A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes Region

A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes Region The data in this layer represents habitat suitability of soft-shelled clams (Mya arenaria) in the DFO Maritimes region, and was developed using an interdepartmental approach. Substrate classification data as well as bathymetric data for the Region were used to identify potential habitat for soft-shelled clams. Substrates identified as suitable included: sand, mud, sand and mud (Greenlaw, 2022). Contours (0m and 70m) from GEBCO bathymetric data were used to isolate depths between which soft-shelled clams are present. At this stage, a polygon reflecting soft substrates from 0-70m was created as "Suitable". A "Not Suitable" layer was similarly created using the substrates: boulders, continuous bedrock, discontinuous bedrock, gravel, mixed sediment, sand and gravel. To digitally validate the model, the Regional shoreline was divided into subsectors (developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program). Data from DFO (clam harvesting intensity) as well as Conservation and Protection (clam harvesting infraction locations) were used to established species presence within each sub-sector. If there had been any harvesting activity, legal or illegal, in an individual subsector, it was considered "Suitable and Validated". Merged into one final product, the model includes areas that are "Not Suitable", "Suitable", as well as "Suitable and Validated" for soft-shelled clam habitat. Cite this data as: Harvey, C., Vincent, M., Greyson, P., Hamer, A. (2024) Data of: A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes Region. Published: January 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/c76f7813-d802-4b31-8ebe-476f8a7cacf2 2025-02-17 Fisheries and Oceans Canada Cara.Harvey@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Nature and EnvironmentScience and TechnologyIMRPIntegrated Marine Response PlanningOceans Data DictionaryCSV https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/c76f7813-d802-4b31-8ebe-476f8a7cacf2/attachments/SoftShelledClams_DataDictionary.csv A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes RegionFGDB/GDB https://api-proxy.edh-cde.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/catalogue/records/c76f7813-d802-4b31-8ebe-476f8a7cacf2/attachments/SoftshellClamDownloads.gdb.zip A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes RegionESRI REST https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/soft_shelled_clam_habitat_suitability/MapServer A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes RegionESRI REST https://egisp.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/open_data_donnees_ouvertes/soft_shelled_clam_habitat_suitability/MapServer

The data in this layer represents habitat suitability of soft-shelled clams (Mya arenaria) in the DFO Maritimes region, and was developed using an interdepartmental approach. Substrate classification data as well as bathymetric data for the Region were used to identify potential habitat for soft-shelled clams. Substrates identified as suitable included: sand, mud, sand and mud (Greenlaw, 2022). Contours (0m and 70m) from GEBCO bathymetric data were used to isolate depths between which soft-shelled clams are present. At this stage, a polygon reflecting soft substrates from 0-70m was created as "Suitable". A "Not Suitable" layer was similarly created using the substrates: boulders, continuous bedrock, discontinuous bedrock, gravel, mixed sediment, sand and gravel.

To digitally validate the model, the Regional shoreline was divided into subsectors (developed by Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program). Data from DFO (clam harvesting intensity) as well as Conservation and Protection (clam harvesting infraction locations) were used to established species presence within each sub-sector. If there had been any harvesting activity, legal or illegal, in an individual subsector, it was considered "Suitable and Validated". Merged into one final product, the model includes areas that are "Not Suitable", "Suitable", as well as "Suitable and Validated" for soft-shelled clam habitat.

Cite this data as: Harvey, C., Vincent, M., Greyson, P., Hamer, A. (2024) Data of: A Soft-Shelled Clam (Mya arenaria) Habitat Suitability Model For The DFO Maritimes Region.

Published: January 2024. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. Andrews, N.B. https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/c76f7813-d802-4b31-8ebe-476f8a7cacf2

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Contact Information

Delivery Point: 125 Marine Science Drive

City: St. Andrews

Administrative Area: New Brunswick

Postal Code: E5B 0E4

Country: Canada

Electronic Mail Address: Cara.Harvey@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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