Beluga Whale Critical Habitat in the Saguenay River and St. Lawrence Estuary

Geospatial data delineates the critical habitat for the threatened St. Lawrence Estuary beluga whale population. The dataset, produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, identifies areas supporting vital calving and rearing functions based on a 2010 scientific review and area-of-occupancy approach. It corresponds to the summer distribution of adult, newborn, and juvenile belugas.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial overlap between the identified critical habitat areas and shipping lanes or industrial activity using the geospatial boundaries.
• Model potential habitat changes by comparing the documented summer distribution of beluga groups with environmental variables.
• Support conservation planning by mapping the Upper Estuary, Saguenay River, and Lower Estuary southern channel zones defined for calving and rearing.

Strengths

• Based on a peer-reviewed 2010 scientific advisory report and literature review by marine mammal experts.
• Explicitly identifies habitat supporting vital functions for a threatened species, as listed under the Species at Risk Act in 2005.
• Sourced from the authoritative government agency, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Limitations

• The dataset's boundaries are based on the best available information from 2010 and may not reflect current habitat use or conditions.
• Critical habitat limitations are noted as subject to future change pending new studies, indicating potential incompleteness.
• Lacks associated tabular data (e.g., population counts, temporal trends) to complement the geospatial features.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Identified using an area-of-occupancy approach based on a 2010 literature review of prey, seasonal distribution, and habitat characteristics.

Time Range

Based on scientific assessment circa 2010; the beluga population was listed as threatened in 2005.

Freshness

Last updated March 24, 2026, though the underlying scientific assessment is from 2010.

Geography

St. Lawrence Estuary, Canada, including the Upper Estuary, Saguenay River up to Sainte-Marguerite Bay, and the southern channel of the Lower Estuary.