Sea Pen Fields in the Gulf of St. Lawrence from Campelen Trawl Surveys

Polygons identify concentrations of sea pens, gorgonian corals, and sponges on the east coast of Canada. The data was produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada using kernel density analysis of research vessel by-catch data across five biogeographic zones. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel within the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Use Cases

• Mapping vulnerable marine benthic habitats based on identified sea pen and coral aggregations.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of long-lived, non-aggregating taxa like black coral based on provided tow positions.
• Assessing fishing pressure impacts on specific benthic communities using catch weight thresholds and density analysis.
• Comparing benthic community structures across the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada.

Strengths

• Data is derived from spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data, indicating a systematic collection method.
• Analysis covers five distinct biogeographic zones of eastern Canada, providing regional context.
• Polygons are defined using a 7 kg minimum catch weight threshold for sea pens, providing a concrete habitat definition.

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 geographic bias inherent to the specific research vessel survey locations and Campelen trawl gear.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Kernel density analysis of by-catch data from research vessel surveys using Campelen trawl gear.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 08:02:10.577676; freshness should be verified.

Geography

East coast of Canada, specifically the Gulf of St. Lawrence and other biogeographic zones including the Eastern Arctic and Scotian Shelf.