Marine Mammal Sightings from At-Sea Observers Across Canadian Regions, 1979-2024

5,324 marine mammal sighting records collected by At-Sea Observers and submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada between 1979 and 2024. The data covers three DFO regions: the Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Maritimes. The associated technical report details the methods for initial data compilation and discusses challenges and opportunities for future research.

Use Cases

• Analyze marine mammal distribution and abundance based on observer-collected sighting records.
• Model species habitat use over time based on the multi-decadal time series from 1979 to 2024.
• Assess regional population trends across the Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Maritimes regions.
• Support marine spatial planning and conservation efforts based on geospatial sighting locations.

Strengths

• 5,324 sighting records provide a substantial observational basis.
• Data spans a 45-year time range from 1979 to 2024.
• Geographic coverage includes three distinct Canadian marine regions.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect temporal and geographic bias inherent to the observer program's coverage.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ocean Ecosystems Science Division.

Collection Method

Records collected by At-Sea Observers (ASOs) and submitted to DFO.

Time Range

1979-2024

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 08:02:32.241486; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Maritimes regions of Canada.