Recreational Vessel Traffic Model for British Columbia Coast

From 2018 to 2022, Transport Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program collected recreational vessel sightings via aerial surveys along the British Columbia coast. The dataset includes a geospatial model predicting vessel counts based on variables like distance to shore and marina density, with results provided in a 2.5 km resolution vector grid.

Use Cases

• Predict recreational vessel counts per 2.5 km grid cell using model variables like distance to shore and marina density.
• Analyze the relationship between water depth, distance to shore, and the probability of encountering a recreational vessel using the ZINB model components.
• Map aerial survey effort raster data to understand coverage gaps for marine spatial planning in British Columbia.
• Validate AIS data gaps by comparing modeled recreational vessel predictions against actual sightings point data.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a 5-year period from 2018 to 2022.
• Model outputs are provided at a detailed 2.5 km spatial resolution.
• Includes both raw observational point data and derived predictive model results.

Limitations

• Model predictions are specific to the surveyed sections of the BC coast and may not generalize to other areas.
• The underlying raw sighting count and total data volume are not specified.
• Relies on aerial survey data which can be limited by weather, visibility, and flight schedules.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, via Transport Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP).

Collection Method

Aerial surveys using video cameras and AIS receivers, with recreational vessel traffic modeled using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) model.

Time Range

2018 to 2022

Freshness

Data was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada.