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dc.contributor.authorSmall, Tiffany
dc.contributor.authorCyr, Frédéric
dc.contributor.authorMcCarthy, James
dc.contributor.authorSutton, Jordan
dc.contributor.authorBernatchez, Louis
dc.contributor.authorGeoffroy, Maxime
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-13T09:11:51Z
dc.date.available2023-11-13T09:11:51Z
dc.date.issued2023-11-02
dc.description.abstractEstuaries provide nurseries for early life stages of fish that rely on the interaction between fresh- and saltwater. The 250 km long Lake Melville spans 2100 km2 and is the largest estuary of Labrador (northeastern Canada). This sub-arctic fjard hosts freshwater, anadromous, and marine fishes on which depend marine mammals and seabirds, but also coastal communities. Yet, how different fish species and life stages use the estuary as a habitat, in particular the importance of the low salinity surface layer for the development of fish larvae, remains unknown. By pairing seasonal hydroacoustic surveys conducted in summers 2018–2019 and winters 2019–2020 with net sampling and environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses, we test the hypothesis that the strong water stratification prevailing in upper Lake Melville provides a nursery for early life stages of fish, where they are protected from their predators. Ichthyoplankton aggregated just above and at the pycnocline, in the low salinity surface layer down to 25 m. Most adult pelagic fish occupied the bottom waters below the sharp pycnocline, although some ventured in the low salinity surface layer. Ten species of adult fish were captured in gill and fyke nets and 53 species were detected with eDNA. Larvae of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) were ubiquitous in the surface layer in July and August and represented 100% of the ichthyoplankton assemblage sampled during these months. No fish larvae were detected in winter (February). We conclude that the low salinity surface layer provides a refuge for rainbow smelt larvae, a key forage species in the estuary. This study provides baseline information from which to assess future changes in biodiversity and distribution of fish in the Lake Melville estuary. It further supports the use of eDNA as a complementary tool for monitoring fish diversity in sub-arctic estuaries.en_US
dc.identifier.citationSmall, Cyr F, McCarthy J, Sutton, Bernatchez L, Geoffroy M. Strong water stratification provides a refuge for rainbow smelt larvae Osmerus mordax in a sub-arctic estuary (Lake Melville, Labrador). Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2023;294en_US
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 2195043
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108553
dc.identifier.issn0272-7714
dc.identifier.issn1096-0015
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/31729
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.relation.journalEstuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccessen_US
dc.rights.holderCopyright 2023 The Author(s)en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0en_US
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)en_US
dc.titleStrong water stratification provides a refuge for rainbow smelt larvae Osmerus mordax in a sub-arctic estuary (Lake Melville, Labrador)en_US
dc.type.versionpublishedVersionen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen_US
dc.typePeer revieweden_US


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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)