Chlorophyll-a Concentration in Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program Stations

2013-2022 time series of integrated chlorophyll-a concentration (mg/m²) from 49 stations in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The dataset includes data from June and autumn surveys, with weekly sampling at the Rimouski fixed station. It provides chlorophyll-a measurements linked to station coordinates, depth ranges, and sampling dates.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in Integrated_chlorophyll-a at specific Station locations like the Anticosti Gyre or Rimouski.
• Model the relationship between chlorophyll-a concentration and environmental factors using Latitude, Longitude, and Depth_min/Depth_max data.
• Compare seasonal chlorophyll-a levels between June and autumn survey periods using the Date(UTC) field.
• Map spatial distributions of chlorophyll-a across the 49 stations using the provided Latitude and Longitude coordinates.

Strengths

• Data spans a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022, providing a decade of seasonal observations.
• Covers 49 distinct monitoring stations, including 3 fixed stations and 46 transect stations.
• Includes detailed metadata per sample: Station, Latitude, Longitude, Date(UTC), and depth intervals.
• Collected under a standardized national monitoring program (AZMP) with a published sampling protocol.

Limitations

• The dataset has gaps, specifically the missing June survey for the year 2020.
• Spatial coverage is limited to the Quebec region's portion of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program.
• Depth integration is fixed to the 0-100 meter layer, limiting analysis of vertical chlorophyll profiles.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP).

Collection Method

Water sampling via Niskin bottles, with chlorophyll-a analysis following the Welschmeyer (1994) method as per the AZMP protocol.

Time Range

2013 to 2022 for survey data, with historical data available since the program's start in 1998.

Freshness

Data updated through 2022, with the dataset record itself last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, under the Quebec region's responsibility within the Northwest Atlantic continental shelf.