Gridded temperature and salinity of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence bottom waters including shallow waters. Data are a result of a 3D interpolation on a 1km x 1km x bottom depth grid. They mostly come from the 2 multidisciplinary surveys but all the available CTD data sampled in August and September were used.

The dataset contains 24 layers: one layer per year per variable from 2014 to 2023, two layers of temperature and salinity climatologies and two layers of anomalies for the last year.

Purpose

Since 1990, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been conducting an annual multidisciplinary survey in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence using a standardized protocol. In the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, these bottom trawl surveys has been carrying out each September since 1971. These missions are an important source of information about the status of the marine ressources.

The objectives of the surveys are multiple:

to estimate the abundance and biomass of groundfish and invertebrates, to identify the spatial distribution and biological characteristics of these species, to monitor the biodiversity of the Estuary and Gulf and finally, to describe the environmental conditions observed in the area at the moment of the sampling.

The southern Gulf surveys are realized using the following standardized protocol:

Hurlbut,T. and D.Clay (eds) 1990. Protocols for Research Vessel Cruises within the Gulf Region (Demersal Fish) (1970-1987). Can. MS Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. No. 2082: 143p.

The sampling protocols used for the Estuary and northern Gulf surveys are described in details in the following publications:

Bourdages, H., Archambault, D., Bernier, B., Fréchet, A., Gauthier, J., Grégoire, F., Lambert, J., et Savard, L. 2010. Résultats préliminaires du relevé multidisciplinaire de poissons de fond et de crevette d’août 2009 dans le nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent. Rapp. stat. can. sci. halieut. aquat. 1226 : xii+ 72 p.

Bourdages, H., Archambault, D., Morin, B., Fréchet, A., Savard, L., Grégoire, F., et Bérubé, M. 2003. Résultats préliminaires du relevé multidisciplinaire de poissons de fond et de crevette d’août 2003 dans le nord du golfe du Saint-Laurent. Secr. can. consult. sci. du MPO. Doc. rech. 2003/078. vi + 68 p.

Annual reports are available at the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS), (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/csas-sccs/index-eng.htm).

Bourdages, H., Brassard, C., Desgagnés, M., Galbraith, P., Gauthier, J., Légaré, B., Nozères, C. and Parent, E. 2017. Preliminary results from the groundfish and shrimp multidisciplinary survey in August 2016 in the Estuary and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Res. Doc. 2017/002. v + 87 p.