Grey Seal Abundance and Distribution in the St. Lawrence 1994-2001

Aerial survey data from June and August 1994-1997, 2000, and 2001 capture Grey seal distribution and mean abundance in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The dataset classifies areas into high, medium, and low abundance based on thresholds of 25 and 70 individuals. It provides a snapshot of summer haul-out site utilization, as published in a 2005 technical report.

Use Cases

• Map Grey seal distribution using the defined abundance classes (high, medium, low) for summer months.
• Analyze seasonal abundance differences between the pupping (June) and moulting (August) survey periods.
• Model habitat use by correlating high-abundance areas with specific geographic features in the Estuary and Gulf.
• Compare abundance thresholds (e.g., >25 individuals in the Estuary, >70 in the Gulf) across the two major regions.

Strengths

• Data is derived from systematic aerial surveys conducted over 7 distinct years (1994-1997, 2000, 2001).
• Abundance classifications are explicitly defined with numerical thresholds (e.g., >25, 5-25, <5 individuals).
• Findings are directly linked to a peer-reviewed technical report (Robillard et al. 2005).

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, representing a snapshot from 2005 with no surveys indicated after 2001.
• Spatial coverage is limited to summer months in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, excluding winter migratory locations.
• Abundance classes are described as arbitrary and may not reflect continuous population density.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Aerial surveys conducted at low tides during June (pupping) and August (moulting) seasons.

Time Range

1994-1997, 2000, 2001 (summer months).

Freshness

Data reflects the situation in 2005; the last survey year was 2001.

Geography

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the Saguenay River.