Fish Habitat Suitability Maps for Bay of Quinte Spawning Areas

Habitat suitability maps for fish spawning in the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern, modeled at a 3-meter grid resolution. The data assesses suitability from 1972 to 2011, with values scaled from 0 (not suitable) to 1 (highly suitable) and classified into four suitability classes. It was produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada using the Habitat Ecosystem Assessment Tool (HEAT), incorporating depth, vegetation, substrate, and temperature variables.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of habitat suitability for low vegetation association species using the 0-1 scaled suitability values.
• Model changes in spawning habitat quality over the 39-year period from 1972 to 2011.
• Identify areas classified with 'high' suitability based on combined depth, vegetation, substrate, and temperature variables.
• Integrate the 3-meter resolution grid data with other geospatial layers for cumulative impact assessment.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution of 3 meters for detailed habitat analysis.
• Covers a 39-year time period (1972-2011) for temporal trend assessment.
• Suitability values are derived from documented habitat and temperature associations for local fish species.
• Includes classification into four distinct suitability classes (very low, low, medium, high).

Limitations

• Suitability is a modeled output, not direct field measurements, and depends on the accuracy of input algorithms and models.
• The dataset is specific to one water level scenario (75.0m ASL) and one vegetation association (Low Vegetation), limiting broader applicability.
• Data is temporally stale, with the modeled period ending in 2011 and no updates to current conditions.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

Modeled using the Habitat Ecosystem Assessment Tool (HEAT), temperature algorithms, vegetation models, and water level inputs.

Time Range

1972 to 2011

Freshness

Last metadata update was 2026-03-24, but the underlying modeled data covers 1972-2011.

Geography

Bay of Quinte Area of Concern, Canada