Seamount Locations and Models for Canada's Pacific Waters

Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides spatial data on named and predicted seamounts within Canada's Exclusive Economic Zone and international fishing grounds. The dataset integrates multiple pre-existing databases and predictive models to support marine planning initiatives in British Columbia. It includes data on seamounts identified as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas.

Use Cases

• Map predicted unnamed seamount locations within the Exclusive Economic Zone for marine spatial planning.
• Analyze the distribution of named seamounts fished by Canada in international waters for fisheries management.
• Identify seamounts designated as Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) for conservation planning.
• Integrate seamount spatial data with other marine layers in formats like SHP or GEOJSON for coastal analysis.

Strengths

• Data is peer-reviewed and collaborative, intended for scientific use in marine planning.
• Covers both Canada's Exclusive Economic Zone and international fishing grounds used by Canada.
• Available in multiple geospatial formats including SHP, GEOJSON, and ESRI REST services.

Limitations

• The dataset includes predicted (modelled) seamounts, which may contain positional inaccuracies.
• Only a subset of seamounts in the region are named, limiting analysis based on named features.
• Sample data and specific record counts (rows) are unavailable to assess dataset scale.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Compiled from several pre-existing spatial databases and predictive models.

Freshness

Last updated March 24, 2026.

Geography

Northeast Pacific Ocean, focusing on Canada's Exclusive Economic Zone and international waters fished by Canada.