"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Subtype Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_subtype.xml","keywords":["Observation"]},{"thesaurus":"GBIF Dataset Type Vocabulary: http://rs.gbif.org/vocabulary/gbif/dataset_type_2015-07-10.xml","keywords":["Occurrence"]}],"samplingDescription":{"studyExtent":"The Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve Association launched a local program called Bras d’Or Watch on Saturday, July 18* from 2 to 5 p.m. at six sites around the Bras d’Or Lake.","sampling":"Bras d'Or Watch Site Surveys - For July 18.\n1. General Habitat Assessment\nBackground\nThe types of plants and animals that live in shallow waters and on the lakeshore of the Bras d’Or are a function of the general characteristics of the habitat. For example, mussels tend to live on beaches that have more wave energy and leafy, green algae tends to live on beaches with gentler waves. By describing the general characteristics of the habitat, we can then partially explain the types of animals and plants that live there. If the species differ from what we expect, we can then begin to look for other factors that are influencing their distribution.\n2. Bird and Large Animal Survey\nBackground\nThe Bras d’Or Lake supports many species of birds and animals. There are six species of shorebirds that breed in the area during the spring and there are many other species that stop here to feed during their spring and fall migrations. On a July afternoon you may see adult and older juvenile shorebirds running along the shore looking for food to fatten up in anticipation of their long fall migrations to the south. We have provided identification for five of our six species because it is unlikely that anyone will see a Woodcock on the shore in July.\nShorebirds are birds of the open lands and most of North America’s 50 species are seen along the water's edge of salt, fresh and estuarine waters. Shorebirds all feed in a similar way. They probe the mud or soil with their sharp bills to find food. The ones with short bills look for food near the soil surface and those with long bills search deeper. Many shorebirds such as sandpipers run up and down along the beach or mudflat as they pick up tiny bits of food.\nThese are the species that breed in the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere and will occur in the nearshore area:\nSandpipers:\nGreater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)\nWillet (Tringa semipalmata)\nSpotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)\nWilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata)\nPlover:\nKilldeer (Charadrius vociferous)\nBecause the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere represents a critical habitat for these species, we need to keep track of their abundances and distributions so that we will be aware of any significant changes. An identification sheet will be provided. You should observe and count.\nThe abundance of water birds at this time of year is directly related to the abundance of food (usually fish). It provides a clue about what is in the waters below. The common water birds to be seen in the Bras d’Or estuary in mid-summer include seagulls and ducks. The most common gulls are the Herring and the Great Black-backed. There are dabbling and diving ducks. The most common dabbling ducks include the American Black Duck and the Mallard. Occasionally you may see a Wood Duck (perching duck), a Blue-winged Teal or an American Wigeon. The most common diving ducks are the Common Merganser and the Red-breasted Merganser. Other common seabirds in the Bras d’Or estuary are the Double-crested Cormorant, the Great Blue Heron and the Common Loon. For this Field day we are collecting data on a few of the common species that are easy to identify. However, if you have the binoculars, the book and the expertise please submit a full list. For the rest of us, an identification sheet is provided and the data sheet here.\nMany land-based animals make their home in the nearshore areas of the biosphere or visit to gather food. The afternoons in July are not optimum times to see these species, so some detective work may be necessary. Tracks, droppings and other clues can point us to the unseen life of many animals that visit the shores at night.\nIf you see a skunk, bull frog or porcupine in the nearshore area you should contact the site co-ordinator immediately because these species do not occur on Cape Breton. If you see a fox, racoon or coyote, you can confidently describe the sighting in your data sheet. However, that is unlikely because these species are largely nocturnal. If you see a domestic dog or cat, you can also confidently fill out the data sheet (and look for their owners). The data is a bit more difficult to get if all we have is tracks or droppings. For experienced trackers these clues are as good as the actual sighting. However, for the novice we have provided some information that will help you do some detective work.\nThe purpose of this survey is to identify the group of shorebirds, seabirds and land-based animals as an index of environmental health and habitat quality. Ecosystem-wide variations in these abundances will paint a picture of variable productivity around the estuary.\n3. Plant Search \nBackground\nThe nearshore area of the Bras d’Or Lake is habitat for many different types of plants which provide habitat and food for other species. If the groundwater is rich in nitrogen, you may notice an accumulation of ‘sea lettuce’ (Ulva sp. and Enteromorpha sp.), which is a thin, slimy, bright green algae growing in a wet area on the beach or in the water. If your site is relatively sheltered with a supply of sediment, you will notice expanses of seagrass underwater and accumulations of dead seagrass on the beach. These seagrass meadows are an important habitat in the Bras d’Or Lakes. The dead seagrass on the beach is also a significant habitat for many animals which are important components of food webs supporting species such as flounder. Seaweeds such as kelp occur in the Bras d’Or Lake but they are confined to areas which have large rocks or exposed bedrock. If you see an accumulation of kelp or other seaweed on the beach, the offshore is probably rocky with saltier water overlying. In this survey we have also included some plant species that are not native to the Bras d’Or and have the potential to be invasive. Your data will help track their occurrence and spread. These include purple loosestrife (dry land) and Eurasian milfoil (submerged). Also included is ‘milkweed’, a native plant which is the primary food source for newly-hatched Monarch butterflies, recently documented in the Bras d’Or Biosphere. Scientists consider this an important plant and want to track its occurrence.\n4. Looking Underwater\nBackground\nThe purpose of this survey is to look for mobile animals that are swimming or crawling in the shallow waters. You should stay in an area that is not too disturbed and always at the same depth (knee to thigh depth). If people are swimming, that will scare the animals that you are looking for so avoid those areas. You need to survey a known area. Your partner will be responsible for carrying the data sheet and ID sheets, following you around and writing the data down. He/she will also be responsible for estimating the area covered\n5. Beach Quadrats\nBackground\nThis activity usually appeals to ages 7 to 10. You have to ‘randomly’ place a quadrat on the shore near the waterline. You then have to describe the substrate (grain size, location). After that you search for plants and animals (living and dead) and list them in a data table. The quadrat has to be placed on the nearshore (near the waterline) without any bias. That means that it should be randomly placed, not placed in the most interesting or diverse spot. To place it randomly, close your eyes and toss it over your shoulder. Before you close your eyes, make sure that nobody is in the way! The first thing that you should do is describe the community within the quadrat and the grain size. After that, you need to list the plants and animals that are growing over the gravel or rocks. You need to turn over gravel and rocks and look carefully underneath. After you have counted and photographed, carefully place the rocks and the animals and plants back the way that you found them..\n6. Water Survey\nIt is important to measure some characteristics of the water at each of the sites. Our budget has stretched to thermometers and refractometers for each site. There is a simple data sheet for participants to take several temperature and salinity measurements. However, at several sites the science advisors are bringing some of their own equipment to measure other variables. This will provide a good opportunity for the science advisors to explain to people some basic principles of water chemistry measurements. It would be great if any collected data could be forwarded to watch@blbra.ca. There is a small section on the ‘Water Survey’ data sheet that a participant may want to fill in or the science advisor could just forward it in an E-mail.","qualityControl":"Scientific names associated with resource occurrence records have been mapped to recognized standards - marine taxa have been mapped to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). The WoRMS codes, the AphiaIDs have been included as LSIDs in the occurrence record DwC field scientificNameID.\nLatitude and longitude coordinates were plotted and locations confirmed to be within the sampling area.","methodSteps":["This resource was created in collaboration with the OBIS Canada data management team.\nVersion 1 contains only occurrence records for green crab."]},"countryCoverage":[],"collections":[],"dataDescriptions":[{"name":"The First Annual Bras d’Or Watch Field day","charset":"ASCII","url":"http://blbra.ca/uncategorized/bras-dor-watch-citizen-based-monitoring-of-the-biosphere/","format":"HTM"}],"dataLanguage":"eng","purpose":"These data are for display on the OBIS portal and associated mapping programs and for download to personal computers for ad-hoc end-user analysis.
","additionalInfo":"Access Constraints: none Use Constraints: Acknowledge the use of specific records from contributing databases in the form appearing in the 'Citation' field thereof (if any); and acknowledge the use of the OBIS facility. For information purposes, email to info@iobis.org the full citation of any publication made (printed or electronic) that cites OBIS or any constituent part. Recognize the limitations of data in OBIS. See http://www.iobis.org/data/policy/disclaimer for more details For OBIS Schema concept details see http://www.iobis.org/node/304 Distribution Distribution Media: HTTP Distribution Format: OBIS Schema Fees: None","pubDate":"2026-02-13T00:00:00.000+00:00","maintenanceUpdateFrequency":"DAILY","maintenanceDescription":"","license":"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode","dwca":{"coreType":"http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/Occurrence","extensions":["http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/MeasurementOrFact"],"modified":"2026-07-13T11:42:39.689+00:00"},"category":["CitizenScience"],"approximateCounts":{"occurrenceCount":6}}