Harbor and Gray Seal Haul-Out Sites in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence data identifies potential haul-out sites for harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus). The dataset was compiled from a literature review of documents published between 1978 and 2000 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It includes geospatial features available in SHP, ESRI REST, and CSV formats.

Use Cases

• Map potential haul-out sites for harbor seals and gray seals using geospatial coordinates from the SHP or CSV files.
• Analyze the distribution of seal habitats across the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf regions using the documented site locations.
• Correlate historical seal presence from the 1978-2000 literature review with contemporary marine habitat studies.

Strengths

• Compiled from a defined literature review spanning 22 years (1978-2000).
• Provides geospatial data in multiple standard formats (SHP, ESRI REST, CSV).
• Focuses on two distinct seal species: harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and gray seals (Halichoerus grypus).

Limitations

• Data sources are historical, with the latest literature review document from 2000, limiting current applicability.
• The dataset's row count, column structure, and sample data are unknown, hindering preliminary assessment of scope and variables.
• Potential geographic bias is present as the review is confined to the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Literature review of documents produced between 1978 and 2000.

Time Range

Literature review covers documents from 1978 to 2000.

Freshness

Last updated on 2026-03-24, though the underlying source data is historical.

Geography

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.