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Benthic habitats in nearshore Nunatsiavut waters

Amidst the rapid environmental change occurring in northern marine environments, baseline ecological knowledge is essential for implementing effective management measures. Through the development of an adaptive marine management initiative, called Imappivut, the Nunatsiavut government has prioritized various marine species and habitats of cultural, ecological, and economic importance for dedicated research. Among these priorities are two iconic fish species, iKaluk / Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and ogak / Greenland cod (Gadus ogac).

 

This study describes and maps the seafloor habitats occupied by these fish and investigates the ecological and environmental relationships within these habitats. Using local harvester fishing locations, acoustic telemetry and video surveys this project desrbied the habitat use of tagged iKaluk during their marine residency period, and described the spatial arrangement of habitats and species assemblages around local ogak fishing locations. This research integrated traditional ecological knowledge with Western scientific methods, offering insights into critical habitats and aiding conservation efforts amid climate change challenges in Nunatsiavut. Together, the findings of this research established a baseline understanding of the seafloor habitats in Nain's marine waters and their association with two culturally important fish species.

ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS

MacMillan-Kenny Z, Denniston M, Côté D, Edinger E, Templeton A, Graham M & Robert K (in press). Mapping and Characterizing Benthic Habitats in Northern Labrador: Insights for Marine Conservation and Indigenous Resource Management. Artic. https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic82141

MacMillan-Kenny Z, Denniston M, Edinger E, Templeton A, Côté D, Limoges A, & Robert K (2025). Associations between iKaluk/Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and estuarine benthic diatom habitats in nearshore Nunatsiavut waters. Polar Biology, 48(1), 20.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03323-z

MacMillan-Kenny Z. (2024) A tale of two fishes: evaluating the benthic habitat and habitat use of culturally important fish species in nearshore Nunatsiavut waters. MSc Thesis, Geography, Memorial University, https://doi.org/10.48336/ZGWW-7K26

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

MacMillan-Kenny Z, Denniston M, Cote D, Edinger E and Robert K (2023). Mapping Ogak/Greenland cod (Gadus ogac) habitats in coastal Nunatsiavut waters using benthic video surveys and community identified fishing locations, Conference presentation at GeoHab 2023, Reunion Island.

MacMillan-Kenny Z, Denniston M, Cote D, Edinger E and Robert K (2022). Habitat use of ikKaluk/Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) in coastal Nunatsiavut waters using benthic video surveys and acoustic telemetry, Conference presentation at ArticNet Scientific Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

OUTREACH, MEDIA AND DATA

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