Nearshore Benthic Habitat Survey of Bras d'Or Lake 2007

2007 survey data from the Whycocomagh area of Bras d'Or Lake, part of a multi-year assessment from 2005 to 2011. The dataset includes geospatial information on substrate types, macrophyte canopy, and eelgrass (Zostera marina) coverage, collected using video-sidescan and echosounder technology. It was compiled by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to support habitat management and long-term environmental monitoring.

Use Cases

• Map eelgrass (Zostera marina) distribution and health indicators from substrate and macrophyte canopy data to assess habitat quality.
• Analyze the relationship between water depth (from 1m to 10m) and macrophyte canopy composition for ecological zonation studies.
• Use geospatial data on substrate types to model potential habitat compensation sites or select nearshore protected areas.
• Ground-truth echosounder survey data from 2009-2011 using the 2007 towfish-based video-sidescan observations for calibration.

Strengths

• Data is part of a multi-year survey series spanning from 2005 to 2011, providing temporal context.
• Surveys cover a detailed depth gradient from less than 1 meter to 10 meters in the nearshore zone.
• Includes multiple data types (geospatial, imagery, tabular) in formats like ESRI REST, CSV, and FGDB for flexible analysis.
• Dataset is explicitly designed to answer management questions such as habitat compensation and protected area selection.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited primarily to the northern half of Bras d'Or Lake, not the entire lake.
• Eelgrass beds are noted as frequently in poor shape, suggesting potential data quality issues or environmental stress affecting observations.
• The specific row count, column structure, and sample size for tabular data (CSV) are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Coastal Ecosystems Science Division.

Collection Method

Nearshore benthic surveys using drop camera, fixed mount sidescan, and a developed towfish platform with video-sidescan and transponder-based positioning.

Time Range

2007 (part of a series from 2005–2011).

Freshness

Data from 2007, with metadata last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Whycocomagh area, Bras d'Or Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada.