Using Novel Microacoustic Tags to Track Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Parr Movement in Prince Edward Island, Canada

This is the OBIS extraction of the Ocean Tracking Network and Dalhousie University (DAL) Using Novel Microacoustic Tags to Track Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Parr Movement in Prince Edward Island, Canada, consisting of the release tagging metadata, i.e. the location and date when the tagged animal was released, and summarized detection events of tagged individuals.
If readers are interested in the source dataset they may also inquire with the project PIs as listed here or on the OTN web site (https://members.oceantrack.org/project?ccode=PEIPARR).
Abstract:Overexploitation and habitat degradation substantially contributed to the reduction of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. Community-based conservation has targeted freshwater spawning and rearing areas where salmon are produced by protecting and restoring critical habitat across the province. One of the major gaps in understanding production of Atlantic salmon in freshwater is the fine-scale habitat use at the sub-reach scale, which is also knowledge that is essential to effective habitat restoration in rivers. Microacoustic transmitters (0.2 g) are now available for tracking salmon parr and investigating habitat use in rivers, which can help inform production models and restoration efforts. This project aimed to track Atlantic salmon parr at a subreach scale using Lotek Pin Tags in North Lake Creek and the Morell River, PEI. Working in partnership with the PEI Branch of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and the Morell River Management Cooperative, 100 parr were tagged and are being tracked in high resolution within the pools to better understand their habitat use and inform restoration for community led conservation. The data will advance the ecological quality of these rivers with the goal of improving the physical habitat of Atlantic salmon for higher production and resilience to changes imparted by humans.