Corals and Sponges of the Eastern Scotian Slope from Benthic Imagery Survey, June 2018

June 2018 benthic imagery survey collected video and photographic transects from 200 to 1000 meters depth at 10 stations along the Eastern Scotian Slope. Fisheries and Oceans Canada researchers recorded nearly 25 taxa between 167 and 970 meters depth to evaluate the effectiveness of a coral conservation area. Patterns in distribution by transect and depth are presented, including the relationship between coral distribution and groundfish fishing effort.

Use Cases

• Analyze coral and sponge distribution patterns based on depth and transect location mentioned in the description
• Evaluate the effectiveness of marine protected areas based on the overlap of species distribution and fishing effort
• Identify new areas for benthic species protection based on observed diversity and abundance gradients
• Study the relationship between groundfish fishing activity and the presence of large branching corals like Paragorgia arborea and Primnoa resedaeformis

Strengths

• Data collected from 10 stations across a depth range of approximately 200 to 1000 meters
• Nearly 25 coral and sponge taxa recorded between 167 and 970 meters depth
• Includes analysis of overlap with groundfish fishing effort, suggesting potential impact assessment

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single survey in June 2018

Provenance

Source

Ocean Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S.

Collection Method

Benthic imagery survey using Campod video and photographic camera system and a '4K Camera' drop camera system.

Time Range

Survey conducted in June 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 08:02:16.783613; freshness should be verified

Geography

Eastern Scotian Slope, between the Gully Marine Protected Area and the Lophelia Coral Conservation Area.