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OPAT Background

The Oceans Program Activity Tracking (OPAT) system provides a wealth of information on activities taking place under the Oceans Programs of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The three programs, Integrated Management initiatives (IM), Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and Marine Environmental Quality projects (MEQ), are all fundamentally linked components necessary for the delivery of Canada's Oceans Strategy.

Integrated Management

Various people, governments, organizations and businesses depend on or have an interest in Canada’s oceans. For oceans management to work well, it is important that those with an interest in oceans and those affected by decisions be involved. Integrated Management is a commitment to planning and managing human activities in a comprehensive manner while considering all factors necessary for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources and the shared use of ocean spaces. It is a process that brings together many different interests to share information and develop a view of ocean use shared by everyone. It promotes and supports diversified and balanced economic development of oceans and coastal waters by protecting their health, preserving their biodiversity and maintaining their productivity.

In Canada, Integrated Management occurs at two scales: Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMA) and Coastal Management Areas (CMA). Large Ocean Management Areas cover a large portion of one of Canada's three oceans or coastal zones. This usually means that the area extends from the coast to the limit of Canada's jurisdiction. Within each LOMA , there are a series of smaller planning processes that deal with coastal, land and water issues alongside economic issues. These are the Coastal Management Areas.

Integrated Management planning involves:

• Defining and assessing the area to be managed;
• Getting affected and interested parties involved;
• Developing an Integrated Management Plan;
• Getting approval of the Plan;
• Putting the Plan into action; and
• Monitoring the results and making changes if needed.

For more information, please visit the Integrated Management (IM) Home Page.

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Marine Protected Areas (MPA)

Canada’s rich oceans are ecosystems – home to a diverse array of marine life such as marine mammals, fish and many different invertebrates and plants. Marine Protected Areas are a way of conserving and protecting fish and marine mammals and their habitats; endangered species, unique habitats and areas of high biological productivity or biodiversity. They can also play an important role in monitoring the health of our oceans' resources and habitats.

To establish a Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act, a step-by-step process is followed. This includes identifying the site, screening, evaluations and recommendations, developing a management plan, then a regulation that makes the Area official. Marine Protected Areas are identified through integrated management planning – a way of bringing together many different interests to share information and develop a view of ocean use shared by everyone.

In a Marine Protected Area, goals are set for conservation and management. The setting of these goals involves communities, industry, Aboriginal peoples, ocean users and others. They work together to find ways to manage oceans in a way that provides what is needed today…and ensures there is plenty for the future.

For more information, please visit the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Home Page.

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Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ)

Everything in a marine ecosystem is related to everything else. For instance, water quality affects the healthiness of marine life, their food, habitat and predators. Human activities affect the health of marine ecosystems. Nature brings about changes to the ecosystems, as well. Before decisions can be made to develop coastal and oceans management plans, or before a species or area can be identified for special protection, the health or integrity of the marine ecosystem must be understood.

Through the Marine Environmental Quality program, many different sources are used to gather knowledge. This knowledge is analyzed and studied. Scientific knowledge is at the core of the Marine Environmental Quality program. Traditional ecological knowledge – the kind that comes from Aboriginal peoples and those who have lived in an area for several generations – also plays an important role.

From the knowledge a set of indicators is made. These consider different ecosystem conditions such as temperature, water quality, levels of contaminants, the abundance and health of plants and animals, and the way they all interact. Monitoring programs provide us with field measurements as raw data. Such data then has to be analyzed and validated for its quality and relevance. Then data is integrated and presented into the environmental context to make MEQ indicators useful and reliable. These indicators are used to develop Marine Environmental Quality objectives. Monitoring programs make sure that MEQ objectives are met.

For more information, please visit the Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ) Home Page.

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Development of the OPAT System

OPAT was designed to increase national and international awareness of Oceans Program activities and to facilitate the involvement of coastal communities; social, cultural, environmental and economic organizations; aboriginal groups; governments; and other interested parties in effective oceans management. The system was developed and maintained by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada.

To access the OPAT system for the first time, please refer to the First Time User section which explains in detail which steps are necessary to access OPAT and its information.