Vulnerability of Southern Great Lake Coastal Areas, Fish Habitat and Fisheries

Description

This project will develop the prototype of the Lake Ontario Vulnerability Assessment (LOVA) Tool to provide eventual online access to scenario evaluation of products developed by the ongoing Lake Ontario Vulnerability Assessment to Climate Change. The LOVA Tool will display the current state and projected changes in physical and biological variables that have been modelled for different shoreline zones including: water temperature and levels, coastal characteristics, aquatic vegetation, habitat supply, and habitat-based projections of productivity for select fisheries.

This adaptation tool will inform Fisheries and Oceans Canada programs and decision-making related to ecosystem management, fisheries protection, and potentially small craft harbours, and highlight potential navigation issues associated with climate changes. Ongoing data collection will be used to continue validation of Lake Ontario computer models. If feasible, the assessment may be expanded to model the effects of plausible severe events on coastal processes such as erosion and sedimentation.

Program Name

Aquatic Climate Change Adaptation Services Program (ACCASP)

Year(s)

2014 - 2016

Ecoregion(s)

Central Canada: Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Freshwater Drainage Basin

Principal Investigator(s)

Susan Doka
DFO, Central and Arctic Region
Tel.: (905) 336-4498
Email: susan.doka@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Tom Hoggarth
DFO, Central and Arctic Region
Tel.: (905) 336-4764
Email: thomas.hoggarth@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Dave Gibson
DFO, Central and Arctic Region
Tel.: (905) 336-4764
Email: dave.gibson@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team Member(s)

Valerie Ouellet, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Carolyn Bakelaar, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Andrew Lewin, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Robert Randall, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Marten Koops, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Brent Valere, DFO, Central and Arctic Region

Wendy Leger, Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence & Upper Great Lakes Regulation & Adaptation Study Team Members, Environment Canada

Frank Seglenieks, Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence & Upper Great Lakes Regulation & Adaptation Study Team Members, Environment Canada

Mathew Wells, University of Toronto

Charles Minns, University of Toronto

Cindy Chu, University of Toronto

Yves Secretan, Research Assistant INRS Eau Terre Environnement, Québec

André St-Hilaire, Research Assistant INRS Eau Terre Environnement, Québec

Anick Daigle, Research Assistant INRS Eau Terre Environnement, Québec

Peter Deadman, University of Waterloo

Linda Mortsch, University of Waterloo

Jean Morin, Environment Canada, Québec

Collaborating Government Department(s)

Environment Canada

Ontario Ministries (Natural Resources, Environment)

Collaborative Partner(s)

University of Waterloo

University of Toronto

University of Windsor

INRS Eau Terre Environnement