Cetacean Habitat Suitability Models for Northwest Atlantic Monitoring

Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides Species Distribution Model outputs for 10 cetacean species, based on sightings from 1975 to 2015. The dataset identifies priority monitoring areas in eastern Canadian waters off Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. It includes environmental predictors like ocean depth and sea surface temperature to model habitat suitability.

Use Cases

• Identify priority monitoring areas by analyzing predicted habitat suitability scores for 10 cetacean species.
• Assess the influence of environmental predictors like ocean depth and sea surface temperature on cetacean distribution patterns.
• Compare seasonal sighting records to investigate biases in survey effort across different times of year.
• Map areas of persistently high chlorophyll-a concentration as a proxy for prey availability in cetacean habitats.

Strengths

• Model outputs are based on a multi-decade sighting record spanning 40 years (1975-2015).
• Includes predictions for 10 cetacean species with substantial sighting records (n > 450).
• Uses five specific environmental predictor variables, including compound topographic index and regional chlorophyll-a magnitude.

Limitations

• Sighting data are not effort-corrected and are biased by the timing and location of survey activities.
• Fewer sighting records are available for winter, spring, and autumn compared to summer due to reduced survey effort.
• Data do not include updates or corrections to source databases that have occurred since compilation in 2016.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, based on analysis from Gomez et al. (2020).

Collection Method

Species Distribution Models (SDM) applied to a compilation of aerial- and vessel-based cetacean sightings.

Time Range

1975 to 2015 (post-whaling period).

Freshness

Data compiled in 2016, with model outputs published in 2020; last platform update was 2026-03-24.

Geography

Eastern Canadian waters off Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean.