Scotian Shelf
The Scotian Shelf is a geological formation that is part of the continental shelf southwest of Nova Scotia, Canada. It covers an area of, is long, and has a width from. It has an average depth of. The Scotian Shelf contains the ecologically important Scotian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem and the Scotian Shelf Waters.
The northeastern boundary is defined by the Laurentian Channel, where it drops off to. Further south is the continental slope, which sharply drops off to a depth of more than. The southwestern boundary ends at the Northeast Channel, including the Gulf of Maine.
The Scotian Shelf is characterized by shallow offshore banks under the ocean surface, with deep basins and troughs between that vary in depth from. They culminate at Sable Island.
A southwesterly ocean current, occasionally containing runoff from the Gulf of St Lawrence, flows over the inner shelf. The water flow over the banks is weaker and tends have greater variation. The Scotian Shelf contains a canyon called the "Gully", which is more than deep. Currents flow through the canyon southward and mix offshore waters with the Nova Scotia Current. That causes an increase in biological productivity toward the east, across the Continental Shelf and contains body parts from multiple decades of animals.
The Scotian Shelf is heavily influenced by the Gulf Stream, resulting in a variety of marine species that are normally found farther south. They appear at regular intervals because the main current spins off cores of warm water.
Marine life
The Scotian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem contains numerous species, including a broad range of shellfish and fishes that use the area as spawning and nursery grounds. The abundance causes the Scotian Shelf to be one of the Atlantic Ocean's most fished areas.The right whale has a critical habitat in the Roseway Basin, the northeastern part of the Scotian Shelf. Approximately 30 percent of the known population uses this habitat throughout the course of the year.
The northern bottlenose whale also lives in the Scotian Shelf Waters area, particularly the Gully. About 230 individual specimens have been recorded there. Other species, such as the sperm whale and harbour seal, are also found in the region, including the grey seal, which is common on Sable Island.
Various waterfowl use the coastal areas as a migratory staging area. Offshore areas are used by such birds as shearwaters, sea ducks like the common eider, and alcids like dovekies and murres.