A tale of two fishes: evaluating the benthic habitat and habitat use of culturally important fish species in nearshore Nunatsiavut waters

Amidst the rapid environmental change occurring in northern marine environments, baseline ecological knowledge is essential for implementing effective management measures. Through the development of an adaptive marine management initiative, called Imappivut, the Nunatsiavut government has prioritized various marine species and habitats of cultural, ecological, and economic importance for dedicated research. Among these priorities are two iconic fish species, iKaluk / Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and ogak / Greenland cod (Gadus ogac), valued highly throughout communities in Nunatsiavut for supporting Inuit subsistence and economic opportunities. Despite rich local ecological insights, regional data on these species and their habitat associations in the changing marine environment are limited. Recognizing the importance of further understanding these species, this study describes and maps the seafloor habitats occupied by these fish and investigates the ecological and environmental relationships within these habitats. Using local harvester fishing locations, acoustic telemetry and video surveys, chapter 2 assesses the habitat use of tagged iKaluk during their marine residency period, while gathering baseline ecological knowledge on the available seafloor habitats throughout Nain, Nunatsiavut. Chapter 3 employs a habitat mapping approach within and around local ogak fishing locations to produce a full-coverage habitat map of species assemblages across Nain’s nearshore marine environment. The research integrated traditional ecological knowledge with Western scientific methods, offering insights into critical habitats and aiding conservation efforts amid climate change challenges in Nunatsiavut. Together, the findings of this research established a baseline understanding of the seafloor habitats in Nain's marine waters and their association with two culturally important fish species.