Stimpson's Surfclam Commercial Catch Data for the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fisheries and Oceans Canada's dataset contains biological measurements for Stimpson's surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma) from commercial catches. It includes metadata, sample weight, shell width, and specimen counts, covering sampling years from 1992, 1994-1998, and 2000-2021. The data supports stock assessments in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Use Cases

• Analyze shell width distributions over the 1992-2021 time series to study growth patterns.
• Model population demographics using sample weight and specimen count data from commercial catches.
• Assess spatio-temporal trends in surfclam catches using metadata on fishing areas and years.

Strengths

• Covers a long temporal span, with data from 1992 and 1994-2021.
• Provides specific biological measurements like shell width and sample weight.
• Collected by specialized DFO staff for official stock assessments.

Limitations

• Data has been simplified and some entries excluded to protect confidentiality, potentially limiting granularity.
• The dataset has temporal gaps, missing data for years 1993 and 1999.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Quebec Region.

Collection Method

Collected at wharf or at sea by DFO staff as part of the commercial catches sampling program.

Time Range

1992, 1994-1998, 2000-2021.

Freshness

Data covers up to 2021; metadata was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.