Misaine Bank & Eastern Shoal

Location: Eastern edge of the Scotian Shelf
Area: Approx. 11800 km2
Description: Includes Misaine and Artimon Banks, part of the Laurentian Channel, and most of Eastern Shoal on Banquereau

Key Ecological Features:
  • Unique, highly complex, and diverse seabed features
  • The deep holes and channels in this area were formed by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago and now provide ideal habitat for many species.
  • Contains sensitive bottom habitats and species – including cold water corals, sponges, anemones, and sea raven
  • Important overwintering and mixing area for Atlantic cod
  • Significant habitat for at-risk species (winter skate and wolffishes)
  • The Eastern Shoal is a key area for groundfish, such as cod, yellowtail flounder, and thorny skate, and invertebrates, such as surf clams.
  • Misaine Bank is important for snow crab, shrimp, urchin, and American plaice
  • The Laurentian Channel is a significant habitat for redfish, white hake, and witch flounder
  • Important habitat for many commercial species such as redfish, snow crab, and shrimp. It is the largest channel in Atlantic Canadian waters and a known migration route for a range of whales, including the endangered blue whale, and many fishes moving in and out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Migrating species feed on krill and other forage species that flourish in the channel.
  • In the 1970s there were several exploratory wells drilled in this candidate AOI. More recently, seismic surveys have been carried out and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB) expects that there will be further oil and gas interest in this area.
  • Eastern Shoal represents a large deposit of potentially extractable silica sand, but aggregate mining is currently not permitted in Canada’s offshore.
  • Establishing this large candidate AOI as an MPA would contribute to many of the ecological objectives of the broader protected area network.

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