Central and North BC Pelagic Ecosystem Survey Data 1995-2020

Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted surface water trawl surveys in central and north coast British Columbia from 1995 to 2020. The data, collected from shelf waters shallower than 400 meters, monitors the pelagic ecosystem with a focus on juvenile Pacific Salmon.

Use Cases

• Analyze juvenile Pacific Salmon migratory patterns and physiology data from 1992-2016 survey periods.
• Monitor changes in the broader pelagic ecosystem composition using data collected since 2016.
• Study spatial distribution of marine life in coastal waters from Southern Queen Charlotte Sound to Northern Haida Gwaii.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a 25-year time range from 1995 to 2020.
• Surveys cover a defined geographic area from Southern Queen Charlotte Sound to Northern Haida Gwaii.
• Data is collected from shelf waters with a specific depth constraint of shallower than 400 meters.

Limitations

• Specific data volume (rows, columns) and sample size are unknown.
• Data format includes PDFs, which may require extraction to structured formats for analysis.
• The dataset's focus shifted over time, potentially creating inconsistencies in collected variables between 1992-2002, 2003-2016, and post-2016 periods.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Surface water trawl surveys.

Time Range

1995 to 2020 (surveys began in 1992 in broader region).

Freshness

null

Geography

Central and north coast British Columbia, from Southern Queen Charlotte Sound to Northern Haida Gwaii, including Hecate Strait.