Composite index and fisheries data: analysis of fish habitat quality indices and morphological quality indices (MQIs)

Fish habitat is becoming increasingly degraded, particularly as a result of human activity.

Numerous fish habitat conservation or restoration projects are being implemented to counter this degradation. Several indices have been developed to assess the quality of watercourses before or after these restoration projects. Each index has a specific objective, some being constructed from a wildlife perspective and others from a hydrogeomorphological point of view. This project aims to improve the current versions of fish habitat quality indices (various HQIs) and morphological quality indices (various MQIs) by developing a composite index. An analysis of the links between the various indices and fishery data (e.g., eDNA, electrofishing, physiochemistry) will help refine the description of a good quality habitat. The watersheds studied in this project are those of the Châteauguay, Saint-François and Saint-Charles rivers.

The project is being conducted in collaboration with the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP).