Effects of habitat characteristics on the diversity and abundance of littoral forage fish in a boreal reservoir

Forage fish play a key role in the transmission of energy in aquatic ecosystems; they serve as a food resource for several species of sport fish such as walleye. Despite their importance, little is known about the ecology of forage fish associated with the nearshore food web.

The overall objective of this project is to examine the effect of littoral habitat environmental variables on the diversity and abundance of the forage fish community in Lac Saint-Jean, a large boreal reservoir.

This study is being undertaken in collaboration with Karine Gagnon of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs. It is part of a project led by Un lac pour tous that seeks to acquire knowledge on littoral forage fish in Lac Saint-Jean.