Location: East of Scatarie Island off Cape Breton
Area: Approx. 5100 km2
Description: Includes Scatarie Bank, most of St Anns Bank, and part of the western edge of the Laurentian Channel
Key Ecological Features:
Area: Approx. 5100 km2
Description: Includes Scatarie Bank, most of St Anns Bank, and part of the western edge of the Laurentian Channel
Key Ecological Features:
- Part of a migration corridor for fish and marine mammals moving in and out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence Estuary
- Important habitat for Atlantic wolffish
- Important summer foraging area for endangered leatherback turtles
- Important overwintering habitat for the Sydney Bight and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence populations of Atlantic cod
- Many species migrate in and out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence through the Cabot Strait (between Cape Breton and Newfoundland) and pass through the St Anns Bank candidate AOI and Sydney Bight in the process
- Fishes that use this route include small species such as herring and mackerel, Atlantic cod and other groundfish, and large, highly migratory species like bluefin tuna.
- Habitat for redfish and halibut
- Contains sensitive bottom habitats and species – including cold water corals, sponges and anemones
- The endangered blue whale is also known to migrate through this area, as are fin, humpback, minke and pilot whales, harbour porpoises, and white-sided and white-beaked dolphins
- It is an area of high fish and invertebrate species diversity as 104 species have been recorded in this area by scientific surveys.
- Contains areas that are thought to be rarely disturbed by natural processes such as underwater currents and storms. As such, they are more vulnerable to human disturbance and the habitat and species that occur there may take a long time to recover.
- Commercial fishing and shipping are the main human activities in this candidate AOI.
- The island and surrounding waters are used for recreational activities such as hunting and sea kayaking.
- Much of the St Anns Bank candidate AOI is considered to have low potential for oil and gas resources due to the geology of the area, although information from the CNSOPB indicates there may be future interest in some portions of this area.
- There is considerable shipping activity through this area, both local traffic and ships traveling to and from the St. Lawrence River