Fish Habitat Suitability Models for Bay of Quinte 1972-2011

Habitat suitability was assessed for the Bay of Quinte Area of Concern at a 3-meter grid resolution. The data models different fish life stages (spawning, nursery, adult) from 1972 to 2011, with suitability values scaled from 0 to 1 and classified into four classes. The final maps for each guild-life stage combination represent maximum suitability values from the 39-year period modeled.

Use Cases

• Train geospatial models to predict habitat suitability using depth, vegetation, and substrate variables.
• Analyze temporal trends in maximum suitability values for specific fish life stages across the 39-year period.
• Validate temperature suitability algorithms by comparing modeled outputs with documented habitat associations.
• Perform spatial analysis on the 3-meter resolution grid to identify areas consistently classified with high suitability.

Strengths

• Models a 39-year time series from 1972 to 2011 for long-term ecological analysis.
• Provides high-resolution geospatial data at a 3-meter grid resolution.
• Incorporates three key habitat variables (depth, vegetation, substrate) modified by temperature suitabilities.
• Classifies habitat suitability into four distinct classes (very low, low, medium, high) based on scaled values from 0 to 1.

Limitations

• Sample data and specific column structure are unavailable, limiting immediate analytical understanding.
• Data is derived from modeled outputs and algorithms, not direct field measurements, which may introduce uncertainty.
• The final maps present maximum suitability values, potentially obscuring year-to-year variability within the time series.

Provenance

Source

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1972 to 2011

Freshness

Data last updated on March 24, 2026, though the modeled time range ends in 2011.

Geography

Bay of Quinte Area of Concern, Canada