Fish Habitat Suitability for Nursery Species in Bay of Quinte (1972-2011)

1972-2011 habitat suitability data for low vegetation-associated fish species in the Bay of Quinte nursery habitat under a high water level scenario (75.4m ASL). The dataset contains maximum suitability values from a 39-year modeling period, scaled from 0 to 1 and classified into categories like very low, low, medium, and high. It was produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada using the Habitat Ecosystem Assessment Tool (HEAT) with a 3-meter grid resolution.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of maximum suitability values for nursery habitat across the 39-year period.
• Model the relationship between habitat suitability classes (very low, low, medium, high) and environmental variables like depth, vegetation, and substrate.
• Assess changes in habitat suitability for low vegetation-associated species under the specified high water level (75.4m ASL) condition.
• Validate temperature suitability algorithms by comparing modeled outputs with documented species-temperature associations.

Strengths

• Covers a 39-year temporal range (1972-2011) for long-term ecological analysis.
• Modeled at a high 3-meter spatial grid resolution for detailed geospatial assessment.
• Suitability values are derived from documented habitat and temperature associations for local fish species.
• Includes multiple suitability metrics: scaled values (0-1) and categorical classes (very low to high).

Limitations

• Limited to a single water level scenario (75.4m ASL) and specific life stage (nursery habitat), not a complete habitat assessment.
• As a modeled output, accuracy depends on the underlying HEAT tool, temperature algorithms, and input data quality.
• Sample data and specific column structure (e.g., grid cell IDs, exact coordinates) are unavailable for preview.

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

1972-2011

Freshness

Last updated March 24, 2026, though the underlying data covers up to 2011.

Geography

Bay of Quinte Area of Concern, Canada