North Atlantic Right Whale Presence Likelihood in Canadian Waters

June 2018 data estimates the seasonal presence of North Atlantic Right Whales in the Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury Area Response Plan zones. The Coastal Oceanography and Ecosystem Research section synthesized opportunistic whale sightings and local knowledge to delineate these areas. A version formatted for the National Environmental Emergency Centre is also available.

Use Cases

• Map seasonal presence likelihood zones for marine spatial planning and conservation efforts.
• Analyze synthesized opportunistic sighting data to inform area response plans for whale protection.
• Integrate delineated presence areas into environmental emergency response models for the NEEC.

Strengths

• Data is published by the authoritative Coastal Ecosystems Science Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• Provides geospatial data in multiple formats including FGDB/GDB, ESRI REST, and CSV for interoperability.
• Includes a version specifically structured for the National Environmental Emergency Centre's data model.

Limitations

• Dataset is based on a synthesis of opportunistic sightings and local knowledge, not systematic surveys.
• The core analysis is from June 2018, which may not reflect current whale distributions or population changes.
• Specific data dimensions like row count, column names, and sample size are unavailable for assessment.

Provenance

Source

Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Synthesis of reported opportunistic whale sightings and local knowledge sources by DFO Science researchers.

Time Range

Analysis published in June 2018.

Freshness

Metadata was last updated on March 24, 2026, but the underlying data analysis is from June 2018.

Geography

Bay of Fundy and Port Hawkesbury Area Response Plan pilot areas, Canada.