2013-2014 Report on Plans and Priorities

Section I – Organizational Overview

Figure 3 – The System of National Marine Conservation Areas of Canada

The system of national marine conservation areas represents Canada’s marine regions spanning its three oceans and the Great Lakes. Parks Canada’s long-term goal is to establish at least one national marine conservation area in each of Canada’s marine regions. There are four national marine conservation areas representing five of Canada’s 29 marine regions making the system 17 percent complete, protecting approximately 14,800 square kilometres of Canada’s marine and freshwater ecosystems.

The purpose of Figure 3 is to identify the 29 marine regions of Canada, the location of existing national marine conservation areas as well as the regions where new national marine conservation areas are presently proposed.

Canada’s 29 marine regions are as follows:

The Arctic Ocean consists of 9 marine regions:

1. Arctic Basin
2. Beaufort Sea
3. Arctic Archipelago
4. Queen Maud Gulf
5. Lancaster Sound (national marine conservation area presently proposed in this region)
6. Baffin Island Shelf
7. Foxe Basin
8. Hudson Bay
9. James Bay

The Pacific Ocean consists of 5 marine regions:

1. Hecate Strait (presently represented by Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site)
2. Queen Charlotte Shelf (presently represented by Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site)
3. Queen Charlotte Sound
4. Vancouver Island Shelf
5. Strait of Georgia (national marine conservation area presently proposed in this region)

The Great Lakes consist of 5 marine regions:

1. Lake Superior (presently represented by Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area)
2. Georgian Bay (presently partly represented by Fathom Five National Marine Park)
3. Lake Huron
4. Lake Erie
5. Lake Ontario

The Atlantic Ocean consists of 10 marine regions:

1. Hudson Strait
2. Labrador Shelf
3. Newfoundland Shelf
4. North Gulf Shelf
5. St. Lawrence Estuary (presently represented by Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park)
6. Magdalen Shallows (national marine conservation area presently proposed in this region)
7. Laurentian Channel
8. The Grand Banks
9. Scotian Shelf
10. Bay of Fundy

[Return to Figure 3]