Beaufort Sea Marine Fish and Habitat Survey Stations 2017-2024

Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted baseline surveys of marine fishes and habitats at over 200 stations in the Canadian Beaufort Sea from 2017 to 2024. Sampling occurred along ten multi-year transects using standardized gear like benthic trawls and CTD profiles at predetermined depth intervals from 20 to 1000 meters. This data supports regulatory processes and research on climate change effects in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.

Use Cases

• Analyze species diversity and abundance patterns across the ten multi-year transects and over 50 non-transect stations.
• Model habitat associations using data from standardized sampling at pre-determined depth stations (20-40, 75, 200, 350, 500, 750, and 1000 m).
• Investigate physical-biological couplings by correlating data from CTD and water sample profiles with biological community data.
• Assess spatial and inter-annual variability in the offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea and Canadian Archipelago using multi-year station data.

Strengths

• Data collection spans multiple years (2017-2019 and 2021-2024), enabling analysis of inter-annual variability.
• Surveys cover over 200 stations, including over 150 stations along ten transects, providing spatial coverage.
• Standardized sampling was conducted at specific depth intervals from 20 to 1000 meters, ensuring methodological consistency.
• Data builds upon the foundational BREA-MFP study, providing continuity for long-term ecological monitoring.

Limitations

• The dataset description does not specify the number of rows or columns, limiting precise assessment of its analytical scope.
• Sampling is limited to August and early September each year, missing seasonal dynamics outside the late summer period.
• Geographic coverage, while extensive, may leave gaps in previously unstudied areas of the Beaufort Sea and Canadian Archipelago.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Standardized sampling from the F/V Frosti using benthic fishing trawls, plankton nets, sediment cores, and CTD and water sample profiles at predetermined depth stations.

Time Range

2017 to 2024 (specifically 2017-2019 and 2021-2024)

Freshness

Data is actively updated, with the record last modified in March 2026.

Geography

Offshore Canadian Beaufort Sea, specifically the Beaufort Shelf and slope, and areas of the Canadian Archipelago.