Eelgrass Distribution in James Bay and Gulf of St. Lawrence

A geospatial dataset documents the distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds in James Bay, Chaleur Bay, the Estuary, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The inventory was compiled from a literature review of documents produced between 1987 and 2009. The data is provided by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Use Cases

• Map eelgrass bed distribution across the specified bays and estuary using the provided geospatial coordinates.
• Analyze historical changes in Zostera marina habitats by comparing source documents from different years within the 1987-2009 range.
• Identify coastal regions for conservation by overlaying eelgrass location data with other marine habitat layers.
• Study the relationship between eelgrass presence and documented biophysical parameters from the source literature reviews.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a literature review spanning 22 years (1987-2009), providing a multi-decadal perspective.
• Covers a large and ecologically significant geographic area including James Bay, Chaleur Bay, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Provided in multiple standard geospatial formats (SHP, ESRI REST, CSV) for interoperability.

Limitations

• The underlying source documents are dated, with the most recent from 2009, limiting current ecological relevance.
• Data consistency may be affected as it aggregates findings from multiple independent studies and reports.
• The absence of row/column counts and sample data prevents assessment of dataset granularity and completeness.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Literature review of scientific documents, reports, and personal communications.

Time Range

1987 to 2009

Freshness

The dataset metadata was last updated in March 2026, but the core data is based on documents up to 2009.

Geography

James Bay, Chaleur Bay, Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada