Sea Scallop Habitat Suitability Map for German Bank, Canada

German Bank off Nova Scotia, Canada, is the study area for a habitat suitability map for Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus). The map is a single GeoTIFF layer representing the probability of habitat suitability, generated using MaxEnt modeling. Presence data from videos and images were analyzed against environmental variables derived from multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data.

Use Cases

• Train a geospatial model to predict habitat suitability (probability) for Sea Scallop using environmental variables like Slope, Curvature, Aspect, and Bathymetric Position Index (BPI).
• Analyze the correlation between backscatter principal components (Q1, Q2, Q3) and the probability of Sea Scallop occurrence to understand seabed composition influence.
• Integrate the habitat suitability probability layer with marine spatial planning tools to identify conservation areas on German Bank.
• Validate the MaxEnt model's output by comparing the predicted probability of suitability with new, independent presence/absence survey data.

Strengths

• Model integrates multiple data sources: presence data from videos and still images combined with multibeam bathymetry and backscatter variables.
• Output is a purpose-made, peer-reviewed seafloor map referenced in a published journal article (Journal of Sea Research, 72).
• Data is provided in multiple formats (GEOTIF, ESRI REST, XLSX, HTML) for different analytical workflows.

Limitations

• The dataset is a single, static model output (a map layer) without underlying row/column tabular data, limiting granular statistical re-analysis.
• Model accuracy is dependent on the quality and spatial coverage of the original presence data and environmental variable layers.
• The map represents a probability surface for one species (Sea Scallop) at a specific point in time; habitat suitability may change.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Population Ecology Division.

Collection Method

MaxEnt species distribution modeling using presence data from videos/images and environmental variables from multibeam bathymetry.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, though the underlying research and model are from earlier publications (2012, data published 2021).

Geography

German Bank, off South West Nova Scotia, Canada.