Stimpson's surfclam or Arctic surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma) concentration areas in this layer are described as being known and commercially exploited historically and/or currently. The mapping of these areas is based on several sources of information: exploratory fisheries, scientific surveys and fishermen's logbooks. Commercial fishery data come from three distinct sources of information: the purchase receipt, the fishermen's logbook and commercial sampling by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). All data comes from the research document published in 2015. These concentration areas are considered among the most abundant and are used for commercial fishing (note: high densities are not found strictly in these beds).This dataset does not represent the general distribution of the species nor the extent to which fishing is allowed. The extent of shellfish beds can change over time in response to, among others, harvesting and recruitment rates. The polygons might underestimate the concentration areas because fishing and sampling occur where the target resource is known to be more abundant. However, the precision is good enough for resource protection and management needs in case of an environmental incident. This information is valid until data from a most recent research survey is published.Data sources and references :DFO. 2007. Évaluation des stocks de quahog nordique (Arctica islandica) du banc de l'île de Sable et de la baie St. Mary's, et du stock de mactre de Stimpson (Mactromeris polynyma) du Banquereau. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Avis sci. 2007/034 (Révisé). Lambert J. et P. Goudreau. 1997. Biologie et exploitation de la mactre de Stimpson (Mactromeris polynyma) sur les côtes du Québec. Sec. can. éval. stock du MPO. Doc. rech. 1997/101. 44 p. Landry, T.E., E. Wade, E. et M. Giguère. 1992. Évaluation des gisements de mactre de Stimpson, Mactromeris polynyma, dans le golfe du Saint-Laurent: résultats préliminaires. MPO, CSCPCA Doc. rech. 1992/086. 29 p.Trottier, S. et P. Goudreau. 2015. Évaluation des stocks de mactre de Stimpson (Mactromeris polynyma) des eaux côtières du Québec en 2014. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2016/063. Ix + 72 p.

SummaryThe Quebec region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for the assessment of several fish and invertebrate stocks exploited in the Estuary and the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The commercial catches sampling program is one of the sources of information used to complete these assessments. The data collected by this program, at wharf or at sea, offers among other things the advantage of a relatively large spatio-temporal coverage and provides some of the necessary knowledge to assess the demography and the structure of the exploited populations. This program is implemented by specialized DFO staff whose main mandate is to collect biological data on groundfish, pelagic fish and marine invertebrate species that are commercially exploited in the various marine communities.DataThis dataset on Stimpson`s surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma) includes the metadata, sample weight, the shell width and the number of specimens measured. This dataset covers the periods of 1992, 1994-1998 and 2000-2021. In order to protect the confidentiality of the sources, some informations (such as those concerning the vessel) have been excluded and others (such as the date of capture) have been simplified. Entries where there was only one vessel in a fishing area for a given year were also excluded. Further information including the fishing areas coordinates can be found by clicking on the «Atlantic and Arctic commercial fisheries» and «Fishing areas» links below.

A research survey on Stimpson's surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma) was conducted from June 15 to June 26 2017 in the Estuary of the St. Lawrence River on the Forestville deposit (Fishing Area 1A). The primary objective of this survey was to investigate the spatial distribution of pre-commercial (< 80 mm) and commercial (≥ 80 mm) sizes of Stimpson's surfclams as well as to assess the abundance and diversity of benthic species associated with the sandy habitat of the Stimpson's surfclam. Only benthic species data associated with Stimpson's surfclam habitat are presented in this dataset.Data were collected according to a systematic sampling design consisting of 77 stations, between 7 and 45 m depth. Stations were spaced 200 m apart and dispersed along a total of 18 transects perpendicular to the bathymetry. Transects were parallel and spaced 500 m apart. Specimens were collected using a hydraulic dredge of the "New England" type with a total length of 2.29 meters and a total width of 1.68 meters, of which 1.35 meters was knife width. The dredge was lined with a 19 millimeter mesh Vexar™ to harvest small individuals. The hauls were made at a speed of 0.2-0.3 knots for a duration of 2 to 3 minutes. Start and end positions were recorded to calculate the distance traveled at each tow using the geosphere library in R. The average tow distance was approximately 25 m. The area covered at each stroke was the product of the width of the dredge blade and the distance.The three files provided (DarwinCore format) are complementary and are linked by the "eventID" key. The "event_information" file includes generic event information, including date and location. The "additional_information_event_and_occurrence" file includes sample size, sampling protocol and sampling effort, among others. The "taxon_occurrence" file includes the taxonomy of the species observed, identified to the species or lowest possible taxonomic level. For abundance and biomass estimates, contact Virginie Roy (virginie.roy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca).For quality controls, all taxonomic names were checked against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to match recognized standards. The WoRMS match was placed in the "scientificNameID" field of the occurrence file. Special cases were noted in "identificationRemarks" and selected specimens were confirmed using field photos. Data quality checks were performed using the R obistools and worrms libraries. All sampling locations were spatially validated.

