Optimizing biodiversity and geospatial data for conservation initiatives of Species at Risk in a changing climate

Climate change is becoming an increasing threat to Species at Risk in Atlantic Canada. Both direct and indirect impacts of climate change are affecting critical habitat, especially in coastal ecosystems. Monitoring species occurrences and their habitat over time and space is essential to effective conservation initiatives and mitigation efforts. The Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (AC CDC) expertise and data represent the single most comprehensive and current source of information about Atlantic Canada's biodiversity. The database includes over 2.8 million geo-located records of species occurrences, approximately 20% of which represent species of conservation concern. The AC CDC is uniquely positioned to leverage both biodiversity and geospatial data to create derived products used to improve conservation outcomes for many Species at Risk in the region. This talk will highlight several geospatial projects that showcase optimization of these data and how these initiatives have proven to be effective for conservation of Species at Risk in the midst of a changing climate.