Northern Wolffish Occurrence in St. Lawrence Gulf 1971-2008

Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides spatial data on the relative occurrence of northern wolffish from annual groundfish research surveys. The dataset aggregates catch and effort data by 100 km² cells, covering the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence from 1971 to 2008. It maps the probability of catching the species based on research trawl surveys and Sentinel Fisheries programs.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial distribution patterns of northern wolffish relative occurrence across 100 km² cells in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Model temporal trends in catch probability from the 1971-2008 survey time series for fisheries stock assessments.
• Map seabed habitat suitability by correlating wolffish occurrence data with physiographic and oceanographic features from the associated classification report.

Strengths

• Long-term temporal coverage spanning up to 37 years (1971-2008) of standardized survey data.
• Spatial aggregation to 100 km² cells provides a standardized unit for geospatial analysis across the study area.
• Data integrates multiple sources, including research surveys and Sentinel Fisheries programs using bottom trawls.

Limitations

• Unknown sample size and row count for the underlying catch and effort records.
• Data is temporally stale, with the most recent survey year being 2008.
• Method relies on aggregated relative occurrence metrics, which may obscure raw catch counts and effort details.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Aggregated catch and effort data from annual DFO groundfish research surveys using bottom trawls and a random stratified design.

Time Range

1971 to 2008

Freshness

Data last updated on the platform in March 2026, but the underlying survey data ends in 2008.

Geography

Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence