St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area (MPA)

On this page

• At-a-glance
• Ecosystem
• Management and conservation
• Activity application
• Publications

At-a-glance

Location

East of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; Scotian Shelf Bioregion.

Size (km²) contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 4,364 km²

% coverage contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 0.08%

Date of designation

June 2017

Conservation objectives

• Conserve and protect all major benthic, demersal (i.e., close to the sea floor) and pelagic (i.e., in the water column) habitats within the MPA, along with their associated physical, chemical, geological and biological properties and processes
• Conserve and protect marine areas of high biodiversity at the community, species, population and genetic levels within the MPA
• Conserve and protect biological productivity across all trophic levels so that they are able to fulfill their ecological role in the ecosystems of the MPA

Prohibitions

St. Anns Bank MPA Regulations prohibit any activities that disturb, damage, or remove living marine organisms or any part of their habitat, unless the activity is listed as an exception in the Regulations or approved by the Minister.

Environmental context

St. Anns Bank is an exceptional habitat that has many ecologically and biologically significant features. It has the highest annual sea surface temperature range on the Scotian Shelf and provides important habitat for commercial and non-commercial species, such as:

• Atlantic cod
• redfish
• white hake
• witch flounder
• a variety of sponges, corals and sea pens

Scientific surveys have recorded more than 100 species in this area. The wide variety of habitat types, from the shallows of St. Anns Bank to the depths of the Laurentian Channel, supports this diversity.

Endangered and threatened marine species, such as leatherback turtles, Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic cod, American plaice, and redfish, are also present in the area. In addition, St. Anns Bank is part of an important migration corridor for fish and marine mammals, including whales, moving in and out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence Estuary.

Ecosystem

St. Anns Bank is an exceptional habitat on the inner Scotian Shelf. It has the highest annual sea surface temperature range on the Scotian Shelf, and distinctive sea floor features within the site (Big Shoal, Scatarie Bank, and areas of high relief).

The St. Anns Bank area is high in biodiversity with scientific surveys recording over 100 species in this area. The wide variety of habitat types, from the shallows of St. Anns Bank to the depths of the Laurentian Channel, supports this diversity.

St. Anns Bank is part of a migration corridor for fish and marine mammals moving in and out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence Estuary, ranging from small forage fish like herring and mackerel, to the immense blue whale. It is an overwintering area for the Sydney Bight and southern Gulf of St. Lawrence populations of Atlantic cod.

The area is an important habitat for several commercial species (e.g. redfish and halibut) and non-commercial species (e.g. sponges and sea pens). It is also important for threatened, endangered and depleted species, such as:

• Atlantic wolffish (Special Concern, Species at Risk Act)
• Atlantic cod
• redfish
• white hake
• American plaice

St. Anns Bank is also part of an important summer feeding area for the Leatherback Turtle, listed as endangered under the SARA. For more information on the St. Anns Bank ecosystem please read the Ecological Overview of St. Anns Bank (PDF, 7.6 MB, 2013).

Management and conservation

Management of the St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area is currently led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) with input from:

• the Mi'kmaq
• the St. Anns Bank MPA Advisory Committee
• federal and provincial government departments
• Indigenous organizations
• marine industries
• environmental non-governmental organizations
• academic institutions
• local communities

DFO and the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia are working together to establish a partnership for future governance and management of the MPA.

The St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area Management Plan is intended to guide regulatory and non-regulatory management of the MPA. The plan presents an overview of the MPA including:

• its ecological features
• uses of the area
• history of the MPA
• regulatory measures
• governance of the site

As the lead federal authority for the MPA, DFO has overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of, the St. Anns Bank MPA Regulations. This is undertaken through the Department's legislated mandate and responsibilities under the Oceans Act, the Fisheries Act and the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act, as well as other departmental legislation regarding fisheries conservation, environmental protection, habitat protection and marine safety. Enforcement officers designated by the Minister under section 39 of the Oceans Act enforce the Regulations.

The St. Anns Bank MPA has primary conservation objectives in three areas: habitat, biodiversity and biological productivity.

1. Habitat

Conserve and protect:

• all major benthic, demersal (i.e. close to the sea floor) and pelagic (i.e. in the water column) habitats within the St. Anns Bank MPA, along with their associated physical, chemical, geological and biological properties and processes
• distinctive physical features and their associated ecological characteristics
• the structural habitat provided by sea pen and sponge concentrations

2. Biodiversity

Conserve and protect marine areas of high biodiversity at the community, species, population and genetic levels within the St. Anns Bank MPA, including:

• priority species and their habitats (including leatherback turtle, Atlantic wolffish, Atlantic cod, and American plaice)
• the area of high fish diversity within the site

3. Biological Productivity

Conserve and protect biological productivity across all trophic levels so that they are able to fulfill their ecological role in the ecosystems of the St. Anns Bank MPA.

The secondary goals of the MPA are to:

• conserve and ensure the ecologically sustainable use of living marine resources in the MPA
• help maintain ecosystem health and resilience and support the ecologically sustainable use of living marine resources beyond the boundaries of the St. Anns Bank MPA

Activity application for St. Anns Bank MPA

Scientific research or monitoring, educational, or commercial marine tourism activities are allowed in the St. Anns Bank MPA if a proponent submits an activity plan to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and it receives Ministerial approval. Proponents must submit an application at least 60 days in advance of proposed activities. Earlier submission is recommended.

Learn more about the activity plan process

Publications

• St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area (MPA) annual report 2023
• St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area Management Plan (2023)
• St. Anns Bank Marine Protected Area Regulations (2017)
• Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (PDF, 4.2 MB, 2017)
• Ecological risk assessment of the St. Anns Bank AOI (PDF, 6.8 MB, 2014)
• Ecological Overview of St Anns Bank (2013)
• A Monitoring Framework for St. Anns Bank (2013) (CSAS ResDocs - 2013/117)
• Review of a monitoring framework for the St. Anns Bank AOI (CSAS scr - 2013/028)
• Conservation Priorities, Objectives, and Ecosystem Assessment Approach for the St. Anns Bank Area Of Interest (AOI) (2012) (CSAS SAR - 2012/034)