Submitted by Alyx MacDonald Manager of Aquatic Ecosystems
March 2023 marks the end of the Nature Legacy Fund (NLF) four-year project at The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq (CMM). This project has been a team effort from the start with the CMM receiving support from many partner organizations.
Aquatic species and habitat monitoring were carried out in the St. Croix and Stewiacke regions, as well as six watersheds draining into the Gulf of St. Lawrence: River Phillip, West River Pictou, Middle River Pictou, East River Pictou, South River Antigonish and West River Antigonish. Key focal species for the project were Atlantic Salmon (plamu), brook floater (jipu’ji’jey n’kata’law) and American eel (katew), which are all species at risk.
The St. Croix team surveyed for fish by electrofishing at 16 sites and snorkeling at 7, finding many species including salmon, brook trout (Atoqwa’su), and American eel. Aquatic habitat was monitored in the Meander and Herbert Rivers by performing habitat suitability index (HSI) assessments for 30 kilometres of river, completing 199 potential fish passage barrier assessments, and measuring water temperature with in-stream data loggers at 12 sites.
St. Croix team members also had the opportunity to partner with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans genetics lab and collected fish tissue samples to help the lab track the genetics of the Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon population.
The Stewiacke region team focused on habitat assessments, ice cover monitoring a ...
Tags: American eel, Atlantic salmon, featured, Jipu’ji’jey N’kata’law, katew, Middle and East River Pictou, Nature Legacy Fund, Plamu, River Philip, The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, The Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, The Stewiacke, West
