Bras d'Or Lake Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2011, in Canada. Bras d’Or Lake is in Nova Scotia and consists of a saltwater estuary watershed, an inland sea with three passages to the Atlantic Ocean. The Holocene transgression flooded a complex river–lake system of diverse geology, creating a small, deep inland sea with 12 significant watersheds that drain both highlands and lowlands. The terrestrial, marine and coastal habitats provide a home for human populations and rich biological diversity. The original settlers colonised the region following the retreat of glaciers. Today, their descendants make up the five Mi’kmaq populations that account for a significant proportion of the population occupying large areas of the watershed.