Icelandic Scallop Survey in the Mingan Archipelago with Biometric and Density Data

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has conducted research surveys targeting Icelandic scallops (Chlamys islandica) at one- or two-year intervals in the Mingan Archipelago since 1990. The dataset includes three files containing biometric data from 2001 to 2025, size data from 2010 to 2024, and abundance and density per tow from 2004 to 2024. Data is collected using a lined Digby scallop dredge towed across the seabed at depths typically between 40 to 60 meters.

Use Cases

• Assess stock status and population trends based on long-term survey data from 1990 onward.
• Model scallop growth and size distribution based on biometric data including size and weight.
• Analyze spatial density patterns of scallop beds based on abundance and density per tow data.
• Study species associations based on the linked dataset of associated species identified on the sorting table.

Strengths

• Long-term survey data collected at one- or two-year intervals since 1990 for area 16E and 2004 for area 16F.
• Data includes three distinct files covering biometrics, size, and abundance/density over multi-year periods.
• A cleaning of aberrant data has been carried out, and the dataset is updated as new data becomes available.

Limitations

• Missing data exists in various columns of the dataset, requiring cautious use.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data for abundances and densities per tow from 2001-2003 is only available upon request.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Sampling conducted along transects at fixed stations using a lined Digby scallop dredge towed for roughly 150 meters.

Time Range

Biometric data from 2001 to 2025; size data from 2010 to 2024; abundance/density data from 2004 to 2024.

Freshness

Updated every one to two years; last updated 2026-03 24.

Geography

Mingan Archipelago, fishing areas 16E and 16F, Canada, at depths from approximately 8 to 136 meters.