Marine Fish Distribution Records for Arctic Canada

Arctic Canada's marine waters are documented through point distribution occurrences for fish species. The database was compiled from literature, museum records, anecdotal reports, and fisheries surveys, with development starting in 1998 and data entry concluding in 2016. It underpins the distribution maps in the reference book 'Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada' and a related Fisheries and Oceans Canada Data Report.

Use Cases

• Map species distribution points across Arctic Canada's marine waters for biogeographic analysis.
• Analyze fish biodiversity patterns by correlating occurrence records with survey and cruise data sources.
• Validate and supplement distribution maps from the 'Marine Fishes of Arctic Canada' reference book using the underlying point data.
• Study temporal trends in species observations using records collected between 1998 and 2016.

Strengths

• Compiled from multiple authoritative sources including published literature, museum collections, and government fisheries surveys.
• Serves as the foundational data for peer-reviewed distribution maps in a major reference book (Coad and Reist, 2018).
• Development and curation spanned nearly two decades, from 1998 to 2016, indicating a long-term compilation effort.

Limitations

• Data entry ceased in 2016, so records may not reflect the most recent species observations or distribution shifts.
• Specific column names and the total number of data points (rows) are not provided in the input, limiting initial assessment of structure and scale.
• Relies on heterogeneous sources including anecdotal reports, which may introduce variability in data precision and verification standards.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Compiled from literature, museum records, anecdotal reports, personal communications, fisheries surveys, and exploratory cruises.

Time Range

Development began in 1998; data entry ceased in 2016.

Freshness

Data entry ceased in 2016; the database is noted for periodic updates, with a platform record last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Marine waters of Arctic Canada.