Active Acoustic data in Lake Melville, Labrador

By modifying the seasonal runoff pattern of the Churchill River, in Labrador, the operation of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric dam could impact estuarine rainbow smelt, trout and salmon downstream. This research project seeks to understand how the operation of the Muskrat Falls dam will modify fish ecology in the 3,000 km2 Lake Melville subarctic estuary. Answering this question is critical to fully understand the impacts of this large-scale hydroelectric project on coastal communities in the region. This dataset provides baseline information for science-based management of fisheries in Lake Melville, where five coastal communities rely heavily on food, social and ceremonial fisheries. It relies on active acoustic measurements to compare inter-annual and seasonal changes in fish abundance and distribution in Lake Melville in relation to variations in biotic (e.g. prey availability) and abiotic (e.g. temperature and salinity) factors to determine the main drivers of these changes.通过改变拉布拉多地区丘吉尔河（Churchill River）的季节性径流模式，麝鼠瀑布水电站大坝（Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Dam）的运行可能会对下游河口的胡瓜鱼、鳟鱼及鲑鱼造成影响。本研究项目旨在探明该大坝的运行将如何改变面积达3000平方公里的梅尔维尔湖（Lake Melville）亚北极河口的鱼类生态。明确这一问题的答案，对于全面认知该大型水电工程对区域沿海社区的影响至关重要。本数据集为梅尔维尔湖的渔业科学管理提供基准信息——该区域的五个沿海社区高度依赖食用性、社会性及仪式性渔业。本数据集采用主动声学测量手段，对比分析梅尔维尔湖内鱼类丰度与分布的年际及季节变化，结合生物因素（如猎物可获得性）与非生物因素（如水温、盐度）的波动情况，以明确上述变化的主要驱动因子。