The Importance of Including Water Temperature Simulations in a 2D Fish Habitat Model for the St. Lawrence River

Integrated Statistics Inc., National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 17 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473, USA

Direction de L’expertise sur la Faune Aquatique, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, 880 Chemin Sainte-Foy, 2e étage, Québec City, QC G1S 4X4, Canada

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Environnement et Changement Climatique Canada, Service Météorologique du Canada–Section Hydrologie, 801-1550 Avenue d’Estimauville, Québec City, QC G1J 0C3, Canada

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School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Academic Editor: José Maria Santos

Water 2021, 13(13), 1736; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131736

Received: 17 May 2021 / Revised: 14 June 2021 / Accepted: 21 June 2021 / Published: 23 June 2021

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Abstract

Extreme climatic conditions likely caused a massive fish mortality during the summer of 2001 in the St. Lawrence River. To corroborate this hypothesis, we used a physical habitat simulation approach incorporating hydraulic and water temperature models. Spawning Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI) for common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were developed using fuzzy logic and applied to the model outputs to estimate habitat weighted usable area during the event. The results revealed that areas suitable for common carp spawning (HSI > 0.3) were severely reduced by high water temperatures, which exceeded 28 °C during the mortality event. During the mortality event, the amount of suitable habitat was reduced to <200 ha/day, representing less than 15% of the maximum potential suitable habitat in the study reach. In addition, the availability of cooler habitats that could have been used as thermal refuges was also reduced. These results indicate that the high water temperature in spawning areas and reduced accessibility to thermal refuge habitats exposed the carp to substantial physiological and environmental stress. The high water temperatures were highly detrimental to the fish and eventually led to the observed mortalities. This study demonstrates the importance of including water temperature in habitat suitability models. View Full-Text

Keywords: 2D model; common carp; fish habitat; fuzzy logic; water temperature

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ouellet, V.; St-Hilaire, A.; Secretan, Y.; Mingelbier, M.; Morin, J.; Dugdale, S.J. The Importance of Including Water Temperature Simulations in a 2D Fish Habitat Model for the St. Lawrence River. Water 2021, 13, 1736. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131736

AMA Style

Ouellet V, St-Hilaire A, Secretan Y, Mingelbier M, Morin J, Dugdale SJ. The Importance of Including Water Temperature Simulations in a 2D Fish Habitat Model for the St. Lawrence River. Water. 2021; 13(13):1736. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131736

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ouellet, Valerie, André St-Hilaire, Yves Secretan, Marc Mingelbier, Jean Morin, and Stephen J. Dugdale 2021. "The Importance of Including Water Temperature Simulations in a 2D Fish Habitat Model for the St. Lawrence River" Water 13, no. 13: 1736. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131736

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Author Biographies

Valerie Ouellet

Valerie Ouellet’s primary research interest focuses on understanding how different environmental variables, such as water temperature and flow, affect the habitat of key fish species. They have worked on thermal budgets, water temperature and fish habitat modeling, using a variety of quantitative approaches. Valerie focuses on fundamental questions about the relations between stream hydrology and thermal regimes, as well as fish physiology and habitat. Their research aims to generate knowledge of aquatic ecosystems at the risk of thermal degradation, which is of critical importance to improve water resources management, especially regarding climate change issues.

André St-Hilaire

Professor St-Hilaire is interested in the spatial and temporal variability of abiotic variables in rivers and in the information content of measurement station networks. His work includes modelling of the thermal regime and sediment dynamics of rivers. He also conducts statistical analyses of environmental flows in relation to climate change. His main research areas are: Axis 1: Hydrological and thermal modelling in rivers; Axis 2: Environmental flows and modelling of aquatic habitats; Axis 3: Hydrology and water quality of peatlands.

Jean Morin

Jean Morin currently works at the National Hydrologic Service of Environment Canada. Jean does research in Ecohydraulic. Their current project concerns a flood review of the lake Champlain-Richelieu River (IJC study) and the modelling of the Great Lakes Wetlands and their evolution in a changing climate.

Stephen J. Dugdale

Steve J. Dugdale completed a BSc and MSc (by research) at Durham University. Following a stint in environmental consultancy, he moved to Canada to undertake a PhD at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (Université du Québec). His doctoral studies focused on the use of airborne thermal infrared imagery to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of cool-water habitats in salmon rivers and how they protect fish from water temperature extremes. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Rivers Institute (University of New Brunswick, Canada), before moving back to the UK to start a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship at the University of Birmingham. He joined the University of Nottingham as an Assistant Professor in 2018.

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The Importance of Including Water Temperature Simulations in a 2D Fish Habitat Model for the St. Lawrence River

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