PURPOSE:

Since 2003, a standardized otter trawl survey was conducted in August by commercial fishing vessels throughout the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Division 4T). The primary objective of this survey is to obtain abundance indices for the major commercial groundfish resources in the area.

DESCRIPTION:

Tow, catch, and length frequency for fish caught during the August sentinel surveys in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO Division 4T). Abundance indices and spatial distribution patterns of commercial groundfish.

Note: Due to delays caused by logistic complexities and Covid, the project did not take place in 2020

PARAMETERS COLLECTED:

Abundance estimates (ecological); distribution (ecological); species counts (ecological); gear (fishing); vessel information (fishing); point (spatial).

NOTES ON QUALITY CONTROL:

Scientific names listed in the survey species list have been mapped to recognized standards - marine taxa have been mapped to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) using their online taxon match tool. All sampling locations were plotted on a map to perform a visual check confirming that the latitude and longitude coordinates were within the described sampling area.

SAMPLING METHODS:

For additional information on the sampling methods and supporting literature, please refer to the references provided

USE LIMITATION:

To ensure scientific integrity and appropriate use of the data, we would encourage you to contact the data custodian.