The Quebec region of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for the assessment of several fish and invertebrate stocks exploited in the Estuary and the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The commercial catches sampling program is one of the sources of information used to complete these assessments. The data collected by this program, at wharf or at sea, offers among other things the advantage of a relatively large spatio-temporal coverage and provides some of the necessary knowledge to assess the demography and the structure of the exploited populations. This program is implemented by specialized DFO staff whose main mandate is to collect biological data on groundfish, pelagic fish and marine invertebrate species that are commercially exploited in the various marine communities.The following species have been sampled by this program from 1976 to present:1. American lobster (Homarus americanus)2. American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides)3. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)4. Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)5. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)6. Atlantic lyre crab (Hyas araneus)7. Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)8. Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima)9. Arctic Lyre Crab (Hyas coarctatus)10. Capelin (Mallotus villosus)11. Common softshell clam (Mya arenaria)12. Giant scallop (Placopecten magellanicus)13. Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides)14. Green urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)15. Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica)16. Redfish (Sebastes sp.)17. Rock crab (Cancer irroratus)18. Sea cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa)19. Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)20. Stimpson surfclam (Mactromeris polynyma)21. Waved whelk (Buccinum undatum)22. White hake (Urophycis tenuis)23. Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus)24. Yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea)For more information concerning these species, see the «Related Products» section below.

