Fonds consists of materials regarding Alan Ruffman's contributions to the Atlantic Sub-committee of Oceanography (ASCO) and the Canadian Committee on Oceanography (CCO), including reports, manuscripts, correspondence, newspaper clipping, meeting minutes, newsletters and others textual records.

Fonds consists of correspondence, notes, briefs and reports, meeting minutes, financial records, circulars, photographs, and other records relating to the fishing and fish processing industry in Atlantic Canada and government regulations of the fisheries. Also included are similar types of records from sister organizations the Atlantic Fishing Vessel Association, Atlantic Fisheries By-Products Association, and Atlantic Queen Crab Association.