Bay of Fundy Sea Scallop Abundance Survey 2011-2023

13 years of commercial-size sea scallop abundance data from the Bay of Fundy, collected via unlined dredge surveys. Each row represents a standardized tow, with scallop counts binned into 5-mm shell height increments and prorated to a swept area of 4267 m². The dataset includes a comparative gear survey from 2012 and supports the findings of Hebert et al. (2025).

Use Cases

• Analyze scallop abundance trends over the 13-year time_range using tow date and geographical coordinates.
• Model length-weight relationships by examining the distribution of scallops across 5-mm shell height bins.
• Compare scallop density across different Scallop Production Areas using prorated abundance data from standardized tows.
• Assess survey methodology by incorporating data from the 2012 comparative survey documented by Smith et al. (2013).

Strengths

• 13-year temporal coverage from 2011 to 2023 provides a long-term ecological series.
• Data is standardized with prorated abundance for an 800 m tow length and a defined swept area of 4267 m².
• Includes a documented comparative survey from 2012, allowing for gear performance analysis.
• Associated with peer-reviewed scientific publication (Hebert et al., 2025) and detailed technical protocols (Glass, 2017).

Limitations

• Unknown sample size (row count) and specific feature set (columns) limits initial assessment of analytical scope.
• Data is restricted to commercial-size scallops (≥80 mm shell height), excluding juvenile population dynamics.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Bay of Fundy, which may not be representative of other scallop fisheries.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Population Ecology Science Division.

Collection Method

Collected using unlined dredge gear during the Bay of Fundy Inshore Scallop Survey, with protocols documented by Glass (2017).

Time Range

2011 to 2023.

Freshness

Data last updated on March 24, 2026, with coverage through 2023.

Geography

Bay of Fundy, Canada.