The dataset represents known concentration areas of harvested or unharvested Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, around the Magdalen Islands. The dataset was created for the National environmental emergencies center (NEEC) for preparation and response in case of an oil spill. Concentration areas were delineated using Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) inventories conducted between 2000 and 2020, commercial fisheries data (logbooks and purchase receipts from 2002 to 2020 and observations at sea from 2005 to 2017), data from exploratory fisheries as well as interviews.This layer is dependent on the inventories carried out and thus only represents the known areas of the Atlantic surfclam. This dataset does not represent the general distribution of the species nor the extent to which fishing is allowed. Most of the information comes from inventories that did not necessarily target this species, therefore its distribution is undoubtedly wider than what is recorded in this layer. In addition, the extent of shellfish beds can change over time in response to, among others, harvesting and recruitment rates. Some concentration areas were delimited based on interviews with people who locally know the resource but their delimitation remains approximate. The polygons delimited based on sampling data are more precise but might underestimate the concentration areas because sampling was made where the target resource was known to be more abundant without necessarily sampling the entire bed. Nonetheless, the precision is sufficient for resource protection and management needs in case of an environmental incident.Data sources and references:Bio-Conseil. 1986. Pêche exploratoire à la palourde (Spisula solidissima) aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine, automne 1985. Rapport final, Bio-Conseil, Pêches et Océans Canada. 24 p.Bernier, L. and L. Poirier. 1979. Evaluation sommaire du stock de mactres de l'Atlantique, Spisula solidissima Dillwyn, des Îles-de-la-Madeleine (golfe du St-Laurent). Cahier d'information, ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce. 42 p.Bourget, E. and D. Messier. 1983. Macrobenthic density, biomass, and fauna of intertidal and subtidal sand in a Magdalen Islands lagoon, Gulf of St. Lawrence. Can. J. Zool. 61(11):2509-2518.Brulotte, S. 2013. Évaluation des stocks de la mactre de l’Atlantique, Spisula solidissima, des eaux côtières des Îles-de-la-Madeleine – méthodologies et résultats. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2013/082: x + 58 p.Brulotte, S. 2016. Évaluation des stocks de mactre de l’Atlantique, Spisula solidissima, des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Québec en 2015 – méthodologie et résultats. Secr. can. de consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. de rech. 2016/074. x + 51 p.DFO. 2016. Stock Assessment of Atlantic Surfclam of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine in 2015. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2016/022.DFO. 2019. Assessment of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine Atlantic Surfclam stock in 2018. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2019/031.Fréchette, M. and M. Giguère. 1984. Rapport sur une pêche exploratoire à la palourde aux Îles-de-la-Madeleine en 1984. Pêches et Océans Canada. 17 p.Hurlbut, T and D. Clay. 1990. Protocols for research vessel cruises within the Gulf region (demersal fish) (1970-1987). Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2082:143p.Hurtubise, S. (Fisheries Data [ZIFF] and At-Sea Observers Manager). Unpublished data. Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Spiny dogfish (Squlaus acanthias), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered mostly in commercial fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to spiny dogfish from 2008 to 2009 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial fishing vessels from August to October. Wildlife Computers PSAT Mk10 (N=6) were used and 3 of 6 tags reported. One tag was found washed up on shore and was returned. The spiny dogfish tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 96 cm Fork Length (curved); all 6 were female. Time at liberty ranged from 75 – 234 days and the 43 tags that reported remained on the sharks for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered in commercial and recreational fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to porbeagle sharks from 2005 to 2021 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada and the Faroe Islands on commercial, recreational and scientific charters, typically in summer and fall but some over winter when the porbeagle commercial fishery was active in Canada. A variety of tag models were deployed: PAT 4 (n=1), Mk10 (N=41), and MiniPAT (N=15) and 51 of 57 tags reported. One individual shark was recaptured and the physical tag was returned. The porbeagle sharks tagged ranged in size from 76 cm to 249 cm Fork Length (curved); 42 were female, 15 were male. Time at liberty ranged from 4 – 356 days and 14 tags remained on for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Since 1985, research surveys targeting scallops—primarily the sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) and, to a lesser extent, the Icelandic scallop (Chlamys islandica)—have been conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) at one- or two-year intervals around the Magdalen Islands (fishing area 20A). The main objective of this survey is to assess the status of sea scallop stocks. The study area is situated south of the Magdalen Islands, where scallop beds are typically sampled at depths ranging from approximately 25 to 35 m. Sampling stations are randomly selected from a predetermined fixed grid, with sampling conducted along transects at these randomly assigned locations within the study area. Each station is sampled using a lined Digby scallop dredge (20 mm mesh size), towed for roughly 500 m across the seabed.This publication includes three files: the file biometriePetoncle_20, which contains detailed biometric data (species, size, weights and sex) from 1998 to 2024; the file taillePetoncle_20, which provides the size of the individuals sampled from 2009 to 2024; and the file traitPetoncle_20 which contains the abundances and densities per tow from 2009 to 2024. Data on abundances and densities per tow from 1998-2008 is available upon request.This dataset is updated every one to two years as data becomes available. A cleaning of aberrant data has been carried out. However, there is missing data in various columns of the dataset – use the data with caution. If you have any questions please contact DFO.DataManagementSAISB-GestionDonneesDAISS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or the author. For certain time periods, associated species are identified and semi-quantitatively counted directly on the sorting table, and the results are presented in the following publications: - https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/6529a4b0-f863-4568-ac71-1fa26cf68679- https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/71732ad5-5c70-4dbf-916d-a94e1380c53b 

The mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), is a species found in Atlantic Canadian waters which is encountered in commercial and recreational fisheries. Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags (PSAT) from Wildlife Computers were applied to mako sharks from 2011 to 2013 to collect data on depth (pressure), temperature and ambient light level (for position estimation). Deployments were conducted in Canada on commercial vessels, typically in summer and fall from July to October. Two types of tag models were deployed: Mk10 (N=28), and MiniPAT (N=9) and 28 of 37 tags reported (one female shark was recaptured). The mako sharks tagged ranged in size from 80 cm to 229 cm Fork Length (curved); 13 were female, 17 were male, and 7 were unknown sex. Time at liberty ranged from 0 – 185 days and 6 tags remained on for the programmed duration. Raw data transmitted from the PSAT’s after release was processed through Wildlife Computers software (GPE3) to get summary files, assuming a maximum swimming speed of 2m/s, NOAA OI SST V2 High Resolution data set for SST reference and ETOPO1-Bedrock dataset for bathymetry reference. The maximum likelihood position estimates are available in .csv and .kmz format and depth and temperature profiles are also in .csv format. Other tag outputs as well as metadata from the deployments can be obtained upon request from: warren.joyce@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or heather.bowlby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

Base waterbody polygon arcs are feature type, source and capture date attributed arcs that make up the boundaries of base waterbody polygons in the Base Features Hydrography geospatial dataset. These arcs were collected from conversion processes of 1:20 000, 1:50 000 and AVI Provincial mapping datasets and 1:50 000 National Topographic Data Base (NTDB).