Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Groundfish Survey Data

Annual September research vessel trawl surveys provide fisheries-independent information on marine organisms in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Division 4T). The dataset includes tow, catch, length frequency, and biological information for commercial and non-commercial groundfish, with scientific names mapped to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). A 2003 survey used a different vessel, the Wilfred Templeman, and its indices cannot be integrated with the rest of the time-series.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial distribution patterns of groundfish species using latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Study abundance estimates and species counts for commercial and non-commercial fish over time.
• Examine length frequency data to assess population structure and size distributions.
• Compare catch data across different fishing gear and vessel information parameters, noting the 2003 vessel change.

Strengths

• Scientific names are mapped to the recognized World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) standard.
• Sampling locations were visually checked via map plotting to confirm coordinates were within the described area.
• Data provides a long-term, fisheries-independent source for the southern Gulf ecosystem.

Limitations

• Catch data should not be used for ecological analyses involving catch rates without accounting for vessel, gear, and diurnal factors.
• Indices from the 2003 survey, conducted on the Wilfred Templeman, cannot be integrated with the rest of the time-series due to a lack of comparative fishing experiments.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes are not provided in the input.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Collection Method

Annual September research vessel trawl surveys, following protocols for demersal fish cruises (1970-1980).

Time Range

Annual surveys, with a noted discontinuity in 2003.

Freshness

Last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, NAFO Division 4T.