Between 2017 and 2024, underwater imaging sampling campaigns were conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada across a broad area of the shallow coastal zone of the St. Lawrence Estuary and Gulf. The sampling targeted the lower intertidal and subtidal zones, to a maximum depth of approximately 10 m, with an emphasis on eelgrass beds and macroalgae. These targeted surveys were primarily intended to produce ground-truth data for the mapping of estuarine and marine macrophytes of the Québec maritime region (Provencher-Nolet et al., 2025), supporting oil spill preparedness and response activities.

This dataset summarizes information generated from the analysis of underwater video footage collected at 3,179 sampling stations using small boats equipped with a pole-mounted camera system, as described in Grégoire et al. (2025). The dataset documents multiple characteristics of coastal ecosystems, including the cover of erect vegetation, vegetation assemblages, dominant and minor vegetation, substrates, fauna, as well as the presence of encrusting algae, for each sampling station. The different attributes recorded during video analysis, along with certain identification criteria, are presented in the visual dictionary of Grégoire et al. (2022).