Sponge and Coral Aggregation Polygons from Gulf of St. Lawrence Trawl Surveys

Polygons identifying concentrations of sea pens, gorgonian corals, and sponges on the east coast of Canada. The data were derived from spatial analysis of research vessel by-catch survey data using kernel density and catch weight thresholds across five biogeographic zones. Fisheries and Oceans Canada produced the dataset, which was last updated on 2026-05-08.

Use Cases

• Mapping vulnerable marine ecosystems based on identified sponge and coral aggregations.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of specific taxa like Geodia spp. sponges or Vazella pourtalesi based on described locations.
• Assessing fishing pressure impacts on long-lived, non-aggregating taxa like black coral using provided tow positions.
• Comparing benthic community structures across the five described biogeographic zones of eastern Canada.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a defined analytical method using kernel density and catch weight thresholds as described.
• Spatial coverage includes five distinct biogeographic zones of eastern Canada.
• Specific taxa and their locations are identified, such as large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges and the barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and methodological bias inherent to the specific Campelen trawl gear and survey design.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data using an approach similar to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 08:02:01.327335; freshness should be verified.

Geography

East coast of Canada, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Eastern Arctic, northern Labrador continental slope, and Scotian Shelf.